I’m hiring: Backpacking guide position(s)

For the 2021 season I plan to hire up to three additional backpacking guides. If you would like to join our team, read on.

Position description

The work will be short-term and seasonal, and should be considered a supplement to steadier full-time work, an additional contract in a larger freelance portfolio, or a fun and rewarding retirement project.

In 2021 our existing guides will each lead trips in up to three locations and spend 8 to 44 days in the field.

I currently have three slots still open, listed below. In all cases, you would be a junior guide and would assist a lead guide who knows the program better and who probably is more experienced. We typically run concurrent sessions (i.e. two trips at a time, each with two guides), and you’d be part of a four-guide group.

• San Juan Mountains, Colorado (12 days)
• Yosemite National Park, California (5 days)
• Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia (8 days)

For specific trip dates, refer to the 2021 schedule.

I will need to hire at least one new guide, but I may hire three depending on respective skill sets and geographic locations.

Qualifications

Hiring is an opportunity for me to both double-down on and to broaden the strengths of our team. We offer learning-intensive and adventure-rich courses and trips, and specialize in long-distance backpacking and off-trail travel. I am looking for candidates that match this profile, while perhaps also bringing new perspectives and life experiences.

Minimum qualifications

1. Extensive backpacking experience. Have you slept on the ground (or between trees) for hundreds of nights and in a variety of seasons and ecosystems? Do you have a practical understanding of backpacking gear, and have you developed a robust backcountry skill set?

2. Good physical fitness. On average per day, at a minimum can you hike 15 miles (at sea level) or climb 3,250 vertical feet (at altitude), and occasionally hike 20 miles or climb 4,250 feet? Are you comfortable hiking off-trail, on uneven and loose surfaces, through talus and scree, and at elevations often up to 12,000 feet?

3. Interpersonal skills. Do you enjoy working with people? Can you effectively communicate your thoughts? Are you comfortable managing groups and group dynamics?

Preferred qualifications

4. Teaching experience. Have you guided, taught, instructed, or mentored others, including students, adults, colleagues, teammates, and classmates? Do you have any professional credentials (e.g. degrees, wilderness medicine training, workshop or course certificates)?

5. Relate-ability. Nearly all of our clients are adults; most are working professionals or recently retired; and many have children and spouses. What experiences do you have in relating to this audience?

6. Community credibility. Do you have a significant following on your website or social media channels? Have you written a book, developed a route guide, or submitted content to a popular backpacking blog? Are you an ambassador for an outdoor brand? Do you give public talks or clinics?

Compensation

In addition to a day rate, you be compensated for trip preparation and travel, and you will reimbursed for training and travel expenses.

Application instructions

I am no longer accepting applications for these positions.

To apply, complete this form. You will be asked to:

1. Enter basic biographical information;
2. Provide links to your personal or professional website(s) and/or social media channel(s);
3. Indicate your experience level in specific environments;
4. Upload a Letter of Interest as a PDF or document file (e.g. docx, txt); and
5. Upload a professional resume (optional).

Note: To upload a file in Google Forms, you must be logged into your Google account, if you are not already.

In your letter of interest, address the hiring qualifications — all or most of them, depending on your background. You need not answer the specific questions — they’re more meant to guide the general direction of your letter. Please do not exceed 750 words.

Application deadline: on or before Friday, December 11. However, I will review applications periodically and may schedule some interviews before this deadline.

Andrew Skurka Adventures LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

Questions?

If you have general questions about this position, leave a comment below. I will answer it there, to avoid multiple private answers to the same questions.

If you have a question that pertains specifically to your application, please contact me directly.