what would you do?

what would you do? where would you go? what would you climb? how much time would you take? how much money would you spend?

your scenario:

you are relocating and are encouraged to take anywhere from one month to six months off. you have no mortgage, no spouse, no children, no money. you can borrow as much money as you want/need/feel comfortable borrowing. your future earnings will allow you pay off debt but not until a year after your relocation. you have no travel restrictions nor travel companions: you'll have to pick-up belay partners along the way.

what would you do?

tbrain wrote:what would you do? where would you go? what would you climb? how much time would you take? how much money would you spend? your scenario: you are relocating and are encouraged to take anywhere from one month to six months off. you have no mortgage, no spouse, no children, no money. you can borrow as much money as you want/need/feel comfortable borrowing. your future earnings will allow you pay off debt but not until a year after your relocation. you have no travel restrictions nor travel companions: you'll have to pick-up belay partners along the way. what would you do?

Order flowers, because I have clearly died and gone to heaven.

Kathy ;^P

tbrain wrote: you can borrow as much money as you want/need/feel comfortable borrowing

Personally, I would say, who, wha? I'd get suspicious of an offer like that. I'd get all paranoid, and psycho, and think, "Uh huh, yeah right, buddy, get the fu*k out of my face, creep!" If the offer is from family, my response would be, "Thanks, but no thanks, I'll find my own way in life." If it's offered by an employer, I'd think to myself, "Hell no, I'm not going to be indebted to your ass!" If it's from the Mormon Church, me, and my eggs would get scared, and run. If it's from a Catholic Priest, I'd check to see if he is a registered sex offender, and, "Excuse you, who are you to tell me to take time off?!" and so on.... Then I'd cry, crash on my bed, and keep dreaming of being a real climbing bum with unlimited funds.

Boy, wouldn't I be so stupid to refuse an offer like that?

This post is fun! : )

Gig- In the scenario, no debt would be owed to your employers nor family; loans at reasonable interest rates; you are a chick (just as in your case) so while you have no travel restrictions, you have to be somewhat "safety" conscious in terms of travel. Seriously... where would you go and what would you climb? -Tiffany

Oh, okay T, give me a few more minutes to come up with a plan, girlfriend! ; ) Be right back (coffee time).

Around the world trip picking up partners in the major areas.
Cape Town
Various France and Italy
Thailand
Australia.
Throw in some US area on the beinging and end to make the seasons work.

Sam- The one-to-six months starts in July. To allow for local conditions, what order would you go in? Which US stops? -Tiffany

EDIT: Actually, US travel would start in July but international travel could start in mid-August.

Climbing in the US is fun, but a long trip through a completely different area will change you forever(I just got back from driving to Panama and back from Utah, but that time of year is the rainy season so I wouldn't recommend that trip then).

I'd go to South America. Start in Ecuador and work your way south for as long as you can handle, and definitely don't limit yourself to just climbing. Run the Futalufu river in Chile, pop out to Easter Island and see the Moai statues, go surfing on the Peru coast(Huanchaco and Chicama in the north are awesome places to learn), go tango dancing in Buenos Aires, see Igazu Falls, go sea kayaking on the Chilean Patagonia coast, check out Machu Picchu, taste wine in Mendoza Argentina, climb Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador, go cragging in Bariloche, go fly fishing for giant trout and landlocked salmon in Patagonia, go to the Galapagos, go bar hopping in Rio de Janiero, hang out in the Falklands, see the Nazca lines, etc. You'll have the time of your life, and its cheap to live down there.

I'd go somewhere cool. Dreading the damn summer!

i second andrew's suggestions. given your interest in big mountains allow me to also suggest that you hook up with a guided trekking expedition and trek through the andes, maybe reach some 5000m summits. the only issue i foresee is that you would be a female alone (more or less) in south america--a part of the world that isn't known for safety.

You read my mind; Andrew is the man with the plan! I've been to Mendoza, Agentina, and what a beautiful place to re-visit!
I still wouldn't borrow money though. I don't want any debt right now, so I guess I'd be shortening my vacation. Still doable, though, eventually.
Great post, T!

G

Depending on time of year Antarctica, Alaska, Florida (spring break), Superbowl, Patagonia, probably Europe, Yosemite, and some caribean island for after Alaska. How long did I get? I would want a couple monthes in each place

Hang out in Estes Park area at first. Warm up on Lumpy Ridge: Pear Buttress; Kor's Flake; J Crack; etc. Then the Alpine Classics: Sharkstooth; Spearhead; Notchtop; Petit Grepon; Longs...

Good partners from MP or guides from Colorado Mountain School totalclimbing.com/page.php?… or Craig Luebben. craigluebben.com/guiding/

Have Fun! I'm jealous.

If you are interested in mountaineering, my suggestions is even better. Let me know if you want more suggestions for high peaks.

Traveling solo even as a female isn't a huge deal in South America. If you get badly harassed(unlikely if you dress/act appropriately) its not a bad idea to have a fake wedding ring to slip on. I've been an impromptu husband before on a bus ride in Ecuador for a girl once, though she wasn't getting treated any differently than i was - some exuberant locals were passing out some local firewater on the bus and she got sketched.

There are always interesting travelers to meet up/travel with in popular towns like Banos, Cuzco, Mendoza, etc. Some of my best traveling experiences have been with folks like that.

Even S. Az can have nice cool weather at times. Although it took about 3 Hrs to get to the snow on Mt. Wrightson around 9.000 Ft. Sorry off topic again! The only real problem is that you couldn't ski back to the car, Damn :(

Mt. Lemmon will have to do sometimes.

head to yose for a month
then squamish to ak and some coast stuff. hop a plane to Japan for some bouldering/cool city stuff
a month in tland/se asia
2months in the himalaya!
stop in chamonix on the way home!

If it were..

Summer: Cirque of the Unclimbables
Fall: Yosemite
Winter: Thailand
Spring: Tough one; I'm not sure

--Marc

Well, I for one would take the entire 6 months off. Why would anybody go with less? I don't like the idea of borrowing money to be paid back later though. Not that I'd let that stop me, I suppose.....

I'd wait for October to wane, and have a great season here at the Gunks beforehand. Then load up a humble, but dependable, good-gas mileage getting secure rig(van with a platform with storage underneath) and hit the road.

The internet makes it very easy for partner hook ups, especially as a woman, and especially because....well, I am lucky to have people scattered across the states that I have already met and climbed with, or would like to, and willing to help me out. I don't think I'd have much trouble at all in that respect.

First, head south to Red River and the New and the Westward Ho! I'd plot out logistics to spend time getting the best of the weather as winter comes in, and then follow the sun south wintering in JTree. As the new year begins to warm, I'd head back north to crags and get more climbing at places I'd liked or go to new places and then head back to the Gunks for an end of April season start. Repeat as necessary....

Actually.....that's my hoped for scenario in reality, except I'd like to have a travel partner, even if we climbed with different people(I ain't no hardwoman and probably never will be). Just got to find a way with the finances portion. The fantasy loan scenario is just that - a fantasy.

Can you choose the timeframe of the 6 months? Is it starting right now, or in a few months, or can you choose when it starts? That affects my suggestions rather greatly.

If you like big peaks, do those. I took six months off once and went to Nepal, India, Thailand, etc., but without partners if was just for trekking and hanging out, then came back to the U.S.

As far as domestic stuff, if you really want, you can cram that stuff in on weekends or your standard two week vacation. However, if you want to climb the Andes, Nepal, Alaska, speaking from personal experience, that's not going to happen with your standard 9 to 5 job.

Do the stuff you can't do at home. While cragging out of the country is fun, to me it's more memorable to think back and say 'I bagged some beautiful 20K' peaks' than 'I climbed this really fun bolted 60' sport route in Greece.'

The world is your oyster. Enjoy.

Probably go to Morrison and get some chicken wings after I run laps on Breshear's.