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Get paid (badly) to ride your bike in the Andes!

May 19, 2004
36
3
Bolivia
Gravity Boliva wants mountain bike guides!

*Come to the Dark Side:* An invitation to work for Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking in La Paz, Bolivia, South America.


The bulk of our work is guiding 1-day downhill mountain bike tours, and this means that we have to head out into the hills for Day after Day after Day of 40+ mile downhill mountain bike rides more than 11,000 feet of vertical descent every time! I guess it's one of the hazards of being a mountain bike guide on the edge of the Andes. Damn it, someone has to mountain bike down those huge trails!! (NOTE: Before you get too excited, 90-95% of this guiding is of beginner-level mountain bikers on dirt roads; only some of the time do we get paid to rip it up with more experienced riders on single-track.)


If the idea of this kind of riding doesn't get you down, then read on.


TEAM GRAVITY, the employees and racers of GRAVITY ASSISTED MOUNTAIN BIKING, is NOW looking for suitably crazy individuals to join us for Season 2017 for a full-on, action-packed year of guiding, mechanicing, racing, selling, adventuring and partying in the downhill mountain biking mecca that is the area around La Paz, Bolivia. Check out these videos and stop drooling!
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GRAVITY ASSISTED MOUNTAIN BIKING is the premier operator of 1-day downhill and multi-day adventure mountain bike tours in Bolivia. To learn a bit more about us check out our web site http://www.gravitybolivia.com. You can also join us on our facebook group (Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking) or check out some of the videos about us on Youtube. We are also mentioned and highly recommended in EVERY SINGLE DAMN guidebook to South America and Bolivia! We have been featured in more than 70 magazine and newspaper articles in publications around the world... not to mention several television programs and movies!!


For 2017 we are looking for several multi-talented individuals who are interested in working for a full season (mid-Feb until mid-February) or longer. Extra consideration will be given to individuals who are interested in starting as a guide, learning more about the broader aspects of the business and growing to be a Gravity Manager in any of many positions within Gravity's rapidly growing business empire.


We are looking for people with PERSONALITY, PATIENCE, SOCIAL SKILLS, plus a SENSE OF HUMOUR and ADVENTURE. Oh, and you have to be able to ride a mountain bike, have good mechanicing skills, be First Aid qualified, and have rope rescue skills. Having some basic Spanish language skills would give you an advantage, but it's not essential.

As a guide you get all the privileges of racing downhill at ridiculous speed, risking life and limb on rough, rocky roads, on a flimsy two-wheeled out-of-control thing. All this just for the love of doing it; you didn't come here to make your fortune, did you? We can promise to abuse your body with as much work as you want to do, although a work day is pretty long, so much more than four days a week is hard for most.


Pay is not big, but you should be able to save a little money -- if you aren't too much of a party animal (although we do get special Gravity Guide deals at many of the best restaurants, bars and clubs in town). The basic week consists of guiding and recovering (from the guiding and partying). On average you will be required to guide 3-4 times a week, typically guiding days run from 6 am until 10 pm!


We certainly wouldn't suggest that you see coming out to work for us as a money-making exercise, but more a chance to pay-your-own way while exploring a beautiful part of South America. The area around La Paz is blessed with incredible geographical and cultural variety, including 6000m+ mountain peaks, hot and sweaty jungle, rock-climbing areas, the world's highest navigable lake, and of course Machu Picchu and the Inca ruins just around the corner.


Interested? Then Email us NOW at moe@gravitybolivia.com.


Note: /Top Secret Update:/- Gravity is now expanding to Peru! Guides who sign up to work in Bolivia will soon have the opportunity to do one or more 3-month stints guiding trails around Cuzco, Peru right next door to world-famous Machu Picchu. This doubles the number of trails you get to hit!


HERE'S YOUR HOMEWORK: Once we receive your answers to the three questions below we will send you more information about how badly you will get paid, how hard you will have to work, and more nitty-gritty info, plus a more specific questionnaire regarding your experience and skills. Please jot us a couple of paragraphs each on the following topics:


1. Why do I want to come to Bolivia and work for GRAVITY?


2. What do I hope to get out of working for GRAVITY?


3. What do I love the most about Mountain Biking?


Moe Murillo

Guides and Trip Manager aka “Supreme Leader”

Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking, Bolivia, South America.

http://www.gravitybolivia.com

GravityBolivia

Member for: 12 years 3 months
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I saw your add a few years ago on MTBR looking for guides but missed the deadline to apply and I was really bummed by that. Too bad I'm a responsible adult now with debts to pay (and a fiance that might be cross about me going to South America) but it seemed amazing.

I think 2 of my friends from Poland rode with you last year (or was it 2 years ago? ). They were super stoked. While guides can be expensive in the eyes of many I really like the whole idea of remote location enduro and I really think it's the only reason I'd buy an enduro bike over my pushbike.
 
May 19, 2004
36
3
Bolivia
Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the comments, We do offer more technical rides that obiviously don't go out as often. Death Road is our bread and butter. But there's plenty of riding to be done on your free time with all the resources you need to make it happen. Heres another video of a local trail just outside the city just to shake those on the fence.