How did YOU become a guide?

Avi Katz wrote: *Edited to a less generalizing statement. Disclosure: All info here is my own opinion formed from 15 years of climbing and 7 years of climbing instruction.

I thought your statement was funny since the majority of climbers I know find the opposite of your statement to be the truth. Maybe its more like the folks that climb for fun dont like to see their local crag filled up with a guided group, even if they are just on a couple of the warm-up climbs. I once witnessed some guides at Cathedral telling everybody (including myself) that came along that this classic 5.9 crack was taken, this went on for an hour or two before I decided to ignore the liar and get on it. Probably its just an east coast thing though.

max huecksteadt wrote:Wondering about the PNW here, where glacial slogs, cragging, alpine rock/snow and Alaska (Denali) expeditions are all common venues. Plus that's just the summer, not including international stuff or skiing/avy training. Seems like you could do pretty well in that case...though you're already out camping most of the year, I guess that's dirtbagging in a sense :)

You're right that there's more of a living to be made guiding in the mountains. That being said, unless you're working in Canada, Europe, or some other 'socialist hell' your work will still be very seasonal and it'll be a challenge to buy a house/raise a family. Many guides round out their seasons working international and/or high-altitude trips. This is probably the most lucrative sub-industry in American guiding. That being said, if you commit to this type of work, you can pretty much kiss any kind of real rock climbing fitness goodbye. In the long run, if you're considering moving into the profession, you're better off learning to ski and/or getting certified. This way, when you're old your winter work will be more fun, day-trip-able, and less impact on your body than camping on a glacier and hauling heavy packs up and down black diamond ski runs.

I was a guide for about ten years: climbing, hiking, mountainbiking, backpacking trips. I went to CMC Leadville for their outdoor recreation leadership program. It helped me get my first job, which was a good one!

For guiding, it's all about getting your foot in the door. Once you get some experience, it becomes easier to get a job. As others have said, getting a WFR is a key first step. Most companies require it.

Once you get a WFR, start contacting companies or go in to your local guide shop to meet the owner. I got my first guide job (month-long backpacking trips and climbing) just by getting to know the shop owner and then when an opening came up I got offered a job.

Another great guide job was just the result of emailing tons of guide companies of different types (climbing, multisport, hiking, etc.) all over the world. Eventually one of these companies got back to me because they actually really needed a guide and my email got there at the perfect time.

That led to one of my favorite guide jobs guiding six day multisport trips all over the western US in the national parks. I would recommend these types of jobs over straight climbing guiding. Look into companies like World Outdoors, Backroads, Austin, REI Adventrues, etc or just google it because there's a lot of these companies out there. These jobs are great because you have a lot of variety in what you do and where you go and you get payed really well. I would get between $1200-2000/week doing this. Sure you generally don't climb too much while guiding, but you'll get a week off in places like Yosemite, Tetons, Zion where you can do your own climbing. Full time climbing guiding can get a bit boring and you don't get paid nearly as much.

Good luck with it all and I'm happy to answer more questions.