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World-economic crises getting you down? Get paid badly to work hard ... riding your b

May 19, 2004
36
3
Bolivia
The pressures of your job got you down, the boss trying to squeeze you for more hours, more work, and all for less money?Fantasizing about taking a year or more off from it all for the adventure of a lifetime?

How does getting paid to ride your bike in South America sound?

Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking (www.gravitybolivia.com <http://www.gravitybolivia.com>) is the premier (and most famous) operator of downhill mountain bike tours in the Bolivian Andes.

We are 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 five television programs and several movies!

Recent successes and greater-than-expected growth have encouraged us to expand our operations and bring forward several phases of our World Domination plans. To guarantee further rapid growth we want to pull together a kick-arse team of motivated, independent, proactive, flexible, resilient people for the end of the 2009 season and to take us through 2010.

We are looking for people with PERSONALITY, PATIENCE, SOCIAL SKILLS, plus a SENSE OF HUMOR 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 definitely not essential. Note: Not So Secret Update: - Gravity has expanded to Peru! Guides who sign up to work in Bolivia now 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! Check out the rides on www.gravityperu.com.

Positions available, starting yesterday, include:

"Action Heroes" (3-4x Mountain Bike Guides):* Nine months minimum commitment, positions available NOW. Yup, get paid to ride downhill 3-4 days a week (a 60km downhill ride with 3600m vertical descent). The hours are long, the majority of riding is down dirt roads with beginner riders (this ride: <http://www.gravitybolivia.com/gallery/PhotohighlightsfromtheWorldsMostDangerousRoad>
<http://www.gravitybolivia.com/gallery/PhotohighlightsfromtheWorldsMostDangerousRoad>), the pay won't make you rich, but the adventure is real. Solid riding ability, an ability to calmly coach nervous beginners, a good sense of humor in the face of problems, a genuine enthusiasm for mountain biking, and a high tolerance for the idiosyncrasies of the great unwashed public, plus good trailside mechanicing, current first-aid and rope-rescue qualifications are all a must. Some Spanish language skills would help, plus a willingness to learn Spanglish.

"M" (1-2x Front Office Sales People):* Nine months minimum commitment, positions available NOW. Yup, get paid poorly to sit in a small, cold office for 40+ hours a week and help backpackers and adventure travelers sign up for the ride of their lives. NEVER boring, always frenetic, requiring an organized mind and an ability to be 100% accurate with paperwork while swamped by hordes of over-excited travelers. Basic Spanish language skills would help immensely.

"Pinky" (1x Manager):* Nine or more months commitment, position available NOW. Challenge your patience, persistence, organizational skills, and ingenuity helping to tame the daily chaos at Gravity Central, rushing around on secret missions that take 10x longer than you could ever imagine possible! Fantastic exposure to the realities of operating a successful, rapidly growing adventure tourism operation in a third world country with very different cultural appreciation for exotic concepts such as time, quality and customer service. Requires an individual with the Stamina of a Horse, the Multi-Tasking Ability of an Octopus, and the Cunning of a Kangaroo in a Minefield. Good to excellent Spanish language skills required. Duties include logistics coordination, including liaison with above-mentioned Guides and Office staff, as well as the Bolivian guides, drivers, suppliers, and assistants.

For the right individuals (or couples) Gravity is able to offer: reasonably priced housing in Bolivia's Centre of Gravity including cable tv and internet, hook ups with deals from our sponsors (Kona Mountain Bikes, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Hayes Brakes, Marzocchi, Dragon Optical, to name a few), enough pay that you can probably break-even, and maybe save a little, occasional opportunities to travel around Bolivia, regular opportunities to race (races like these: http://www.gravitybolivia.com/gallery/G ... Highlights <http://www.gravitybolivia.com/gallery/GravityRaceHighlights>), and ride on world-class trails (Refer:
for one of our favorite tracks). and if you aren't careful ... more work than you can probably handle! What's not included - your flight out here, travel/medical insurance while you are here, work-visa costs, and tools of the trade (guide bike, guiding tools, uniform, etc.).

If you are interested in any of the above openings, first read this.... 1. The pay really is not great by international standards, its really only enough to break-even on ... until about your 6th month, by which time you will be putting away a bit of money, and if you are reasonably restrained you could leave at about the one-year stage with a couple of thousand US$ in savings.2. Given that a few people in the last couple of years have flaked on us, we now offer a couple of bonuses during your time with us, one is paid out when you complete the work visa process, and the other when you reach or pass the amount of time we agreed as being your contract.3. It really helps to EITHER come here with about US$1000 in the bank/hand to set yourself up OR bring a beater guide bike, and all the usual personal guiding tools and about US$500 in the bank. If you don't do this then you might feel the pinch when you initially set yourself up, invest in the work-visa etc. If you are still interested, please email: /*jobs@gravitybolivia.com*/ ASAP with: 1. Which of the above positions you are interested in.2. Some photos of you in action.3. A brief background of your riding, guiding, rope, rescue, mechancing and first aid experience and training. If we pick you as someone who seems to have the right stuff, then we will email you a much more comprehensive guide information pack and questionnaire.

Cheers
Alistair "el jefe" Matthew
http://www.gravityglobal.com
jobs@gravitybolivia.com
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
It's a dream job, too bad that besides the first aid and rope skills which can be learned I'm tied for some time in this hole. If I was free I'd spam the **** out of your mailbox ;) Hope you find some nice people for the job.
 
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mfreak

Chimp
Feb 12, 2009
34
0
it would be great but i too do not have rope or first aid but i do have no job and think it would be fun way to get in shape and ride every day.
 

limitedslip

Monkey
Jul 11, 2007
173
1
Can someone better with google tell me about getting these qualifications in california, or link me to a site
 

limitedslip

Monkey
Jul 11, 2007
173
1
Thanks.
It looks like NOLS has a 3 day first aid course. I emailed them about a rope rescue cert, didn't see one on their site.
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Dam, I'm a shooz in for that job. If only I didn't already have a job...

Maybe I could get fired.

It's too bad sweet jobs like this always pay ****. It's like working a ski resort job or as a climbing guide. Great jobs but after a while you wonder, I have no money saved and my job requires me to be in top physical condition, what happens when I get sick or hurt? The answer is, you are screwed. That's why I'm an engineer now. :(
 

mfreak

Chimp
Feb 12, 2009
34
0
the more i think about it the more i want to do it. does anyone know where i could get a work visa, i have a passport id have to look into nols to see about training.
 
May 19, 2004
36
3
Bolivia
People with a good background in first aid and rope use (like in a climbing gym)
could be considered, its worth applying
and we can see how you look

In terms of the work visa, all the paperwork for it is done in country in Bolivia and we help with the process.
If you are keen apply now and we can get you a lot more information
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Dam, I'm a shooz in for that job. If only I didn't already have a job...

Maybe I could get fired.

It's too bad sweet jobs like this always pay ****. It's like working a ski resort job or as a climbing guide. Great jobs but after a while you wonder, I have no money saved and my job requires me to be in top physical condition, what happens when I get sick or hurt? The answer is, you are screwed. That's why I'm an engineer now. :(
I'm finishing my degree in 1.5 year but I'm starting to support that kind of thinking less and less. I think it's time to learn some backup skill you can do if you are injured and than screw boring engineering ;)