so I am taking time off from college.... now what?

If you can afford it and make it work, definitely take a break from school! I took a four year break after getting an associate's degree in outdoor recreation leadership and it was the best thing I could have done. I spent most of that time travelling, guiding, and climbing, with some spells of working crappy jobs too. Guiding really helped make it possible for me. It really was an amazing time, climbed in Thailand, Patagonia, Yosemite, chilled in central america. I went back to school for a bachelor's in physiology at CU Boulder and was really psyched on it and did really well and now I've been accepted to medical school. If i had tried to go straight through school I would have failed miserably and would not be in the awesome position that I'm in now. So, yes take a break and have some fun now while you're uncommitted to jobs, significant others, kids, etc. However, DO NOT GO INTO CREDIT CARD DEBT! That will really screw you over in the long run, and it's not worth doing it if you end up in serious credit card debt. As for where to go, if you can afford the airfare, go to Thailand! Awesome clibing and crazy cheap once you're there. Otherwise, Potrero is a good choice for the winter. Or go to crack university aka Indian Creek (a bit cold in the winter though). Good luck and have fun!

Get married.

Thanks for the info everyone. Jon, your beta is great.

I have been talking to some friends and they recommend trying to find cheap housing/a job in a good climbing location (Boulder, Bishop, Bend etc. etc.) if my main goal right now is to climb hard instead of adventure. While exploring new places, be it here in the states or Mexico/Thailand/Europe, seems like an amazing experience I really want to see how hard I can climb. I guess I am slightly worried that life on the road will be too preoccupying for being in good shape to push how hard I am climbing. For those of you who have gone on extended climbing trips is this a valid concern?

I just wanted to give my $.02 and say that if you're getting nothing out of your college experience, you should definitely take a leave of absence. Long story short, I went straight to college after high school. A couple of years into it, I knew I desperately wanted to take an extended break, to climb, ski, and reassess, but the offer of financial support from the folks expired if I decided to take a break. So I disenchantedly finished with a BA in English Lit and promptly headed out to Yosemite for a few years of dirtbaggery.

I understand my parents’ position, but I wish I hadn't bent to the external pressure to start and finish without any significant break. I had some of the best climbing, skiing, and dirtbag experiences of my life. I learned how to live on my own. Perhaps most importantly, my post-undergrad break led me first to wilderness medicine, then to emergency medicine, and now to the nursing field. Obviously things could've turned out differently, but I can’t help thinking that I would’ve saved my parents (and myself) a bunch of time and money if I’d taken that break sooner.

And as far as the practical advice for your situation goes- Jon had some very useful advice. Some of the best I've read on here in a while.
Do you ski? Do you have any friends who live in ski towns? I suppose if you did you would've considered this option already as a way to pass the deadest of winter months.
Jon's advice on the seasons of popular destination crags is spot on. I've been in both Yosemite and the Creek pretty early and late in the season. That being said, I've never had to seek out partners in the Creek but it's pretty easy to do in the Valley, even early and late, if you're assertive and willing to be flexible with your plans. I don't know your abilities, but there are a lot of solo climbers hanging in the Valley who'd be happy to find a partner who'd let them ropegun.
Don't have any advice as far as Jan/Feb/early Mar go, but if I were in your shoes I'd head to the Valley by mid March and stay in Cali through the summer and fall. When the Valley gets hot, you have Tuolumne, the Sierra, and the entire Eastside cragging arena. Late Sept, head back to the Valley. By then, you will have established yourself on the dirtbag circuit and find plenty of folks to head to the desert with.
If you are looking at finding a job, working for DNC in YNP is a pretty good bet. Also, Lee Vining (hub town for Tuolumne/east entrance of YNP) has a couple good job opportunities.

Good idea to decide on a goal before just diving in. My experience was that the solo roadtrip left me in great shape once I dialed in lining up climbing partners in advance and was flexible to change location when weather/lack of partners was an issue. That was helped greatly by having already climbed for many years and having a good network for potential partners. Of course with the extensive virtual social spaces now it's easier than 10 years ago to find partners. Also the amazing part of going so many new places and meeting new people could never be replaced. Still, to be my strongest was easiest when I stayed in one place longer, which may go well with some type of job. You can stay in one place for a while on the road and get very strong there with a lot of focus.

Beware complacency/apathy that may keep you from seizing the moment if you don't have a schedule that pushes you, like one has when they work, keep a home and squeeze in the climbing. And always immediately find even a short term job and pay off any credit card debt.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I've taken several school/work-breaks in my life and have never regretted it. After three years off to road race in the middle of my college years, I returned to school focused and sharp and got excellent grades then. After several years working as an engineer I took another break to climb and reevaluate for grad school. And took yet another break years later. Life is for living now.

Portrero is wonderful in the winter/early spring. I don't know lots of sport spots but had a great time in the New River Gorge for a month in May/June. RR is great in the spring. If you take up more trad you'll never regret RR, Yosemite (spring/fall) and Squamish (summer) or alpine routes in Colorado (summer). Indian Creek is perfect for getting familiar with gear and prepping for Yosemite.

I only read the first few responses but feel compelled to give my .02. ABSOLUTELY quit school if it's not doing it for you right now! Too many people end up in college because it's what society tells you to do, when they really have no understanding of why they're even there in the first place besides to party and have a good time.

It's better to go to school when you have an actual realization of what your future and career goals are - with the emphasis on career. I also thought about taking time off from school but decided it would be better to push on through and finish because I was scared that if I did take time off I would never actually finish. Well I did finish, with less than the excellent grades that I could have gotten if I had been interested, and basically became a ski-climbing-kayaking bum for the next four years. When people look at my resume now, they want to know what the hell I did for four years after graduation. Believe me - it doesn't look good to employers to see that you graduated college and then had no interest in using your degree for years on end.

Take the time off now! Eventually you will get tired of being broke and or homeless and transient and decide you are ready to buckle down. Get that degree (preferably a useful and marketable degree) and go directly into the job market without passing go. I learned the hard way - and explaining my discombobulated past is not easy or very confidence inspiring among top employers. If you take the time off now and get your degree later your resume/work history can start directly with your undergrad graduation date moving into your work history.

Plus if you haven't been informed yet - the economy sucks. People with advanced degrees are having a hard time finding work. The only decent paying job I can find right now is in Afghanistan - after already working in Iraq for 9 months and nearly getting killed - No thanks, testing my luck once is enough for me. The economy will turn around - but most importantly get a degree in something that will actually get you a job and get good grades. Employers will look at that stuff. And most importantly have fun! You are young and your're not getting any younger. You can work 40+ hours a week when you get old. You are making the right choice!

I recently took four months off to climb and was not preoccupied with anything besides climbing, eating, sleeping and resting. It doesn't get much simpler in my mind. The road is the best place to become a better climber. New challenges present themselves every day. Most climbing areas are off the beaten path and not to many distraction are around, except maybe Vegas. What distractions are you worried about?

My suggestion is go to Europe. For what I hear the sport climbing is great and the expirence would be unbeatable.

But if your going to travel the States I would suggest a mini-van. Save the money from the truck and buy a rack. Mini-vans tend to get better gas, and hardly ever pulled over if you put a little soccer mom sticker in the window.

I didn't go back to finish "school" until I was 35. Best move I ever made.

stay in school bro... get it done then move on!

stay in school bro... get it done then move on!

John McNamee wrote:I didn't go back to finish "school" until I was 35. Best move I ever made.

The going back, or the waiting?

Education is wonderful, but if you are not focused on what you're doing, and don't particularly care about it, don't waste your time. I've been trying to go to school on and off for a decade. I have a state accredited certification, and national and state licenses for some things, but no degree. And the fact is, if I had an associates degree or even a bachelors that was not specialized, I would not be making any more money than I am now. I know many people with college educations who are in the same boat as me, but also have massive student debt to deal with.

If you want to sacrifice your own sanity and health to make a living, study medicine. If you can deal with the math, engineering. Beyond that, unless you have a clear view of what you want to do, you'll be going to graduate school to make anything significant happen.

Enjoy your life while you're young, climb while your body is able. Besides, with medical technology we will all live longer healthier lives, and you wont have to retire, you can keep working when you're old! Can you wait?!?!

You will probably regret choosing to live in a car during the winter. Just move to Boulder if you want to climb a lot, but personally I would move to summit county and ski, and that is exactly what I am personally doing...

Evan S wrote: The going back, or the waiting?...

If I had stayed at school I would have ended up with a worthless degree. Learning something because that was expected, rather than what I wanted to learn.

When I went back to school, I knew what I wanted to study and I also was mature enough to be really focused and do well. I studied computer science and have been working in that field even since.

Having time off either between school or during school, I'd never hestiate to recommend. As you get older, it is much harder to do, so do it now. You can always go back and finish it.

Nathaniel Gustafson wrote: I guess I am slightly worried that life on the road will be too preoccupying for being in good shape to push how hard I am climbing. For those of you who have gone on extended climbing trips is this a valid concern?

Being on a climbing trip and camping can be very conducive to improving as a climber, so long as you can camp comfortably. Comfort, good sleep, and good food are essential for good recovery, which in turn is necessary to climb well. This means that trying to live out of the car in the winter is a no-go. Even in places where it is warm enough to climb during the day, the nights are long, and you will spend 12-16 hours a day focused mainly on staying warm. This is fine for a 1-2 week climbing trip (you can put up with most anything for a week), but if you are doing it for 2 months it will break you down. Over the long term, you need the creature comforts.

Once it gets warmer, though, being itinerant and on the road is great. It allows you to not only climb a lot, but also to travel and climb in a variety of places. Variety means a lot for improving as a climber, since each area and style prods at different weaknesses; you'll learn more by spending a month each at 3 different crags than by spending 3 months in one place. Variety is also important for staying motivated. When on a trip and climbing full time I have found that I have a time limit of 3-4 weeks for any one area; after that I get burned out on the style of climbing and the scene. If you are mobile (i.e. living out of the truck), you can pack up as soon as this happens and go somewhere totally different to find some fresh psyche (or better weather, if that is what you need to find).

Traveling is also great for meeting people. Climbers are like geese-they migrate with the seasons- and you'll meet a great traveling community. If you are traveling and climbing full time, it is nice to have partners who are doing the same, since they will have the same schedule and the same mentality. Earlier, someone suggested arranging partners ahead of time to meet up with you, but I would recommend against this, since it will just constrain your flexibility. Go go to major destinations, in-season, and stay at the main climber's campground- you'll find tons of compatible partners that you will learn a lot from. Just make sure to go places with a big "scene" and a centralized climber's campground- places like Bishop, J-Tree, Smith, the Red, Maple, Rifle, the Valley, the Creek, etc etc etc. There are plenty of other places that have great climbing, but no scene, so you must bring a partner with you. A good plan to go to these places is either to meet up with a friend from home who can come out to meet you, or to go to a destination area, meet other traveling climbers there, and then travel with them to the next, more obscure destination. For instance, if you want to do desert towers, the best plan is to first go to the Creek to get strong and meet partners, and then go with them to do towers.

So anyway, I think that it may be worth it to try to find somewhere to settle in for the winter where you an live indoors, try to work a bit and earn some money, and have warm rock to climb on during the day. Then, once spring arrives (early March-ish), jump the coop and go on the road for a (long) while.

With regard to staying in the US vs. traveling internationally, either could be great. Europe would be amazing, but would also be more expensive and would involve a bit more logistical challenge. Living out of the truck/van in the US is way cheaper (especially since US crags are more likely to have free/cheap camping) and simpler (since you aren't adding in the difficulties of figuring out a new country). If you can afford it and want an international experience, go to Europe (or even Thailand!). If you need to live cheaply and care mostly about focusing on climbing, then stay in the States (plus Mexico and Canada).

JJNS wrote:What distractions are you worried about?

The distractions I am worried about mostly involve not having the luxuries of living in one place with a roof over my head that would be beneficial for climbing hard. I feel like trying to balance eating and sleeping well with living on the cheap may be a struggle, although this could just be me trying to find something to worry about. Also as Jon mentioned, it is going to be hard to climb well when I am spending most of my time trying to stay warmish.

Anyways, thanks for all the advice everyone. It is really nice to get many different perspectives on both school and the climbing.

My tentative plan right now (which depends on when I can find a vehicle and for how much $$$) is to work for the next 4-5 weeks, fly down to Potrero Chico for February and March, and then come back to the US and either try to find a place in Boulder or just hit the road.