Join us to keep the mountain man's legacy alive in Osoyoos, BC, Canada

Details

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  Description

  🌞 A Summer Opportunity from My Heart — Welcome to the Mountain 🌞
  🌴As well as One More Little Dream to Share....🌴
  
  Greetings from Canada, British Columbia, in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. From the lake town of Osoyoos, our mountain estate sits about 28 km up at the summit, surrounded by 500 acres of untouched land and breathtaking, uninterrupted views that seem to last forever. Up here, the days are warm, the nights are cool, and the sky is filled with stars. It is truly a little paradise — a place where luxury and simplicity live side by side.
  
  For the past 18 years, We have had the joy of welcoming volunteers from all over the world. Even though I now live here without my beloved husband, Ulric — the “Mountain Man”, I continue to open my doors and my heart, because hosting has always been about sharing, caring, and growing together.
  
  At the moment, we are looking for some guys (or girls) that have experience with stucco work. We are also seeking carpenters to help build steps and decks as well as general maintenance. The properties work is more labor intensive so strong arms and muscles are a huge benefit:)
  
  🌿 What I Offer and What We Expect:)
  
  Minimum stay: two weeks
  
  The mountain is open from May 15 to September 15
  
  **** Please be reliable with your arrival dates, as space is lovingly held just for you
  
  I can pick you up from the bus station in Osoyoos or Rock Creek
  
  We eat lunch and dinner together Monday–Friday, like family
  
  Breakfasts and weekend meals are self-catered
  
  Each guest has a private room
  
  Weekends free for you to enjoy as you wish
  
  We usually work about five hours a day Monday-Friday, either in the morning or afternoon, leaving plenty of time to hike, relax, explore, or simply sit and enjoy the peace of the mountain.
  
  My daughter Tessina helps manage messages, as she is much better with computers, but if you have questions, you are always welcome to reach out.
  
  🏔 A Little About Me and This Place:
  
  I am a 80-year-old widow, still young at heart and deeply grateful for life. I love fashion, nature, writing, cooking, and most of all, caring for people. I truly enjoy spoiling my guests with good food and kindness.
  
  My late husband Ulric and I were entrepreneurs in the hospitality world and foster parents to high-risk teens for over 38 years. We loved traveling the world, something I still do each winter. When we retired 20 years ago, we began this greenhorn pioneer project — building this off-grid mountain estate from scratch. It has been a labor of love, filled with learning, hard work, and many beautiful moments.
  
  Ulric believed strongly in stepping out of comfort zones, gaining new skills, and building confidence through meaningful work. Those values still live on here.
  
  🔨 Work on the Mountain:
  
  My manager, Russel, is a wonderful person — kind, patient, and happy to teach new skills when needed. Help is always appreciated with:
  
  Stucco work (this may be a paid opportunity for those with experience)
  
  Light construction and renovations
  
  Carpentry projects such as steps and decks
  
  Weeding, cleanup, and general maintenance inside and outside the buildings
  
  On a personal note, I would also love someone patient to help me feel more confident with my laptop — perhaps organizing photos of the property or typing my poetry. I have published 11 books on Amazon, and creating still brings me great joy.
  
  🌼 Life and Values Here:
  
  This is a peaceful sanctuary, and I ask everyone to help keep it that way. A few simple rules guide us:
  
  No fighting or swearing
  
  No drunkenness or stealing
  
  No drugs of any kind — not even legalized marijuana
  
  There are trails to wander, quiet places to reflect, and many opportunities to think about life, the future, and what truly matters.
  
  🌴 One More Little Dream to Share:
  
  In addition to our mountain home in Canada, we also have a 20-acre property in Granada, Nicaragua, very close to my heart. From October through May, I am looking for Spanish-speaking volunteers with carpentry experience who would enjoy visiting and helping me there during those months.
  
  Like everything we do, this too is about sharing, learning, and building something meaningful together — simply in another beautiful corner of the world.
  
  With your help, your hands, and your love for these places, we continue the legacy my husband Ulric — the Mountain Man — dreamed of and created.
  
  I look forward to meeting the right people, perhaps you.
  
  With warmth and gratitude 🌿
  
  Ghitta aand Tessina

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Over the years, I have traveled extensively, visiting much of Central and South America, Asia, and, of course, Europe before immigrating to Canada in 1979. Being self-employed, I’ve gained a wealth of personal life experiences—both successes and mistakes—which I enjoy sharing to inspire and benefit others.
  
  During our retirement, my late husband and I created something truly unique, which you’ll see here firsthand. It’s an “outside-the-box” concept and vision—a project that continues to evolve through never-ending work and an exciting learning curve for everyone involved. It stands as a testament to determination and creativity, a true beauty of effort and reality.

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  Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

  This host offers accommodation and payment.

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  Help

  We are looking for skilled individuals interested in a regular Workaway exchange who are also willing to do additional paid work. We are offering $200 per week, plus room and board, for an extra 4 hours of work per day.
  
  We need a few strong and capable hands to help wrap one of our buildings with stucco, as well as assist with carpentry. Our contractor has more work than he can handle on his own. Please note that this paid opportunity is only available to those with a valid work permit.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  We have a large, fully equipped volunteer house that can accommodate multiple people, or private rooms in the main house with breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountain Range and the most stunning sunsets you’ll ever see.
  
  On weekends, you are free to explore the Okanagan Valley. We’re happy to offer volunteers a ride into town whenever we go.

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  What else ...

  "Felicitations and compliments for you, to finding our most unique mountaintop private lifestyle.
  The journey of life is a daily challenge, one day at the time we 100 % dream the dream, dare the dare and do the do". In memory of Ulric, The Mountain Man
  
  You are invited to live your dreams, ambitions and exploring new ideas, here in BC Canada with us, you will find answers.
  You can hike through quaint alpine meadows with forever mountain and valley views, away from it all, you have arrived
  You will be very surprised by the eclectic flair, cozy ambiance and decor of all we have created here, you will become part
  
  We are halfway between Osoyoos and Rock Creek, at an elevation of 1365 meters our 480 acre mountaintop nature reserve and beautiful family paradise
  
  Our alternate ECO straw bale design and construction concept and methods is a creative work in progress. To date many international working travelers, became part of our great vision. Off grid, with solar power only, recycled building components, every guest was fascinated about the cozy feel in our different buildings. The shared meals have allowed great conversations and friendships to develop. Do come and stay with us, as long you'd like, as well bring your friends.
  We will need many creative and willing hands to become part of our unusual project. As it stands, every day we all have learned something new, a never ending "Learning Curve" and have fun with "Murphy's Law" daily rules, challenges..
  
  
  Stunning photo documentations and memories are shared, you will love and appreciate the international flair and mix
  of our globe trotting traveling "addicts". 1 cute cat, 2 dogs will greet you.
  
  
  We love to hear and welcome you,
  Tessina (Ulric's Daughter) Ghitta (my mom and Ulric's beautiful wife) and In memory of Ulric, our Maintain Man

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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