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My ultimate dream is being unsatisfied...help!!


Darasius

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Hello, I'm a 20 year old female student located in Santa Monica, California, and I am extremely passionate about outdoor adventure and wandering-mainly long distance backpacking and endurance hiking.

 

I am in very good shape and train regularly, intent on increasing my fitness level. I am looking to challenge myself even further, and have been absolutely dying to get into high elevation mountaineering and want to learn the more advanced techniques required for this activity. I really want to start mountaineering, and have been constantly fantasizing about the prospects of getting out there and participating in the many expeditions that are organized by more competent mountaineers in the outdoor community. I have been experiencing difficulty with finding ways in which I could get started (enrolling in outdoor leadership school is too expensive!!), and would potentially like to become a mountaineer guide.

 

I know that there are many people out there that are or were in my position-who are very ready and willing to take the next step in their progression to climb in more challenging methods.

Anyone who shares my passion and interests....anyone who is looking into forming a small expedition group...I would love to hear from you.

 

If there is anyone that could help me make this a possibility, I would worship you forever. I have the motivation, I have the strength, the only thing that is missing is the opportunity.

 

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If this is not another troll, I would reply to her thus.

What type of expeditions? A Denali trip would be a good goal to look for once you have some other trips under your belt. Find motivated partners and shoot for what you can safely pull off. LEARN as much as you can. Stay away from bad weather and avalanches

I hope you are not that interested in 8000 meter peaks. The people who are recreationaly attracted to them are just plain wrong. If you are serious though, go with Euros. Find a spot online and pony up $

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problem is....I could ALWAYS do it on my own, and would actually prefer it to be that way...BUT..I'm a student. Being a student and money do not mix very well :)

 

I'm experiencing a great deal of restrictions and limitations as a result..and it seems like nobody my age has the right amount of patience and determination and commitment to train as I do. I just cant find the right people, and I want to start at an early age. I was hoping to meet someone that has more experience in the mountains and with gear use, and could therefore teach me something.

 

And...I should totally look into creating my own Discovery show...imagine that! As of now, there are no prominent female adventurers that people can look up to and admire for their strength/skill/ability, and that way..I could reach my potentials as the "ultimate explorer", and in the meantime show how its done on tv. Any advice on how I could go about doing that? :P

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Well, I would love for it to be so easy. The thing is, I do not have any major mountaineering experience and need to learn the techniques required to climb at higher elevations.

outdoor expedition schools=$$$$

going out on my own=$$$$

people I know who are serious minded and who I can join on treks into the mountains=pretty close to zero. Thats why I'm posting in this forum.

With transportation issues and lack of steady income...it is very difficult for me to "just do it". It is also safer to have others with you...and very very very few people my age are set on mountaineering...

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With transportation issues and lack of steady income...it is very difficult for me to "just do it".

 

Yeah, right. That always held Beckey back. Sounds like what you're looking for is a 'subsidy'.

Seriously, being POOR is the story of climbers. When I was in college and got my PELL grant each year, I bought a new lead rope. To put a rack together I soloed and rapelled popular routes and retreived gear left by people who got stuck (NO not established anchors). The point is, most of us got started by sheer determination. I went out by myself a lot until I found other people to climb with. We used to return pop bottles for gas money to drive down the Bitterroot. I had a van and sometimes there were ten of us in it all pitching in pennies for gas. Often, some of us would have a carrot or two for lunch.

So if you are looking for the magic bullet, you might try posting personal adds on Craigslist. You will not get much sympathy for being poor here.

On the more positive side, it can be done. Keep searching for climbing gatherings. Slide shows, gear store events, internet sites. Find people like yourself. Post ads in all places. Get a few people together, fill a tank with gas and drive to Joshua Tree national Monument north of Palm Springs. Meet people in the Hidden Valley campground. Winter is a good time to do that. Many of us considered it our winter retreat in our younger years. If your picture is representative of what you look like, take a baseball bat.

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Well, I would love for it to be so easy. The thing is, I do not have any major mountaineering experience and need to learn the techniques required to climb at higher elevations.

outdoor expedition schools=$$$$

going out on my own=$$$$

people I know who are serious minded and who I can join on treks into the mountains=pretty close to zero. Thats why I'm posting in this forum.

With transportation issues and lack of steady income...it is very difficult for me to "just do it". It is also safer to have others with you...and very very very few people my age are set on mountaineering...

 

Actually, you'd be surprised at how much you can do on a near zero budget. All you need to do is invest in some good boots and a crappy old subaru, then go to all the used gear swaps for used clothing (or getting a job in a shop that gives you deals is a great idea). Remember, its about the climber, NOT the gear. You also do not need to go to the Himalayas or enroll in a $5000 Nols course to learn to be a great climber. Investing in a few basic mountaineering courses (dare I mention them.....god help me) with the Mountaineers group could be useful. Heck, you'll probably make some like minded friends there!

 

About having climbing companions: yes, you should always have a partner. It can be disaster otherwise. You said there aren't too many 20 year olds into climbing? It sounds like you're in the wrong town hun. I'm 23, and here in the Northwest its almost impossible NOT to create a circle of friends who want to get out into the mountains. Maybe you should move? Or during the summer when you aren't in school, make a point to be a bum up in the cascades and just live out of your car and tent! Its a remarkably fantastic life! Just remember that you can't expect to go climb the biggest mountains right off the bat - its a progression.

 

My last advise would be, just to relax and let it happen. If you are truly passionate about mountaineering, put your soul into it! A good example would Ed Viesters; that guy is from the midwest where there are almost no mountains. He figured out that climbing is what he wanted to do, and well, made it happen! In a huge way! Go read his book "No Shortcuts to the Top" - its actually pretty good.

 

Anyhoo, good luck :wave:

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WA is a great place to live! You have plenty of out door activities to partake in and when the weather is bad you can CLIMB right into my warm bed :whistle: (referring to the lovely active blond.)

On a more serious note tho join an outdoors group,like the mountaineers. Its not to expensive and the connections you make are great. One peace of advice tho..Do it for you and not to be on some faggoty ass tv show. TV ruins everything.

~peace love~

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