RMI Guide Try-out 2006 questions...

[alpinerack]

Hey Clint, I tried out in 2000, I think? They were hiring 8 people out of about 50. Compitition was pretty intense! One thing I recomend is always be the first to volunteer when they ask someone from your group to demonstrate a skill and always tell them your name. Remind them who you are so you are not just a number. Be prepared to run up to pan point with out snow shoes in deeeeep snow, hopefully you will have a boot track the whole way up. Stuff they will want you to know- snow anchors, hip belay, injury scenarios, avalanche and weather, crevasse rescue, z-pulley and others, self arrest, glacier travel, rest step, parts of an ice axe and crampons, knots, they will have you calmly tell a client that they need to turn around and go back to camp while everyone else summits. Thats all I can think of now.

Hope this helps, good luck.

[layton]

sounds like fun

[specialed]

do you know the parts of YOUR ice axe?

[larrythellama]

without an amga or uiamga cert you are nothing but a wannabe. the guides in america are a laughable bunch compared to the professionals in europe.

 

other requirments:

ill fitting kavu hat

the ability to relate to things/climbs you have never done

the desire to climb dumb and boring routes

kissing some motherfuckers ass for a few extra bucks

talking about guiding non-stop

guiding on snow in a maritime climate is about as dumb as it gets.

 

good luck and have funk

[Kraken]

guess I'll just skip the years of internship and go straight for my AMGA then, I mean...how hard can it be? I'm a pretty good test taker.

 

 

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(sarcasm flag)

[Jason_Martin]

guess I'll just skip the years of internship and go straight for my AMGA then, I mean...how hard can it be? I'm a pretty good test taker.

 

Hard.

[Kraken]

yeah so i've heard.

[Bug]

without an amga or uiamga cert you are nothing but a wannabe. the guides in america are a laughable bunch compared to the professionals in europe.

 

other requirments:

ill fitting kavu hat

the ability to relate to things/climbs you have never done

the desire to climb dumb and boring routes

kissing some motherfuckers ass for a few extra bucks

talking about guiding non-stop

guiding on snow in a maritime climate is about as dumb as it gets.

 

good luck and have funk

In Europe there are people who actually make a comfortable living climbing and guiding. It is a very different scene.

Here in America, climbers are just another variation on fun bums and will grow up to get a real job some day. It takes it's toll on the expertise of our guides in general.

[Skisports]

Clint,

 

There is a lot of good advice here and bad advice. Jason is right if you get your AMGA you will be better off but you don't need it. You can guide in the US without it.

I started guiding when I was 18 and now I am still guiding but I wouldn't consider myself an all powerful mountain guide. I consider myself a mountaineering guide. There is a difference between guiding Mount Rainier, and guiding NR of Stuart too different types of climbing. Most guides in the US are mountaineering guides. People in who want to climb in the states want to climb to the highest peak, not go climb a 5.11 pristine climbing route in the Bugaboos.

 

When I tried out for RMI in 2000 I thought it was free for all and hated every moment of it. I didn’t get hired but was hired on by another guiding company. By the end of my first year I was leading trips. So there is a lot more out there than RMI.

 

So here's a little advice get a damn good resume and submit it to every guide company that you would consider working for even small guiding companies. When you talk to guide companies don’t be cocky, or egotistic be willing to learn, teach and confident in what you don’t know. And last be personable and easy going with clients.

 

BTW Todd Burlenson is a great guy and I have worked for him for two years so if you want a job with AII (evil) call them.

 

Dave K

[daler]

Jason-

 

Just a quick response about your general comments about guiding and what is actually done in the field. It is true that starting out many guides will never guide at the levels that are tested! But I would expect anybody I'm hiring for anything (doctor, carpenter, guide etc...) to be over qualified in whatever service they are going to provide for me.

 

I have been guiding since the early 90s and I'm AMGA rock and alpine certified. Most of my days are with return clients and I'm leading routes that are at the standard or above all of the time. I find myself on 5.11 or WI 5 often while at work! Like any job you have to start at the bottom but you don't have to stay there if your good!!! Its not a hard industry to work up the ladder- Although you may have to move away from the Northwest if you want more tecnical work.

 

The point being that if you love the job and make a career out of it you can take it as far as you want!! My income including tips if very good and once I have my IFMGA cert the income will only get better!

 

Cheers,

 

Dale Remsberg

 

[Jason_Martin]

But I would expect anybody I'm hiring for anything (doctor, carpenter, guide etc...) to be over qualified in whatever service they are going to provide for me.

 

I have been guiding since the early 90s and I'm AMGA rock and alpine certified. Most of my days are with return clients and I'm leading routes that are at the standard or above all of the time. I find myself on 5.11 or WI 5 often while at work! Like any job you have to start at the bottom but you don't have to stay there if your good!!! Its not a hard industry to work up the ladder- Although you may have to move away from the Northwest if you want more tecnical work.

 

I don't disagree with anything you said...

 

But just my luck...Two thirds of the time I work with return clients who want to climb 5.7...

 

Jason

[Kraken]

again, thanks for the great advice. i'm still hoping to get a gig guiding this summer, we'll see how it goes in May.

 

BTW, NEVER did i mean that AAI or Todd Burleson is evil or whatever. Todd is a very nice guy and I actually think that AAI is one of the best guiding companies (if not the best) out there. I would love to work for them someday, talk about possibilities!

 

Thanks again

[Arc]

Anyway, I got my invite for the season already.

 

PM me any I'll give ya' some inside advise, along with who to talk to and who to run the politics on because thats what it's based on....

.......................Reality check.