By Allison Raaum

'PEOPLE IN THE city don't realize there are phenomenal outdoor activities just minutes away," says Erin Eggenberger, operations manager at UC San Francisco outdoor adventure group Outdoors Unlimited. Eggenberger is as passionate about her work as she is about the outdoors. Two years ago she took instructor courses in sea kayaking and backpacking, which she describes as "an arena for sharing skills," with everyone participating as teacher and student. In addition to her paying job with Outdoors Unlimited, she also volunteers as a teacher for its beginner backpacking clinics. "It's about sharing the outdoors with people," Eggenberger enthusiastically says.

If that Saturday hike is the only time of the week you feel truly alive and at your best, then consider checking out a career outside the urban box. More opportunities exist for work in the outdoors than you might imagine. Whether leading sea kayaking trips for people with disabilities on weekends or working in human resources for an adventure company, training and career opportunities abound amid trees, hills, and streams.

A wilderness career can encompass several tasks and areas of expertise. A job as a white-water rafting guide may appeal to the adventurous, but nature lovers can also train to be a wilderness instructor or an adventure trip programmer. The career possibilities are as extensive as the forests and rivers themselves. The demand for wilderness instructors is high, and there are instructor shortages for programs like Outdoors Unlimited and the world-renowned Outward Bound.

"There's always a demand, even commercially," Outdoors Unlimited program director Steve Siskin says. "But there's a trend of less young people coming into the field."

In its instructor training classes in sea kayaking, backpacking, wilderness medicine, and white-water guiding, Outdoors Unlimited offers educational, holistic wilderness experience by requiring that its students become familiar with the administrative aspects of the program as well as learn outdoor skills. While not as glamorous as carrying a pack at 5,000 feet, learning the business side of the program can lead to a very real paycheck.

"If you're really serious about becoming an outdoor wilderness professional, the best thing that you can do is get experience in both the field and office," says Siskin, who's been program director for the past 14 years. Using himself as an example, he says most people who embark on a wilderness career do so because they want to work outside. However, such a career can typically mean spending months on end in the backcountry and taking jobs around the nation or the world.

"As you get older, you may decide you want to live in one place," he says, pointing out that because many instructors cross over to administrative positions with time, it's an asset to acquire office skills and learn about program planning. A physical injury or starting a family may make a globe-trotting backpacker want to stay closer to home, and trip programming is a good option for having job stability while still maintaining a connection to the outdoors.

Siskin also stresses the importance of the "soft skills" of outdoor leadership, including patience and group motivation, which can be more difficult to develop than the "hard," technical skills picked up along the way.

It's unclear why fewer people are seeking out wilderness careers, but perhaps with the present political and economic unrest, some are less willing to gamble on a career that's reliant on expendable income.

Still, opportunities exist locally and nationwide for those with the right skill set. Outward Bound, an international leader in wilderness adventure, has 44 programs around the world serving 100,000 students annually. Outward Bound West encompasses Alaska to Baja California and as far east as Colorado.

Megan Frigon, Outward Bound West's human resources director, says the organization hires between 40 and 50 instructors every year. She reports that not only has the applicant pool gotten slimmer of late, but the number of people meeting Outward Bound's minimum technical standards has also diminished. To boost the skills of their adventure group leaders and widen the pool of potential candidates, the organization is creating a two-week instructor development course for 2005.

"It wasn't just our school," Frigon says. "The human resources directors of all the Outward Bound schools have gotten together to brainstorm ideas for a better-trained staff." Two year ago Outward Bound West also started an internship program, which has proved a positive retention tool for instructors. It gives dedicated individuals the opportunity to work a season or two with the school as a "shadow" instructor to increase technical and instructional skills.

Other opportunities to earn a paycheck working for wilderness outfits and organizations exist, some more camouflaged than others. A tremendous amount of work goes into planning a successful expedition, which can lead to a plethora of wilderness-related jobs. For example, if you want to get a foot in the door at Outward Bound West, you can work as a logistics coordinator. Although it's less glamorous than being a white-water kayak instructor, you do get to coordinate the behind-the-scenes support that makes every trip effective.

And if you're looking for job perks, outdoor careers offer plenty of them in addition to working with people who care about nature and the environment as much as you do. Many outdoor operators offer employees free equipment rental, free or reduced-priced trips, and other rewards that allow workers on the administrative side convenient and inexpensive access to the outdoors. Frequent access allows outdoor people to practice and hone their climbing, rafting, hiking, or other technical skills.

Working without pay is a common way to get an education, but that's not to say the work is without its rewards. Unpaid positions are an education and an opportunity to do what you love and build skills that can lead to a lifelong career. As with any job, you have to be willing to start small and put in the time to succeed. Education, hands-on training, and self-marketing are just as important in the pursuit of a wilderness career as they are for any other professional goal.

Many local leadership and instructor training opportunities meld community service and nonprofit goals with the outdoors. The San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club offers a variety of leadership opportunities in hiking, backpacking, and other recreational activities. Inner City Outings is a Sierra Club activity group that takes disadvantaged youths and other urban dwellers into the outdoors. And S.F.'s Environmental Traveling Companion coordinates with 80 social service agencies and schools to bring people with disabilities and economically disadvantaged youths on wilderness trips.

"We ask a lot of our volunteers, but we give a lot back," says ETC outreach coordinator Sonja Hodges, who describes the volunteer staff as a "volunteer family," in which the environment is very caring. "We believe in the importance of access and the importance of inclusion" she says, explaining that many trip guides cope with disabilities of their own, adding another dimension to the group dynamic.

Another excellent place to take advantage of inexpensive and reputable instructor training is at local universities, which typically subsidize their adventure programs and rely on a volunteer staff. Like Outdoors Unlimited, UC Berkeley's Cal Adventures has outdoor programs with extensive instructor training courses. Most programs are available to both students and nonstudents, who are typically charged a higher but still reasonable fee. San Francisco State University offers a bachelor of arts degree in recreation with an optional emphasis on adventure programming and a master's degree in recreation administration.

But despite degree programs such as those offered at SFSU, and with the exception of wilderness medicine certification, as of yet there are no national standards for activity-specific certifications for wilderness guides or instructors. However, all instructor training courses and leadership positions – whether they're paid or volunteer, outreach-focused or commercial – are viewed as valid leadership experiences among the outdoor community. They're critical for building your wilderness résumé, increasing your skill level, and making connections with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and potential employers.

Matt Gingo of Cal Adventures couldn't agree more. He leads instructional training courses for water sports including sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, and white-water rafting as well as ropes training. Gingo believes Cal Adventures' staff, both paid and unpaid, are likely to be hired by other organizations because of the program's strong reputation. "If you are an instructor here, managers view the skills acquired during your volunteer work as quality skills," he says. "People know us, and we know other organizations. We aren't so much in competition for clients as we are for staff."

He says several Cal Adventures instructors also work with other organizations and cites the cooperative nature of the outdoor community in the Bay Area. "Organizations that are able to share staff get more back," he says. "It's good for the staff, and it's good for the organization. We're all out there for the same kind of reason."

Felicity Meu has been involved with Cal Adventures for the past seven years. "Growing up in the Bay Area and seeing all the things you want to explore, you begin to wonder why am I not out there?" she says. Meu took the white-water rafting guide course just after high school and then taught it during her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley. After graduating, she traveled to Costa Rica as a river guide, led backcountry skiing and snowshoeing trips, and took on leadership development and consulting for college-age students before becoming Cal Adventures' youth program director.

"When you get a taste of this lifestyle, it's hard to imagine sitting behind a corporate desk for a job," she says. "I love it. It's a lot of work. I have to be here at least 10 and a half hours a day. You have to love it to put those kind of hours in."

Are you ready to get out there?

Here are the resources you need to launch your career in the outdoors.

Bay Area Chapter of the Sierra Club Leadership opportunities and training for wilderness activities and wilderness medicine. 2530 San Pablo, Ste. I, Berk. (510) 848-0800, www.sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org.

Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit Training in wilderness search-and-rescue operations. P.O. Box 19184, Stanford, CA 94309. www.bamru.org, bamru@bamru.org.

Bay Area Wilderness Training Wilderness leadership training with an urban-youth focus. 300 Broadway, Ste. 28, S.F. (415) 788-3666, ext. 125, www.bawt.org.

Cal Adventures Instructor training and guide schools at UC Berkeley. UC Berkeley, Strawberry Canyon Center Enrollment Center, Berk. (510) 642-4000, www.oski.org/html/menu_adult.htm.

Environmental Traveling Companion Leadership training and wilderness trips for people with disabilities and urban youths. Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C, Marina at Laguna, S.F. (415) 474-7662, www.etctrips.org.

Foster Calm Wilderness medicine, first aid, and CPR classes. 15135 Lake Lane, Nevada City. (530) 265-0997, www.fostercalm.com.

Inner City Outings Leadership training, camping, and backpacking trips for urban youths, run by the Sierra Club. 85 Second St., second fl., S.F. (415) 820-3988, ext. 1 (voicemail), www.sierraclub.org/ico/sfbaychapter.

National Outdoor Leadership School Wilderness medicine, instructor, and leadership training. 1-800-710-NOLS, ext. 2258, www.nols.edu/courses/find/educator/instructor.shtml.

Outdoors Unlimited Instructor training, leadership, and wilderness medicine offered by UC San Francisco. UC San Francisco, 500 Parnassus, P.O. Box 0234-A, S.F. (415) 502-2121, www.cas.ucsf.edu/ou.

Outward Bound Instructor training courses, internships, and skill development programs. 1-866-467-7651, www.outwardboundwilderness.org.

San Francisco State University's Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies Leadership, ropes courses, and educational degrees in recreation. San Francisco State University, HSS Building, Room 307, S.F. (415) 338-2030, www.sfsu.edu/~recdept/html/program.htm.

Wilderness Emergency Care Wilderness emergency care courses and instructor certification. P.O. Box 1227, Berkeley, CA 94701. www.wildernessemergencycare.com.

A.R.

Wilderness medical training

'You're more likely to get hired if you have a wilderness first responder certificate. It's probably the most important thing you can get," says Steve Siskin of Outdoors Unlimited.

For a career or volunteer leadership position in the outdoors, certification in wilderness medicine is required, and taking one of these programs is an important first career move. Although some organizations still have the minimal requirements of first aid and CPR, most now prefer wilderness first aid certification for recreation and short trips, and wilderness first responder for longer trips with higher-risk activities. Wilderness emergency medical technician certification courses are required for people going into wilderness rescue.

Wilderness first aid

What it is: Topics covered include basic wilderness preparation, including sun protection, proper clothing, nutrition, and water purification. Other environmental topics include dangerous animals and plants, and coping with hazardous weather conditions. Hands-on medical training includes patient injury assessment.

Who needs it: Low-risk activity leaders for local hiking, backpacking, and sea kayaking trips.

Where to get it: Courses range from 8 to 20 hours and cost $125 at Outdoors Unlimited and $185 at Cal Adventures. The Bay Area Chapter of the Sierra Club will offer classes in September that are free for trip leaders and $50 for Sierra Club members. Other one-day courses are available through the American Red Cross Bay Area for $65 at Piedmont Adult School on Sept. 11, Oct. 16, and Dec. 4. Graduates of WFA courses receive a certificate that's valid for three years.

Wilderness first responder

What it is: WFR is WFA with more advanced techniques. Additional training includes wilderness evacuation and survival, improvisation techniques for wilderness medicine, and emergency response with improvised equipment.

Who needs it: For those seriously striving for a wilderness career, this is the minimum requirement for Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and it's becoming the certification of choice for other higher-risk activity programs.

Where to get it: This 80-hour course typically involves 8 to 10 days of intensive training. Cal Adventures offered a 10-day intensive WFR certification course in the spring for $485, and Outdoors Unlimited offers certification for $395. The American Safety and Health Institute will offer a weekend course from mid-October through November. Graduates receive WFR certification for three years and certification for adult CPR or CPR for the professional rescuer, which is valid for two years.

Wilderness emergency medical technician

What it is: This is necessary training for emergencies when medical help is one or more hours away. Topics include patient assessment, body systems, trauma, oxygen administration, automatic external defibrillation, environmental medicine, and toxins.

Who needs it: For professionals interested in pre-hospital emergency medicine, this is required, and it's the preferred certification for organizations such as Outward Bound, NOLS, and the National Park Service.

Where to get it: This 180-hour intensive course is monthlong and completed on location outdoors. Meals and lodging are often included for an average price of $2,000. Medical professionals can upgrade to WEMT through a 40 to 50-hour course that builds upon previous EMT training. Check the Wilderness Medical Associates and Wilderness Medical Institute Web sites for upcoming WEMT and WEMT-upgrade opportunities. Graduates receive WEMT certification that's valid for three years and CPR certification valid for two.

A.R.