Management Consultant Business Analyst.

As a reward for being able to say my job title without tripping over it, I have a lot of flexibility in scheduling. Mostly 40 hour weeks, occasionally 80, 90 or 100 though. Ugh. But I've taken a whole month off every year. Adventures in 27 countries in the past 5 years.

Student still...

On a yearbasis I do 2 or 3 serious hikes (more than a week).

I could go to the Ardennes every weeked if I wanted to, but once you've seen real mountains, the Ardennes are just plain boring...imo.

Oh, and I have patella problems so that has to heal first before I do any serious trekking again.

Of course

Then again, it would be useful to go to the Ardennes every sunday with a 20 kg pack and ascent and descent 200 m 5 times or so.

I'm a Naval Officer, but also daddy of two baby girls. Free time is at a preimum with the new (Canadian!) additions.
I would say I average 2.5 weekends off per month, and an additional month off as paid leave. Getting in any sort of a big trip would be difficult, but when I lived in San Diego I was able to make it up to the Sierra Nevada and climb with some regularity, and moving back there in a few months I'm hoping to get back up there a few times a year.
That said, it wasn't so hard to make time for cragging around San Diego and I got out to Mission Gorge or the Santee boulder fields a couple of times a week - and found no reason to spend much time in a climbing gym.
We'll see how the frequency of those trips go when I get back out to the west coast, but I imagine I will not get out quite as often until the girls are ready to join us on the rocks.

That's Flight Attendant. I hold a BA in Criminal Justice and was a juvenile probation officer and counselor for teens many moons ago... have worn many, many hats from import/export to marketing....but presently have been a corporate flight attendant for the last 3 years. I get paid travel throughout the world, flexible time off and when I travel and stay in a location for awhile (like just recently, the Middle East), I set out to meet amazing new folks and climb if there's climbable land. It's an amazing and fun job...but not something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. No way.

Luciano136 wrote:

cp0915 wrote:

CClaude wrote:...I told the company I'd like less pay but significantly more vacation...

Did a similar thing -- said I'd gladly take a pay-cut to have more time off. So they let me take the month of July off (without pay) each year! Sweet!

Did you discuss this on an interview? I'd like to get some sort of arrangement like that on my next job. Not necessarily all at once but at least have the possibility to take unpaid time when I want to.

Not during the interview, but once a job offer was made. I figure once an offer is made, everything is negotiable. Don't even mention unpaid time to begin with. State a salary (which would be reasonable and fair and being realistic about what you are offering the company with the abilities you bring to the table. If it is unacceptable for them they can always counter with a different offer.

surprisingly I learned this in a risk management class at work.

Funny thing is, a while back I had an opportunity to purchase a guiding company that was going under, but I like to think that I am giving back something to society with what I am doing (I develop devices and therapies for cardiovascular disease ( have worked with AMI's and heart failure, critical limb ischemia, dissections). For me thats also important

I do "investing". It's great when things are good, sucks real bad when it's bad. But I do have some great time off.

sjarelkwint wrote:

BrunoM wrote:Oh, and I have patella problems so that has to heal first before I do any serious trekking again.

Join the club ... Ardennes are good for sportclimbing ...

Same for me. I've figured out that stuff like the ardennes and vosges are a lot worse for me than tackling one large mountain is. So I'm focussing on that (or try skiing down).

hikerbrian wrote:Grad student in chemistry effing around with neurotoxins. Pretty fun, but no money AND no time. Soon will be making drugs = more money and at least I'll get the weekends.

xDoogiex wrote:Guard/driver for armored money trucks. I go into stores and collect money or drive a big truck. I make shit due to the company I work for and still no raise after a year and a half. Only get 4 days vaction til I become full time. Which could be forever. Can barely save and I work up to 10 days in a row sometime.

If you don't mind calling me "Don Wouterb", I think we should talk
This could be "the thing" to combine money and time off.

I did a survey on this very topic last year: thread, results

I'm an IT project manager (soon to be search product manager). We have a somewhat flexible schedule, I enjoy the competitive technology aspect, and I can feed my gear addiction without going into debt.

Contractor in the Sonoma Ca wine country. I build the metal stuff for the well to do; fireplaces, furniture, stairs etc. http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkendesign/2115554636/ After being laid off from the local outfitters shop when they went under seven years ago (REI moved in across the street) Got back to my metal roots welding parts for Boeing engines and similar, little time off and crappy hours. Started my own gig six years ago and now have enough clients and work to pretty much take as much time as I want....mostly.

fossana wrote:I did a survey on this very topic last year: thread, results

You are such a geek and this is totally cool. Have always loved the climbing community for being a somewhat educated lot (think long discussions on the serial comma and invoking strunk & white on a sports oriented forum) The stats are a little skewed in that they are only for SP users and not climbers as a whole. Would love to see that demographic breakdown in comparison.

Interesting...I'm working at a school right now, but it's a year round job, and the new boss isn't very flexible with time off, so I'm thinking about leaving. What jobs do you guys think works well with climbing?

Since I couldn't get the job I was hoping for I've been working retail at a gear store this summer, for another week at least. It drives me nuts, but I deal. I winter as a ski patroler. Thankfully it's almost winter.

I'm a graphic artist/pre-press guy at a custom book maker.

Normalish hours, with an occasional month off.

fossana wrote:I did a survey on this very topic last year: thread, results

Very interesting results. They reinforce one of my reasons from switching from a career in architecture (BA in undergrad) to structural engineering (M.ENg)! Now I just have to find a job . . .

tyler4588 wrote:Interesting...I'm working at a school right now, but it's a year round job, and the new boss isn't very flexible with time off, so I'm thinking about leaving. What jobs do you guys think works well with climbing?

I've been on a number of trips in the Sierra, Cascades and Alaska where I met glaciologists 'working' out there. I wonder how much they combine climbing on the side with their field work?