RMI Guide Try-out 2006 questions...

[Kraken]

I seriously intend on guiding, or at least working, for RMI this upcoming season (2006) and am wondering if anyone can tell me what the process is for the guide tryouts. I talked to Alex, one of the senior guides and he said that in early May, they hold guide try-outs over two days.

 

What type of events and such do they have you do?

 

I'm getting certified in Wilderness First Responder as we speak, and this upcoming winter will be Avalanche I certified.

 

I'm taking outdoor leadership classes here at school and was a communication major...something quite important for guiding.

 

I've summited Rainier two times and have been led two out of the three climbs I've done on Rainier.

 

I'll be climbing Denali's West Rib (conditions permitting) and possibly Mt. Hunter early this spring.

 

I'd like to climb Rainier this X-mas and Spring Break as well, to get just that much more experience under my belt.

 

I'm not looking for advice or opinions, but rather input from people who are involved or who have taken part in the try-outs. Any valuable input is appriciated.

 

Thanks.

[layton]

jesus dude. don't do it. go apply for AAI or Evil AAI, both are hiring.

[ivan]

crystal meth would probably help

[barjor]

So what would a good enough time to Muir be for a RMI guide?

[genepires]

Time doesn't matter as long as you are first. You are competing with the other applicants. Try sabotage. I tried the guide tryouts a long time ago but failed when I realized my gaiters, socks, and lots of clothes were at home. They didn't look too kindly at my lack of preparation. I think someone must have stole my gear and then left it in living room. Tricky!

But seriously, consider sending applications to Amer. Alpine Inst., Alpine Ascents and Mountain Madness as well. If you get a job with any of them, you will have a more diverse summer, doing different summits and having a better time. Why do rainier all summer?

I have worked for AAI and now work for the evil AAI so feel free to PM if you have any questions.

gene

[layton]

plus you could work with gene

[DPS]

To answer your question, I tried out 12 years ago. It was a two day affair. The morning of the first day you got up in front of the group and told everyone about yourself. Then you went outside where a half dozen or so stations were set up, each manned by an RMI senior guide. In small groups you rotated through each station where you 'taught' a different skill. I can't remember every skill but I recall snow anchors, knot tying, belaying/ rope handling, ice axe arrest, step kicking.

 

The second day was a race to the top of panorama point, with more simulated teaching scenarios afterward. We wrapped up the day by speaking in front of the goup again.

 

Hope that answers your questions.

Edited October 1, 2005 by danielpatricksmith

[ivan]

and then one summer, at band camp....

[tomtom]

What's happening at banned camp?

[bigwalling]

hahahaha, tryouts... it would be funny as shit to be the fastest best in shape dude and totally fail all the other parts. Be like... oh what is a snow anchor?

[jshamster]

I tried out a couple of years ago, and it's exactly as danielpatricksmith describes.

I totally disagree with fidosbitch, as it seemed that not only personality/communication counted for a lot, but that who you knew & how many times you've tried out seemed to make a big difference.

It's part skills and part popularity contest.

 

I second the opinion of others that either AAI or another guiding company would be a much better experience that RMI.

[Eugenian]

jesus dude. don't do it. go apply for AAI or Evil AAI, both are hiring.

 

I'm guessing Alpine Ascents is the "evil" AAI...but why? (of course I could be wrong...that little white house that American Alpine operates out of does exude a strange "funk")

[genepires]

evil cause the owner for alpine ascents worked for dunham for a summer before making his own company.

[layton]

that's just what it's called. the little white house is really a big bank vault and wine cellar.

[Kraken]

i'd hardly say that Todd Burleson is an evil boss, I've met the guy a few times. I'd actually love to work for AAI. I guess I'll talk to Todd ASAP and see what's going on. thanks guys!

clint

Edited October 18, 2005 by Clintoris

[olyclimber]

You know, these tryouts have all the makings of a good TV reality show. I'm going to call my agent and see if I can get this thing televised.

[genepires]

I never said he was an evil boss. You should read these posts closer instead of jumping to conclusions. I work for him and I don't work for "evil people". Heck that is why I left amer. alpine in the first place. Jeesh.

[francypants]

Commercial guiding. Is that not a bit like mercenary work; climbing for money. A bit capitalistic.

 

I like my mountains commercial free!

[Kraken]

still, everyone has to work and make money. why not have a job that pays you to climb? Sure it's hard work dealing with people sometimes, but you're still getting to do what you love and experiencing things that most only dream of or wonder about.

[ivan]

don't shit where you eat

 

confucius?

[DPS]

Why not have a job that pays you to climb?

I think that is the big misconception about guiding, that it is climbing. Its really closer to baby sitting in a fairly dangerous environment. That said I have friends who are good at it and love it. I was bad at it and hated it.

[Kraken]

either way, you're gaining new experiences and knowledge every day which will, in the end, allow you to attain new experiences and take advantage of new opportunities which would have otherwise been nearly impossible.

[knelson]

Well that pretty much summarizes life in general, if you have the right attitude. I didn't realize I've been guiding all this time.

[Hayduke]

I climbed the Emmons route this summer and camped next to an AAI group. The guides were really nice and it was fun to listen to them give their schtick (sp?) on what to do and what not to do.

 

What really cracked me up was this one guide who started every statement with "When I was on Denali..." After a while my partner and I would just about laugh outload everytime he said it.

 

Another funny thing was the clients were totally enamoured with the guides, saying things like "the only real climbers left are guides like you" and thought all these guys did was guide for a few months out of the year and them climb on their own for the rest of ther year. Finally the guides admitted to having all kinds of hard labor jobs during the off season so they could afford to climb. The irony was there was a father-son pair in the group who did construction. The father owned the company and the boy was about to start taking it over. There was a smile on everyone's face when they realized that off the mountain, this boy would be the guides' boss.

 

Guiding is cool, but it's no way to make a living...

 

To the guides benefit, one of them had done some guiding down in Antartica, which has got to be pretty cool.

 

I think I wanted to work up to guiding in Antartica or the Himalayas I might have persued guiding when I was in my early 20s.

 

Of course, they knew the famous Gene Pires. I said I knew him too.

 

Back to the original post, a WFR is fine, but get your EMT-B. It's not that hard and you'll be a lot more savvy when it comes to real emergencies. WFRs are a dime a dozen, an EMT cert. might make you stand out and get you the job.

[genepires]

Famous? Only to my two dogs.