Being a Guide

[Necronomicon]

JGowans said:

Yes, I am talking about personal fulfillment. Teaching is definitely a worthy occupation but one that in my opinion is altogether undervalued in this day and age. Moreover, aside from the massive vacation time, I don't think I'd gain the freedom that I'm looking for. Hmmm.

 

"Undervalued" as in "shitty pay". Better sell that Land Rover if you're looking to be a guide, unless Dad's gonna help you out.

[chucK]

JGowans said:

Yes, I am talking about personal fulfillment. Teaching is definitely a worthy occupation but one that in my opinion is altogether undervalued in this day and age. Moreover, aside from the massive vacation time, I don't think I'd gain the freedom that I'm looking for. Hmmm.

 

So you wanna help people AND get the big bucks AND work 20 hours per week! I'll be watching this thread to get the answer to this one. Hopefully it's one where you can drink on the job too (and the company pays for the beer ).

 

How about a doctor? They help people sometimes. They take days off too.

[JGowans]

erik said:

do you want to be a guide or a climbing instructor?

 

I think guide, and while rock instructor would I think be interesting too, I'm light years away from being able to legitimately function as a rock instructor.

[Necronomicon]

chucK said:

JGowans said:

Yes, I am talking about personal fulfillment. Teaching is definitely a worthy occupation but one that in my opinion is altogether undervalued in this day and age. Moreover, aside from the massive vacation time, I don't think I'd gain the freedom that I'm looking for. Hmmm.

 

So you wanna help people AND get the big bucks! I'll be watching this thread to get the answer to this one. Hopefully it's one where you can drink on the job too (and the company pays for the beer ).

 

How about a doctor? They help people sometimes.

 

How about "Male Prostitute"? You can get wasted every night, and let middle aged bussiness men bust their nuts into your mouth(or ass) for the heavy coin. Now we're talking!!

[erik]

JGowans said:

erik said:

do you want to be a guide or a climbing instructor?

 

I think guide, and while rock instructor would I think be interesting too, I'm light years away from being able to legitimately function as a rock instructor.

 

how do you expect to legitimatley function as a guide if you do nt have all the skillz.

 

certainly a guide might only need to be able to climb 5.8. but what happens when shit gets fucked on 5.8 and you are at your max? then everyone dies!!

 

knowledge is power and the more you have the better off everyone is!

 

[JGowans]

Necronomicon said:

JGowans said:

Yes, I am talking about personal fulfillment. Teaching is definitely a worthy occupation but one that in my opinion is altogether undervalued in this day and age. Moreover, aside from the massive vacation time, I don't think I'd gain the freedom that I'm looking for. Hmmm.

 

"Undervalued" as in "shitty pay". Better sell that Land Rover if you're looking to be a guide, unless Dad's gonna help you out.

 

Necro, I don't have parents so there's no financial crutch amigo. I'm on my own here. By undervalued, I mean that teachers aren't empowered to make decisions nor truly teach anymore. The learning experience for kids these days has definitely receded in my opinion, and teachers are caught in a never ending bind of how to effectively educate with very little support. That's what I meant by undervalued

[specialed]

JGowans said:

erik said:

do you want to be a guide or a climbing instructor?

 

I think guide, and while rock instructor would I think be interesting too, I'm light years away from being able to legitimately function as a rock instructor.

 

I heard the real deal euro guides had to be able to solo 5.10 in their mountain boots. But from my experience, to be a guide in America you only have to be able to talk shit. So your probably qualified.

[JGowans]

erik said:how do you expect to legitimatley function as a guide if you do nt have all the skillz.

 

certainly a guide might only need to be able to climb 5.8. but what happens when shit gets fucked on 5.8 and you are at your max? then everyone dies!!

 

knowledge is power and the more you have the better off everyone is!

 

Yes, you're absolutely right mate. That's why I was curious about tagging along with an outfit in a low-key role and just learn that way as well as the obvious adage of there being no substitute for experience.

[erik]

specialed said:

But from my experience, to be a guide in America you only have to be able to talk shit. So your probably qualified.

 

 

 

[JGowans]

I alwys knew sparying on cc.com was valuable and would come in handy some day.

[erik]

& b.a.s.e.

 

 

[snoboy]

The guides I know (quite a few) find that guiding clients and teaching classes is so different from being out there having fun, that at the end of the week they are raring to go climbing for themselves. No problem burning out there.

 

If you want to make a good living at it, it seems that you have to approach it as a business. You wanna be a guiding company, not a guide, if you want to live better than cheque to cheque.

 

It's hard on the body too. You might not be out there pulling down on 5.11 every day (although it can happen), but there are other overuse injuries that are common amongst the guides I know. Say goodbye to you elbows if you do much multi pitch work. Pulling two ropes all day seems to kill them pretty quick.

 

Check out the ACMG website too (www.acmg.ca). They have also a certification program similar to the AMGA.

 

Most full mountain guides say that is similar too getting a university degree in terms of time and money.

 

Good Luck.

 

[specialed]

erik said:

& b.a.s.e.

 

 

You B.A.S.E.?

[ScottP]

JGowans said:

Yes, I am talking about personal fulfillment. Teaching is definitely a worthy occupation but one that in my opinion is altogether undervalued in this day and age. Moreover, aside from the massive vacation time, I don't think I'd gain the freedom that I'm looking for. Hmmm.

 

I'd like to hear more about this "massive vacation time."

[erik]

specialed said:

erik said:

& b.a.s.e.

 

 

You B.A.S.E.?

 

of course mommy just bought me a new rig!

 

[JGowans]

ScottP said:

I'd like to hear more about this "massive vacation time."

 

I used to have a girlfriend who got 2 months off each summer and a week here and there. Not to mention the various learning days they had when there were no kids in school. That's pretty massive compared to most folks 2 or 3 weeks vacation in the corporate world.

[ScottP]

JGowans said:

ScottP said:

I'd like to hear more about this "massive vacation time."

 

I used to have a girlfriend who got 2 months off each summer and a week here and there. Not to mention the various learning days they had when there were no kids in school. That's pretty massive compared to most folks 2 or 3 weeks vacation in the corporate world.

 

I know very few teachers who don't fill that two months with either the state-required professional development or a summer job to augment the table scraps tossed to them by the legislature.

And those "learning days" aren't vacation days, they're work days.

 

"Summers off" is a myth.

[JGowans]

ScottP said:

JGowans said:

ScottP said:

I'd like to hear more about this "massive vacation time."

 

I used to have a girlfriend who got 2 months off each summer and a week here and there. Not to mention the various learning days they had when there were no kids in school. That's pretty massive compared to most folks 2 or 3 weeks vacation in the corporate world.

 

I know very few teachers who don't fill that two months with either the state-required professional development or a summer job to augment the table scraps tossed to them by the legislature.

And those "learning days" aren't vacation days, they're work days.

 

"Summers off" is a myth.

 

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you mate, but I know of a fair amount of teachers who use the time to travel during those 2 months. Also, the URL you supplied makes some pretty broad generalizations about the private sector. One such example is the assumption that most folks in the private sector work only 7.5 hours per day.

 

I already stated earlier that I think teachers are undervalued and underappreciated. I'm not about to trade barbs with you regarding how they spend their free time.

 

Here's to teachers.

[ScottP]

JGowans,

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. I'm just trying to dispel a myth that is stuck in my craw.

Sorry for the negative vibes.

[erik]

scott

 

i know a fair amount of teachers and lots of them have tons of free time during these periods. maybe they are better planners, or teach mundane classes such as chem and math....

 

i think it is a personal take on it. we all have priorites.

 

[sk]

a moms perspective:

 

not even kids realy get the summer off any more. If you want your child to succeed you are sort of forced to (even as a stay at home mom) give your kids home work durring the summer so they can be on par with the kids that spend all summer in "summer camps" those days of loafing in the barn and catching polly wags all day in the creek and making forts in the grass in the pasture are GONE

[chucK]

I wonder why they don't just call it 2 months leave without pay (mandatory)? Then they could advertise a much better monthly rate!

[minx]

Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer said:

a moms perspective:

 

not even kids realy get the summer off any more. If you want your child to succeed you are sort of forced to (even as a stay at home mom) give your kids home work durring the summer so they can be on par with the kids that spend all summer in "summer camps" those days of loafing in the barn and catching polly wags all day in the creek and making forts in the grass in the pasture are GONE

 

I absolutely disagree with this and refuse to participate! I think the lessons learned during the summer months with out school are every bit as important as the education during the year. My son will go to summer camps but they won't be "science" or "computer" camp. He'll play sports, play in the water, play in the trees and play in the dirt. We'll keep reading in the evenings but no homework! blah!

[sk]

minx said:

Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer said:

a moms perspective:

 

not even kids realy get the summer off any more. If you want your child to succeed you are sort of forced to (even as a stay at home mom) give your kids home work durring the summer so they can be on par with the kids that spend all summer in "summer camps" those days of loafing in the barn and catching polly wags all day in the creek and making forts in the grass in the pasture are GONE

 

I absolutely disagree with this and refuse to participate! I think the lessons learned during the summer months with out school are every bit as important as the education during the year. My son will go to summer camps but they won't be "science" or "computer" camp. He'll play sports, play in the water, play in the trees and play in the dirt. We'll keep reading in the evenings but no homework! blah!

 

I hope your kid is a hell of a student then

 

we try to make summer work as low key as possible, but I find that my first grader has 2 sheets of home work EVERY DAY. it is exauhsting. I am realy affraid as to what second grade will bring. He can't aford to get behind. grade school is way too high pressure

[minx]

my kid is a second grader.

 

He is by no means a stellar studen but we just had report cards and conferences and i was quite pleased with his progress.

 

Anyone who knows me know the value i place on academics but i also think it's important for the kids to get away from it. I don't mind a bit of reading every day but i'm not going any further than that.