Messages posted by : ise
Profile for ise > Messages posted by ise [1815]
not really, not for qualifications that would allow you to lead groups in Europe on the hill, people on a uni' course might just, if they did no other study, clock up enough experience to be considered for entry but it would still take another 2 or more likely 3 years to complete anything. But again, I've no idea what you need to take people road cycling but I can't see you could earn a year round income from that. |
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that's what i was talking about, but you need qualifications, you can't just tip up and start taking people onto the mountain :) although I've no idea what if anything you need to take people cycling on the road. These qualifications are rather harder to get than most ski ones I'd suggest. |
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that happened to us last season coming back up after a tour, it does make the route up exciting :) |
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ah... I should have also pointed out it's not cheap, it's a big commitment financially as well as in other ways. |
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I have to be candid and say for me it's possibly a waste of a year ) I don't accept the principle of doing something you like for a while before going to do something else you don't like :D It's a bit like the condemned mans last breakfast to me. Hopefully Ross might weight in (and Benny?) with their gap year experiences taking qualifications, it's a gap year if you want or it's the foundation for a career.
Yes, or two or three preferably, I meant to mention that and forgot. Another thought, something I'm not recommending or promoting but just an option, is the Armed Forces route. A lot of people have gone this way and the forces have set them up via internal paths like JSML for a career in the outdoors. Former forces personnel are much sought after for some work.
hopefully I'm not going to offend Neil here :oops: If your lad wants a career then he needs qualifications, the reason working with tour companies doesn't pay too well is that anyone can do it for a few years and it keeps rates down. There's no good reason a young person can't build a career in the outdoor industry but they'll need to be every bit as committed to it as becoming, for example, an accountant and work just as hard at it. In the end the financial rewards aren't great but the lifestyle should be good and I do beleive you can live on it. In fact, one route is to build a business of your own and that's just as hard in the outdoors as the antique business or car repair etc. He'll need to start quick though, it can take years to gain the experience for the elite level qualifications it's no surprise the average ages of guides, leaders etc. is into 30's and 40's you need a lot of experience, the technical skills are almost the easy bit really. |
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There's not many of those I'm aware of, it's a fairly exclusive sport and the costs would probably outweigh the benefits for a lot of young people. It's also not of huge interest to the charities working with those groups, in the end participants doing a week skiing in the alps probably won't develop to the degree a group doing their DofE would so the charities get more bang for their buck having groups on hills in the UK. For that some of the many highlights, Leonard Cheshire Disability have an Outdoor Pursuits Group who work with young people. Fairbridge are one of the largest groups doing this, speaking for themselves:
More traditionally any number of youth groups and organisations like the Scouts do fantastic work with young people. What a lot of these groups need really is help but they require qualified people as a rule. Where adventure is used to develop young people it needs to be done properly setting challenges that are achievable for all the participants and making sure everyone goes away having developed in some way in a setting where risk is managed properly. |
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depends how you view that really, what I read underlines my point that just being a snow-sports instructor isn't a full-time year round job. There's nothing wrong with that approach but you'd need to ask some questions, like, how long you're going to be doing it. Or just how much summer work he really gets, Arcs close the lifts in late April and reopen around December, is he really working from May to Nov on maintenance? It seems a bit unlikely to me based on what I see, more likely I'd expect a fixed contract of a few weeks. In the winter I'd be asking if he works for a ski school or not and just how much that really pays and the basis of the contract with them, is he paid just when he works or is it salaried? etc etc There's probably three categories to think of, first, those who have a lifestyle that breaks even which is great while it lasts but no one wants to retire penniless, second, those who did something else for 20 or 30 years and bought their way in with a hotel or business etc, and third, those who've actually made a real career of it. I'd reckon you want to be in the last two groups at least really. You can mix and match obviously. I'd underline though what I already said, long term I don't believe you're going to make a good living in the outdoors working for other people or at the least it's pretty exceptional.. |
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You could do this the other way around for privacy. I mean post your nickname from here on the Facebook group, I presume the group is closed enough it would only be seen by other members whereas here you're revealing your real name to the whole internet which you may be fine with of course. Or, can a new button be added? like the IM ones for a Facebook profile? http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=536842641&ref=profile |
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Profile for ise > Messages posted by ise [1815]