Aspiring Guide looking for “clients”

Hi y’all, 

I wanna practice taking people rock climbing in JTNP in preparation for my SPI assessment next month and was hoping to take anywhere between 1-4 people out who have never climbed before or have very little climbing experience. I’ll be in Jtree for the next 2 months.

If you, or you know anyone who might be interested please send em my way I would love to have the extra practice and they’ll have a (hopefully) great (and free!) lesson on the basics of climbing in return!

My number is 65o-9foursix-sixsixsix5.

I am not a certified guide. I refuse to accept any compensation; honest feedback is all I ask in return. 

Thank you my tribe

This is inappropriate. If you want to practice, do it with seasoned climbers. Practicing guiding systems with new and inexperienced climbers is dangerous (as they are unable to tell if what  you're practicing is setup correctly or not) 

Maybe contact your spi course and ask them whether practicing with a group of inexperienced climbers is something they would be comfortable with. 

Fail Fallingwrote:

This is inappropriate. If you want to practice, do it with seasoned climbers. Practicing guiding systems with new and inexperienced climbers is dangerous (as they are unable to tell if what  you're practicing is setup correctly or not) 

Maybe contact your spi course and ask them whether practicing with a group of inexperienced climbers is something they would be comfortable with. 

How is what he is offering any different than when you or I take out a new climber? I've introduced quite a few brand new people to rock climbing.

Unless he's trying some techniques he's never done before, it sounds good.

FrankPSwrote:

How is what he is offering any different than when you or I take out a new climber? I've introduced quite a few brand new people to rock climbing.

Unless he's trying some techniques he's never done before, it sounds good.

In this case, by definition, "practicing" is done to get used to new system and techniques that are new to the person practicing. The skills that someone learns in an SPI program (things like the releasable rappel, rescue skills, practicing the use of a MMO on a live line, etc) are not the kind of thing that the average climber uses very often, which is the reason for practicing them. 

Practicing for ones SPI assessment is not taking people out, setting a tr and then being a belay slave for the day, which is what most of us do when we take out new climbers. To take out new climbers to practice advanced systems, that are new to the aspiring guide, is a different thing all together than what a regular climber that takes new poeple out for a climbing experience is going to be doing. 

This is why I make a distinction between new vs experienced climbers. To place yourself in the care of someone practicing a new system requires that you understand climbing and its  systems so you can appropriately determine whether you're comfortable at all times with what's being done during the practice day (as well as offering methods to back things up to double the safety margin if one is verging on being concerned) Additionally, if what the OP is seeking is honest feedback, if he wants that honest feedback to be relevant to understanding how to apply that feedback to his practice, an experienced climber is needed. 

Practice sounds odd in terms of guiding... Gain experience perhaps 

Tie Rackwrote:

Hi y’all, 

I wanna practice taking people rock climbing in JTNP in preparation for my SPI assessment next month and was hoping to take anywhere between 1-4 people out who have never climbed before or have very little climbing experience. I’ll be in Jtree for the next 2 months.

If you, or you know anyone who might be interested please send em my way I would love to have the extra practice and they’ll have a (hopefully) great (and free!) lesson on the basics of climbing in return!

My number is 65o-9foursix-sixsixsix5.

I am not a certified guide. I refuse to accept any compensation; honest feedback is all I ask in return. 

Thank you my tribe

Better to get honest feedback from experienced climbers.

Practice teaching and client care with beginners in basic top rope situations, but practice SPI stuff (rescues, belayed rappels) with other SPI trainees.

I'm in Joshua Tree also preparing for a February exam, feel free to PM me, got no partners yet for the next week or so.

FrankPSwrote:

How is what he is offering any different than when you or I take out a new climber? I've introduced quite a few brand new people to rock climbing.

Unless he's trying some techniques he's never done before, it sounds good.

Doesn't sound like the OP has enough experience to be taking out beginners. It would be helpful to to give some idea of his experience.

Okay, looked at his "points" list.  Seems to have enough mileage under his belt

I'll grant that practicing some of those more "advanced" skills such as the releasable rappel and partner pickoff with new climbers would be inappropriate, but he doesn't state that as his intention.  If he just wants to take people climbing, I see nothing wrong with that.  

Part of the assessment usually involves taking newer or beginner climbers out for a half-day of climbing, at least mine did.  I imagine he'd probably just like some practice with the more social side of instructing and learn some more about client care, etc.  

Tree Soloistwrote:

Practice teaching and client care with beginners in basic top rope situations, but practice SPI stuff (rescues, belayed rappels) with other SPI trainees.

I'm in Joshua Tree also preparing for a February exam, feel free to PM me, got no partners yet for the next week or so.

This. 

Some very good points were brought up so let me clarify.

I do not intend to practice anything advanced with novices. An experienced guide has already agreed to go with me to practice the advanced stuff, and with beginners I only want to work on my teaching ability. 

Thanks to those backing me up. And many thanks for those expressing concern, this is serious stuff after all.

@Ty Rack -- I recently moved to this side of the country and am looking to get out climbing every weekend. I can play dumb for you while we climb some easy/moderate routes. Currently I'm not as in shape as I want to be.

Tie Rackwrote:

And many thanks for those expressing concern, this is serious stuff after all.

Most importantly.   

Tie Rackwrote:

Some very good points were brought up so let me clarify.

I do not intend to practice anything advanced with novices. An experienced guide has already agreed to go with me to practice the advanced stuff, and with beginners I only want to work on my teaching ability. 

Thanks to those backing me up. And many thanks for those expressing concern, this is serious stuff after all.

Hi Ty,

You can contact Cliffhanger Guides in Joshua Tree and set up a date for you to do some mock guiding with  PCGI instructors.  They will also provide critiques and pointers on what you can do better and what you got down. The crew at Cliffhangers are really great people! Good luck on your assessment ! 

Cheers! 

We saw a lot of kooks in j tree recently practicing this stuff on/near classics

Michelle Seawrote:

Hi Ty,

You can contact Cliffhanger Guides in Joshua Tree and set up a date for you to do some mock guiding with  PCGI instructors.  They will also provide critiques and pointers on what you can do better and what you got down. The crew at Cliffhangers are really great people! Good luck on your assessment ! 

Cheers! 

I’ll give em a shout. Thanks Michelle!

I learned how to lead trad from someone 'practicing' for their guide test.  It was a pretty amazing experience and he was a fantastic teacher.  I don't understand why you're getting all this guff.  What you're offering is really no different than when someone makes a post saying 'hey, I'm new to climbing, anyone want to partner up?' and potential mentors respond.

I know lots of people who have ended up in unsafe situations by pairing up with random people they thought had more experience than they actually did.  That's kind of part of climbing. ...in fact, it's kind of part of life.  You learn to take personal responsibility for your own safety.  I also think it's relevant to take new people because you will probably encounter different questions and fears than trying to mock teach an experienced climber.  How can you be given honest feedback as a teacher if you haven't actually taught anything?  Hope you find some participants and good luck, Ty!

I have indeed found some, and it’s been a great learning/teaching process. Thank you, Gina!