Traveling Abroad as a Climber

[Basswood]

I moved to Northern California from New Hampshire for a year and I think it was the best thing I did for my climbing career. Find a reputable company and surround yourself with climbers better than you and you’ll learn a lot.
If you want to live alone it’ll get expensive, I’d recommend renting a room month to month to save cash. If you take a bus make sure you have a plan for getting a vehicle asap- driving your own vehicle cross country is probably a better idea. Just have a plan before you move
And make sure you have some money saved up, your bank account is going to go down before it goes up


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Did you find most companies out west are focused on removals/fire mitigation?

 

[southsoundtree]

Some western areas are very fire prone, others are not.

Lots of drought killed/affected trees, though.

 

[StihlCamoCap]

Me being me, I wouldn’t hold my breath for temporary housing…. especially with the state of the housing market everywhere right now. A company car too? I feel owners would be more likely to be generous with housing/vehicles etc. to committed personnel seeking longer term employment. It sounds like your trying to travel and get new experiences, which I think is awesome, and I envy your future adventures, but I think the housing/vehicle thing could be a challenge.

 

[Mallett]

Did you find most companies out west are focused on removals/fire mitigation?

I worked for Atlas Tree Service in Santa Rosa & they do pretty much everything- residential, heavy com, fires, power lines, etc. They also have pretty cool weekend classes like precision felling, climber academy, ariel rescue, pruning, etc. badass company


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[Dan Cobb]

I'm finally going to say it.

It's not abroad, it's domestic. I feel better now.

 

[JeffGu]

Yeah, climbing a broad is an entirely different thing. Difficult, depending on how tall she is.

 

[StihlCamoCap]

Yeah I was mad at my boss when I made this post … Thanks for the replies you guys… after reading and digestion the 1,000 years of knowledge on this post I decide to become a male stripper at an retirement home.
Climb Safe Family

 

[TreeVB]

I'm finally going to say it.

It's not abroad, it's domestic. I feel better now.

I’m going to say it.

F-ing Karen.
Just kidding, I’m sure most of us were thinking it.

 

[southsoundtree]

You're in a great place to learn and network.

Hang out here for a while, you'll be booked at every retirement home in the area in no time.

 

[JeffGu]

My ideal treeworking job would be maintaining a tree that is just outside my bedroom window. I could keep an electric power pruner and a refrigerator next to the bed. I could just open the window when it needed water and fertilizer. With a steady supply of beer and tacos, I think I would excel at this job. I can forward my salary and benefit requirements to interested employers.

 

[Dan Cobb]

My ideal treeworking job would be maintaining a tree that is just outside my bedroom window. I could keep an electric power pruner and a refrigerator next to the bed. I could just open the window when it needed water and fertilizer. With a steady supply of beer and tacos, I think I would excel at this job. I can forward my salary and benefit requirements to interested employers.

How much reach do you have with your power pruner?

 

[oceans]

Hey Guys I’ve been climbing for 5 years and I’m pretty comfortable and confident with my removal, rigging, pruning skills. Now I want to jump on a Greyhound with my climber equipment and travel the USA for a couple years… doing what I love… climbing of course….

has anybody done the same? Is there any tips or information you can give to help prepare me … what are my chances of having a company offer me temporary housing and transportation?


FIRST POST ALERT WOOOT WOOOT WOOOT

I really applaud you for this. If you find a way to make it work, you will definitely have a great time, and learn how others approach sos merging you thought you already knew. I’ve been fortunate enough to work all over the country, and even a bit overseas, so I’ll offer you my $0.02. It’s not all roses, but if you set it up right, it’s pretty darn close!

If you haven’t already, you may want to consider incorporating a Sole Proprietor LLC and carrying your own general liability policy. Worker’s Comp may also be required depending on the state you want to work in. This will be very attractive to company owners. If you don’t want to go that route, get on the company’s payroll while you’re there.

Like building a client base in town, word of mouth will be your best inroad. But just like choosing to work with a client or not, you’ll have to decide whether to work for a company or not. Good companies will likely be tied into other good companies, even in other regions. Start with a reputable one and work our from there. The more know and can produce, the more your name will get into the right circles.

Most of us are super busy right now, so I imagine you’ll be welcome most anywhere, especially with good sjkill sets. Just remember, it takes time for a team to feel out any new coworker, so be patient let things unfold.

The longer you stay with a company during a visit, the less you’ll have to worry about your own travel needs. You can line up something affordable and quick rather than relying on the bus.

I really do wish you the best! I hope it all works out. You might be amazed just who knows who as you get around. We’re all in a pretty tightly knit community.