Darasius Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 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. Quote
Joe_Poulton Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 If you haven't already, take an avy course this winter. You might meet some people there. Then, get out there and dig pits everywhere you can so you become familiar with snow elements. If you want to become a guide...well, if you think a outdoor leadership school is too expensive...then AMGA cert...would be overwhelming too. However, being a client would give you a better understanding of what it would be like to be a guide... Quote
pink_chalk Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) spray deleted Edited January 31, 2008 by Off_White Quote
billcoe Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) spray deleted Edited January 31, 2008 by Off_White Quote
EastCoastBastard Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 I know you said that an outdoor leadership programme is too expensive, but check out NOLS - I did a semester programme with them several years ago, and it actually worked out to be cheaper than a normal semester at school, plus I got 12 credits, so I didn't "miss" a semester either. NOLS give you a super solid background in whatever discipline you choose. It seems like most NOLS grads don't go on to do lots of outdoors stuff, but that's their problem. You don't need to pick the Andes mountaineering semester to learn good climbing skills, a semester in the PNW or the rockies would be great. The semester programmes don't focus on one area in particular (for instance, mine was 1 month alpine rock, 1 month canyoneering, 2 weeks caving and 2 weeks backcountry skiing), but so many of the skills cross over that it really serves to make you a well rounded outdoors person and be able to incorperate techniques from other disciples into whatever your eventual focus is. my 2 cents.. Quote
tomtom Posted January 26, 2008 Posted January 26, 2008 Another option would be to transfer to a school in the PNW with an active outdoor program. Successful mountaineering is a combination of education and experience, so you need to get as much as possible. The Cascades are a playground of rock and ice. Quote
Billygoat Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Hey you two, Bill/Pink, get a room, no spray on this one Quote
jon Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 Spray is not tolerated in the partner forum. Quote
RuMR Posted January 30, 2008 Posted January 30, 2008 (edited) no spray here. If you are serious about climbing, there will ALWAYS be a shortage of two things, $$$ and time. THey are interchangeable, and often, you have to stockpile the $$$ and then take time and convert it to climbing...you might as well get used to a serious lack of funds and resources if you want climbing to be anything more than a hobby. That being said, i was dead serious about moving to the valley. I would suggest working for curry and climbing alllll of the time that you can. Also, swallow your pride and do NOT put out your requirements in partners...keep them in the back of your mind as a mental checklist. For new climbers, quantity of time is vital to improving and learning skills... So, once again, Move to the valley Go crank on boulders Go crank on rocks go crank on walls go into the high country Learn to live CHEAPLY Learn to not get hurt and how to heal Learn to learn the mountaineering lifestyle will fall out of this... You will meet others of like mind...this site is full of others that have done this before...the ones that are currently doing it as a lifestyle are not so much here anymore... Edited January 30, 2008 by RuMR Quote
tomtom Posted January 31, 2008 Posted January 31, 2008 This looks to be the ultimate cram course on mountaineering. http://www.yamnuska.com/semestersandleadership.shtml Quote
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