I may very well be a "negative shit" but like you said, you just "don't know" if the OP has a chance or not. If you don't like my tone then say it, but don't argue with me about something you know nothing about.

I'll humor you with a response, even though you are probably just a troll.

You say you've been climbing for 10 years. If you don't already have a sponsorship then you have no chance.

OP, here's an idea. Now, before you read it please keep in mind that I'm a mediocre climber, nowhere near like you much less like the pro climbers. But if your goal is to make money off climbing, as opposed to representing a company (i.e. be their image monkey), here's what I would do in your shoes.

1. You obviously climb harder and have more outdoors experience than the vast majority of climbers. Sure, you're not a pro or climb insanely hard, but that's what keeps you closer and more connected to the vast majority of climbers.

2. So, use that to your advantage. There are a lot of climbers in the world out there like me who might like to read about your stories, or learn something from you.

3. So why not start some sort of climbing blog? Sure, the success of your blog will depend a lot on your writing abilities, but you did, after all, go to college, and that gives you an advantage over all the other pro climbers who didn't and can't write worth peanuts.

4. If you make your blog unique, entertaining, with cool advice or if you offer some information or experience of value to the climbing niche, you might just be able to:
a). Get known by companies (thus be on the way to the sponsorship you desire)
b) Put advertisements on your blog and get paid per clicks
c) Offer advice to other climbers and perhaps even charge for the experience (i.e. memeber-based blog or members only features).
d) Sell cool pictures you take when climbing
e) Guest blog for other magazines and get paid for your articles.
f) Solicit donations from fans
e) Start a reviews section for climbing areas (a lot of climbers would love an organized approach to this from someone with insider knowledge)
g) etc.

There are many ways to make money off one's passtime. You're good enough not to be mediocre, but not so fanatic about climbing so as to be unreachable. Use that to your advantage. Average people like me get more inspired by people like you than by the superhuman, untouchable, "I only climb and do nothing else" professionals like Chris Sharma.

Good luck!

Professional climbing was a goal of mine when I first started, but from some replies I may have to lower that standard. Gym climbing still isn't really an option for me, because as of a couple days ago I decided to start climbing the States. Funds are pretty limited, so right now I'm kinda thinking somewhere southwest for starters. If anyone knows any good spots with some good .14s in the New Mexico/Arizona Area, please tell me where they are as I'm unfamiliar with the area. I'd like to start pushing my grade with a .14b while i'm there.

As for the website idea, I'm considering it. I've never written blogs before, nor have I written trip reports, but it sounds like a good idea. Whoever gave the advice about selling photos, I don't think I'll do that. I'll take pictures and post them where people can see them, but I don't really believe in selling something like that. They should either be for the use of the people who took the pictures or shared for all who love climbing to see.

I'm not trying to demean anyone who gym climbs, but i feel like i get the same amount of training but doing laps on rope solo. Climbing outside is a beautiful thing. And besides, no cash for the membership.

There's really only one reason I would like to be sponsored. It's not because I want to be in the limelight, because I don't. I kind of like to stay out of people's way (when I was a kid it was for the limelight, but not now). I'm not the most competitive person in the world, I climb purely for the love of it. The only reason I want a sponsorship now is so I can go all over the States and the world and climb on beautiful mountains and not have to worry about finances. A 2000 dollars plane ticket and food and lodging adds up for the trip to Spain I've always wanted to take.

Thanks again for the replies. If anyone is in the area i described earlier and would be willing to give myself and my partner any sort of help, I would be very appreciative (lodging really, we made sure we at least had gas money and food money. Camping was our backup option)

Edit: I would love to take a trip to try the Bachar-Yerian sometime in the next year or two. Would that be a good climb to get noticed? I'm unsure of how often it's climbed

A blog is a good way to go for sure. Takes time and effort for sure.

I disagree. But hey, on the interwebs you can find someone who will disagree with F=ma.

There's really only one reason I would like to be sponsored. It's not because I want to be in the limelight, because I don't. I kind of like to stay out of people's way (when I was a kid it was for the limelight, but not now). I'm not the most competitive person in the world, I climb purely for the love of it. The only reason I want a sponsorship now is so I can go all over the States and the world and climb on beautiful mountains and not have to worry about finances. A 2000 dollars plane ticket and food and lodging adds up for the trip to Spain I've always wanted to take.

I have two questions, and if you answer them both I'll tell you the secret to getting a sponsorship.

1) What .14a routes have you climbed?
2) You're college educated, why don't you work a year and save up some cash? It's nice to dream of winning the lotto or getting sponsored, but the best way to get money for 99.99% of us is to WORK. Stop dreaming of freebies and get working.

If you want to travel fancy and stay in nice hotels, though, even sponsorship won't keep you happy.

It's pretty obvious from your attitude you won't believe what i say, but I'll respond anyway in the off chance you do.

My most recent .14a redpoint was about a two months ago at New River Gorge. Took a family trip, got to climb some amazing stuff. Anyway, the route is called Proper Soul. I actually got to try one of the newest routes there call Trebuchet, but had to bail about 3/4s of the way up. It was pretty disappointing. I'd like to go back sometime to try and get the redpoint

For anyone who cares, my favorite route out of all of them was a .13b/c at the Obed/Clear Creek area called Rasputin D. Scalliwag. Beautiful terrain with an amazing roof

I would work, but finding work isn't easy. And a sponsorship is a job, it's not a freebie. That's like saying pro basketball or football or baseball etc. players don't have jobs.

I would love to take a trip to try the Bachar-Yerian sometime in the next year or two. Would that be a good climb to get noticed? I'm unsure of how often it's climbed

It's pretty obvious from your attitude you won't believe what i say, but I'll respond anyway in the off chance you do.

My most recent .14a redpoint was about a two months ago at New River Gorge. Took a family trip, got to climb some amazing stuff. Anyway, the route is called Proper Soul. I actually got to try one of the newest routes there call Trebuchet, but had to bail about 3/4s of the way up. It was pretty disappointing. I'd like to go back sometime to try and get the redpoint

For anyone who cares, my favorite route out of all of them was a .13b/c at the Obed/Clear Creek area called Rasputin D. Scalliwag. Beautiful terrain with an amazing roof

I would work, but finding work isn't easy. And a sponsorship is a job, it's not a freebie. That's like saying pro basketball or football or baseball etc. players don't have jobs.

Just to give you an idea of what it's like out there:

One of the 5 guys I was talking about in my earlier posts... the 5 guys who are all un-sponsored... one of them did Proper Soul on gear... no bolts. You've been on that climb so you know what that would take. He does demos to get free gear, guides, works at a restaurant and lives in his truck.

I disagree. But hey, on the interwebs you can find someone who will disagree with F=ma.

This advice is at its heart is "get a job". This isn't sponsorship, this is "get a job in a business related to climbing". The blog can help with publicity, but, on its own isn't a ticket to getting paid only to climb. A good blog is good writing. Good writing involves working. Working at another job isn't sponsorship.

Far easier jobs can be had, like I could say "get a job at a gym". It gets you access to a gym for training and pays the bills. Rather than look for help from the fairy sponsor godmother, it is better to find a job that pays enough to train. Or commit to a lifestyle that requires minimal income. Or both.

I do sort of have an off and on job. I was a Microbiology major, and every once in a while I'll get together with some graduate students and apply for grants to work in the labs. My last "work date" was October doing embryonic research. But biology grants are hard to come by without a Masters degree at least.

I would love to try Proper Soul again on gear. rtwilli, that's an incredible send your friend had.

I'm trying to decide where to go after New Mexico. I'll be here the next two or three days, gonna drive up to Sante Fe to visit some family, then going to head to the next destination. Maybe go bouldering at Hueco. There's a couple V11s I'd like to project.

Dude, you're a Microbiology major, and you CANT FIND A JOB???

You're looking in the wrong places.

Do this:

1. Apply for a job as a LAB TECHNICIAN in Switzerland.

2. Yes, you heard me. Lab technician. Not a profession, a trade. You want to make money, right? With a BS in Microbiology a Lab technician job is a piece of cake.

3. Work in Switzerland for a year, make about 90k a year. (Apply to a company like Novartis, Roche. Don't apply for a job at a university, where they pay less).

4. Get fired. Go on unemployment for 14 months, at 70% pay, thanks to the generous Swiss unemployment benefits.

5. Use that year to climb around the Alps. Try the Eiger, for instance.

6. ??

7. Profit!

No really. 2 years working in Switzerland will probably allow you to save enough for you to take at least one year off work to do whatever you want. Then you can alternate: 1 year work, 1 year fun and play, 1 year work, 1 year fun and play, ad infinitum.

But yes, like Adam Smith said: "Wealth is created through labor".

Good luck!

Hello all. I pretty much joined the site to ask this one question.

I realize that this topic has been gone over and over in the forums, but try as I may with the search function I can't get a straight answer, just a bunch of people bashing other people. I feel like I'm treading on thin ice just asking this question. But here it goes.

I was curious about the process of obtaining a sponsorship from any sort of reputable company or shop that deals with climbing. I'm 23 years old, just out of college, with about 10 years of climbing behind me. I'm not much for indoor climbing, as it was my dad that taught me and he's one of those old school-no gym climbing climbers. We'd take trips just about every day to our local crag (which, when I was a kid, was a not-so-well known place called Black Mountain in Crab Orchard, Tennessee). Anyway, my question was how does one go about obtaining a sponsorship? Just to give you an idea of my skill level, I have onsighted a few 5.13d's and red pointed 5.14a's. I love bouldering more than sport though because my endurance is a little spotty. I boulder V9 pretty consistently, and am projecting some V10s.

I know a lot of people gym climb, but since I have only gym climbed a few times (and that was back when I was in high school) I don't really know the grade comparisons. I don't go to bouldering competitions because I don't have a lot of money for the entry fees, I'm struggling to make ends meet as it is. I'm just not very familiar with the gym scene.

I would just like someone to walk me through the process of getting sponsored, and what exactly a sponsorship actually entails.

Any help is appreciated