JASON! Congrats on completing this course!!! You are the man. I love your videos and your way of explaining things-can't wait to see this channel grow!! QUESTION: As a young aspiring rock guide, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about the longevity and practicality of building a career in this industry. You mentioned you have an engineering background and every guide I talk to seems to always have a second gig to supplement their guiding income. Is it possible to be a full-time rock guide? How much money can we really make doing this? I know these questions aren't as sexy to answer, but I would really appreciate your insight here! I'd love to come down south and climb with you one day. YOU ROCK. Pun intended.
Hey Sam, Great question. It is very difficult to make rock climbing your sole source of income and frankly, I would not recommend that. The people I have seen "make it work" live in humble arrangements (mostly out of their car) and are willing to travel around the country following the seasons. One of my friends guides in Puerto Rico in the summer, Red River Gorge in the fall, Red Rocks in the winter, and then Red River again in the spring. I do have friends that guide full time in NC as well but they travel to NH or PNW during winter to guide ski/ice. If you work hard in this way, you can expect to make between 30 to 45k per year. If you don't have a family, you could live off this. I have 4 kids, so impossible... I have a real estate portfolio that supplements our income significantly and also still do engineering contract work. Yeah, it's not all sexy IG stuff. You have to really love rock climbing to do it as a career... even a part time career.
This is awesome! I'm semi-living vicariously through you. I was on track to be AMGA certified back in the early 90's... back then you had to have a sponsor and I had met Will Gadd and he agreed to be my sponsor(@ Teton Village I believe) But all my guided route info was stolen and about 5k worth of gear... With Renters insurance my Father-in-law encouraged me to buy a PC... it was all downhill to nerddom from there. :( I wish I would have stayed on course, but alas... Anyway love your vids brother; keep posting!
@@summitseekersexperience Let me clarify... I met him back in what... 1992, 1993... @ Teton Village while guiding some clients. Talked to him on the phone a few times, but I wouldn't say I "Know" him. hehehe. He had agreed to be my sponsor back then but Life decided to change things. :( But yeah... I've followed his mazing career! An inspiration for sure.
Wow. Cool stuff. Only recently came across your videos in the last few months as I had been intensifying my own outdoor climbing skills. Stoked for your achievement and hope you the best for progressing. I appreciate your breakdown of the course, and the hierarchy of certifications. One of my other favorite videos of yours was the discussion about becoming a guide in general.
Love the content and congratulations! I have seen Jason guiding (At Sand Rock) and he did a great job and definitely practices what he preaches. If I needed a guide, I wouldn't hesitate to use him.
Completing a Rock Guide Course actually re-certifies you as an SPI, so you are in fact both a Certified SPI and an Apprentice Rock Guide (as long as your SPI cert was valid at the start of you RGC).
@@summitseekersexperience , well if you end up in eastern Wyoming or Western South Dakota then look me up. My guide status has long expired but my local knowledge has 32 years under the belt. The climbing in the Black Hills of South Dakota is amazingly unique and worth a visit.
Eventually they will put a timelimit on how long you can sit at Rock Guide Apprentice. MPI is a terminal point and sticks with you forever. Additionally, as a Rock Guide Apprentice, you would have to continue to update your SPI. MPI also allows you to get certified as an SPI provider.
(munter to clove) Wait a second... Your client has been belayed on a munter, then you unscrew the carabiner and fiddle with the hitch holding their life?
JASON! Congrats on completing this course!!! You are the man. I love your videos and your way of explaining things-can't wait to see this channel grow!! QUESTION: As a young aspiring rock guide, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about the longevity and practicality of building a career in this industry. You mentioned you have an engineering background and every guide I talk to seems to always have a second gig to supplement their guiding income. Is it possible to be a full-time rock guide? How much money can we really make doing this? I know these questions aren't as sexy to answer, but I would really appreciate your insight here! I'd love to come down south and climb with you one day. YOU ROCK. Pun intended.
Hey Sam, Great question. It is very difficult to make rock climbing your sole source of income and frankly, I would not recommend that. The people I have seen "make it work" live in humble arrangements (mostly out of their car) and are willing to travel around the country following the seasons. One of my friends guides in Puerto Rico in the summer, Red River Gorge in the fall, Red Rocks in the winter, and then Red River again in the spring. I do have friends that guide full time in NC as well but they travel to NH or PNW during winter to guide ski/ice. If you work hard in this way, you can expect to make between 30 to 45k per year. If you don't have a family, you could live off this. I have 4 kids, so impossible... I have a real estate portfolio that supplements our income significantly and also still do engineering contract work. Yeah, it's not all sexy IG stuff. You have to really love rock climbing to do it as a career... even a part time career.
@@summitseekersexperience Jason, as always, your input is super helpful. Thank you for the thoughtful response.
This is awesome! I'm semi-living vicariously through you. I was on track to be AMGA certified back in the early 90's... back then you had to have a sponsor and I had met Will Gadd and he agreed to be my sponsor(@ Teton Village I believe) But all my guided route info was stolen and about 5k worth of gear... With Renters insurance my Father-in-law encouraged me to buy a PC... it was all downhill to nerddom from there. :(
I wish I would have stayed on course, but alas... Anyway love your vids brother; keep posting!
Dude, that's awesome you know Will. We were doing his fire hydrant pose all course.
@@summitseekersexperience Let me clarify... I met him back in what... 1992, 1993... @ Teton Village while guiding some clients. Talked to him on the phone a few times, but I wouldn't say I "Know" him. hehehe. He had agreed to be my sponsor back then but Life decided to change things. :( But yeah... I've followed his mazing career! An inspiration for sure.
Wow. Cool stuff. Only recently came across your videos in the last few months as I had been intensifying my own outdoor climbing skills. Stoked for your achievement and hope you the best for progressing. I appreciate your breakdown of the course, and the hierarchy of certifications. One of my other favorite videos of yours was the discussion about becoming a guide in general.
Very cool! Thanks for following the channel and I'm glad you are getting a lot out of the content!
Jason, thanks for taking the time to make all these videos. It's helpful for many.
For sure!
Congrats and wishing you the best on finishing your AMGA Rock Guide cert!
Thanks for the support!
Great videos and great channel you have some good info and beta .
I appreciate that! Glad you are getting a lot out of the material!
Super cool to meet you while you guys were in the middle of this.
Yeah man, I'll see you out there!
Love the content and congratulations! I have seen Jason guiding (At Sand Rock) and he did a great job and definitely practices what he preaches. If I needed a guide, I wouldn't hesitate to use him.
Awesome! Thank you!
Congrats.happy that you are building your career on rock climbing
Congratulations!
Congrats dude on Rock guide apprentice!!
Awesome thank you!
Completing a Rock Guide Course actually re-certifies you as an SPI, so you are in fact both a Certified SPI and an Apprentice Rock Guide (as long as your SPI cert was valid at the start of you RGC).
yeah it was still valid. I had forgotten about that.... but I may introduce myself as a RG Apprentice now ;-) gotta get that clout somehow.
congrats on the course dawg
🙌 yeah boi
Congrats. The Tetons are awesome. You might as well bop over to Devil's Tower and the Black Hills Needles while you're at it. 😉
Potentially, we are looking at a couple of options. but youre right, probably makes sense to bounce over there.
@@summitseekersexperience , well if you end up in eastern Wyoming or Western South Dakota then look me up. My guide status has long expired but my local knowledge has 32 years under the belt. The climbing in the Black Hills of South Dakota is amazingly unique and worth a visit.
congrats man!!! awesome video
Congrats 🎉
Nice one!
The 10 grade III routes have to be trad; the 50 multipitch routes can be sport or trad. :)
50 Mp routes have to be trad as well, as ive been told by some IT members
Why would anyone take the MPI if the rock guide course gives access to guiding Grade II Multi-Pitch?
Eventually they will put a timelimit on how long you can sit at Rock Guide Apprentice. MPI is a terminal point and sticks with you forever. Additionally, as a Rock Guide Apprentice, you would have to continue to update your SPI. MPI also allows you to get certified as an SPI provider.
(munter to clove) Wait a second...
Your client has been belayed on a munter, then you unscrew the carabiner and fiddle with the hitch holding their life?
It is acceptable in this application as we were trained by two IFMGA mountain guides on this technique
Do you guide at all in western NC?
YeahC we have permits to guide at looking glass and then Linville/table rock
AMGA didnt stand behind their SPI instructors…. Never getting another penny from me…
Congratulations!
Thank you!