Careers conducive to mountaineering in Northwest

[plark42]

Hey CC'ers,

 

I am at the time of my life (post undergraduate degree) where I need to do some soul-searching and figure out what I am going to "do when I grow up."

 

Are there any careers out there that work out great for people wanting to go mountaineering all the time?

 

i.e.,

1) make enough money to pay for all the gear

2) have a flexible schedule to take a long weekend

3) no homework, weekends or "on-call"

 

Perhaps I should just win the lottery. I was thinking of becoming a teacher, so I could get summers off, but I dont think I'd make enough money to pay for climbing let alone the bills.

 

All comments/advice are welcome.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

meth dealer?

[Weekend_Climberz]

meth dealer?

 

If you smoke it, it makes those spooning bivies and one-day sufferfests go much faster, too.

 

Seriously though, I think Gauthier was looking for some part-time rangers or something. Do a quick search in the Mt. Rainier forum (I think it was posted there). Ever considered self-employment?

[DirtyHarry]

You should study snow science and be an avalanche forecaster or do avy control work.

 

In general, it seems like the sciences allow people to do some cool stuff and have somewhat flexible schedules.

[Alpine_Tom]

Perhaps I should just win the lottery.

Hey -- why didn't I think of that?

 

One necessity is to keep your needs modest -- if you can live out of your car, you can afford to spend a lot more time climbing.

I'd think that a decent-paying trade like electrician or finish carpenter would be a good idea, then you can work jobs and take time off when opportunity calls.

[plark42]

I mean, how much do you need to spend on gear? It's not like golf where you have to keep buying golf balls and green fees. You buy the gear once and perhaps update the ropes/webbing when necessary. Boots seem to last a long time as well as axes, harnesses, crampons, helmets etc.. the list goes on.

 

The expensive gear is the climbing hardware. I'll just pick routes that require none (or just free-solo it all!!). jk

[ivan]

teach

you'll be poor

you'll have lots of time to clmb

it's better to have time if you have to choose between that and buying gear (find friends who wanna throw down for the most recent ultralight shite)

oh yeah - alota folks can't handle the classroom adn freak out and shit - it's rather amusing to behold - be sure professionally it's something you wanna do

hope you're not a doorknob - there's a few too many around in the schools already

[DirtyHarry]

I mean, how much do you need to spend on gear? It's not like golf where you have to keep buying golf balls and green fees. You buy the gear once and perhaps update the ropes/webbing when necessary. Boots seem to last a long time as well as axes, harnesses, crampons, helmets etc.. the list goes on.

 

The expensive gear is the climbing hardware. I'll just pick routes that require none (or just free-solo it all!!). jk

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

 

How much do you climb, son? At your age, if your shit isn't wearing out, you aint climbing enough.

[G-spotter]

RE : Hot Hatred and Hot Business Coital Attire

 

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[cj001f]

Hey CC'ers,

 

I am at the time of my life (post undergraduate degree) where I need to do some soul-searching and figure out what I am going to "do when I grow up."

 

Are there any careers out there that work out great for people wanting to go mountaineering all the time?

 

i.e.,

1) make enough money to pay for all the gear

2) have a flexible schedule to take a long weekend

3) no homework, weekends or "on-call"

 

Perhaps I should just win the lottery. I was thinking of becoming a teacher, so I could get summers off, but I dont think I'd make enough money to pay for climbing let alone the bills.

 

All comments/advice are welcome.

 

WTF wants to work a M-F 9-5? Bar Tender, Waiter.

[pale]

Carpenter. Work your ass off during the job to finish, when done head to the mountains till the next one starts.

[plark42]

I've been living in flatland Davis, CA- I just haven't hit the mountains in a while. Since December I've been on skis touring the BC. I like doing glacier climbs in the NW- and snow pickets tend to last pretty long- I've had the same pair for several years now. As for rock gear- I am not up to the level of active or even passive pro- i tend to the class 3/4 scrambling and such. Don't need more than some slings. I guess I just don't climb enough to wear that stuff out. (Hence why I want a job with flexibility).

[Rad]

This winter my wife and I had an amazing, if outrageously pricey, day in the mountains: heliskiing in the Whistler area backcountry (boarding, actually).

 

That day I met Chris, an avalanche assessment expert who audits heliskiing companies all over the world, from Alaska to Patagonia to the Swiss alps, to New Zealand.

 

He flies and skis with the guides and watches/evaluates their avalanche safety/rescue skills. The day I met him he flew/rode with us for three runs. Now that's the guy I want watching my back in the backcountry.

 

I bet he doesn't make much money, but the benefits

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ivan]

holy thread murdering mega picture post batman!

[crazyjizzy]

meth dealer?

 

This is spray, in the climbers forum! STFU. How do you like your own medicine? Hypocrit.

[chris]

A friend of mine is a glacial geologist - he helps date glacial flow rates and depths by isotope dating rock debris deposited by the glacier. He gets to go to some pretty kick ass places to do this, like Antarctica. And since his specialty is a very "hard" science, you can't sit on your ass in a lab - you have to go out and get samples. Oh, the horror.

He's now a post-doc at UW. He lives in a nice house (with house-mates), drives a new-model car, and can take time off to travel, bike, or ski as he wishes. Its enviable. If you can handle academia, I'd really encourage you to pursue it..

[plark42]

Nice pics!!! I think being a guide would be frustrating- I wouldn't want to be in the outdoor industry for a living. Best leave it as a hobby. Academia is the way to go, though I am not big on geology. I guess it don't matter what I do, just as long as it's near mountains with a lifetime of routes.

[Raindawg]

teach

you'll be poor

you'll have lots of time to clmb

it's better to have time if you have to choose between that and buying gear (find friends who wanna throw down for the most recent ultralight shite)

oh yeah - alota folks can't handle the classroom adn freak out and shit - it's rather amusing to behold - be sure professionally it's something you wanna do

hope you're not a doorknob - there's a few too many around in the schools already

 

Nonsense about the poverty; that's a dang hoax. Teaching is the sweetest arrangement going. You get the summer off plus a couple of weeks at Christmas to go skiing, "spring break", etc. That's worth ALOT! A lot of corporate folk work 40 years and don't get that kind of time off until they retire! I'm sick of whining teachers claiming they're not making anything. First of all, THEY AREN'T WORKING A FULL YEAR. ("but I bring work home"....blah, blah, blah - who doesn't?) Benefits are usually pretty good and if you don't like the money (I know people bringing down a respectable 40-50,000+ after several years in the bizness, and I know college professors with Ph.D.'s making less than that), nothing is keeping you from getting your seasonal job in the mountains, rivers or wherever. Money still not good enough? You can always tone down your lifestyle...cut out a few of those lattes, and get your priorities straight. The downside is you have to like kids or it might drive you nuts. And yah, I've been there. 'nuff said (for now).

[ivan]

I'm sick of whining teachers

yer diabtribe'd sound alot better w/ a cock 'n yer trap

[Raindawg]

yer diabtribe'd sound alot better w/ a cock 'n yer trap

 

Sounds like you're an expert on such acoustics!

Now go dazzle those tenth graders with your vast knowledge and resume the whining.

[ivan]

who was whining dumb-fuck? i said you'd be poor if you teach.

 

my wife and i are both teachers - my wife's staying home for the next 2 years with our young children b/c, if she went to work instead and we paid the most basic childcare (essentially some meth-head showing reruns of teletubbies to the 30 crackers jammed into her trailer living room) we'd only net an extra $150 a month. if we had a third child, we'd qualify for food stamps. the combined mileage of my family cars is roughly equiavelent to the distance apollo 13 covered. you want to split hairs on the meaning of "poor" or should we start w/ "is" instead?

 

again, not whining. i entered into the field w/ eyes wide open (8 years ago, in a state that paid only $25k a year to starting teachers). i enjoy the work, i usually enjoy the kids, i take full advantage of my vacation time. it's a good job w/ a lot of stability, provided yer not a pederast.

 

the original poster got it right though - you teach, you don't have much money for gear (ask anyone i climb w/ about my ratty ass shite). i got $25 of personal money a month - still trying to pay off the shit i had to get for last summer. if you're single you'll make plenty to buy what you want as long as it's within reason. regardless, time is more valuable than money and skimping on gear on wild climbs just makes you feel more like an old-timer.

[scrambled_legs]

Hey Ivan,

 

Maybe if you quit your habit and started putting your weed money toward child care you'd find that you can actually net a fair bit with two working teachers in one household.

[DirtyHarry]

That's some seriously BAD advice.

[ivan]

Hey Ivan,

 

Maybe if you quit your habit and started putting your weed money toward child care you'd find that you can actually net a fair bit with two working teachers in one household.

you clearly have never met any of the folks i climb w/ - shit i dont pay for ! the pleasure of my company more than makes up for the price i exact...

[ivan]

That's some seriously BAD advice.

word.

 

"weed'll get you through times w/ no money better than

money'll get you through times w/ no weed"