Interest in Sichuan

[mitchpotter]

Hey guys, I know this is a long shot, but I figured I’d try.

I’m looking for a way to move to Chengdu/Dujiangyang due to its close proximity to the mountains of Sichuan. I’m a US resident with a degree from a good university and have experience teaching English amongst a plethora of other things including backcountry ski guiding as a main career. Right now, I realize the best option is to probably teach English at an international school as I cannot afford to just outright move to China without working. Does anyone have any recommendations or leads? I’ve looked through the consolidated thread on teaching English but haven’t found a lot pertinent to current times.

Why I have chosen the mountains in Sichuan is for the skiing/climbing potential. I’m going to write a book about my experience working in China and adventuring in the local mountains.

At this point any tips, leads, insults, etc all are appreciated. I know this is super vague, but I’m really looking forward to experiencing Sichuan. Your help is greatly appreciated and if I somehow find a good path there would be more than willing to have you guys join me on some adventures.

[Charlie]

Hi Mitch,

Dujiangyan is a great place to live. The cost of living is really low and you should have plenty of time for adventuring. I would get a job teaching English part time from a school that can provide a visa for you. That should cover your visa and living expenses. The Teaching English in Chengdu thread should have plenty of job opportunities, look at the more recent posts. There are always English teaching gigs in Chengdu, I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding work. Finding work in Dujiangyan is even possible, but it’ll be easier to find a job when you’re here on the ground rather than seeking jobs through the internet from afar.

Good luck!

[Brian]

Finding teaching jobs in small towns shouldn’t be too difficult, the pay/cost ratio might even be better than the cities because most expats prefer bigger cities. I talked to a small college near Qingchenshan that about a job a couple years ago, location was the the only reason I didn’t take the job.

You’re going to want a driver’s license to get to the places to ski/climb. Here’w something I wrote about a year ago:

How to Get a Drivers License (Updated)

And yes, the climbing looks awesome.

And the skiing looks …scary?

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[JerryS]

If you do come, come visit my club, one of the founders of the BJJ club actually use to run a skiing club in Chengdu. He knows the area and can tell you what is good… And bad.. Well mostly the area sucks for skiing (his words), but there are a few mountains around the area.

[mitchpotter]

Thanks guys! Good to know. Scary is okay :). That’s how I make my living, so I am pretty used to skiing in scary terrain.

[Chris Ziich]

You’re going to be disappointed if you come here expecting to find good skiing. There are no notable ski resorts in this region.

[mitchpotter]

Thanks Chris, luckily in this day and age backcountry skiing is relatively easy access. Skins and touring bindings ensure you don’t need a resort to go skiing. Just some motivation and physical strength.

I make a living guiding people in such circumstances and playing in the mountains on my own for free time. From the looks of the road access and snow-line, it looks relatively easy to get into some good terrain. How much and the quality of snow, I do not know though.

[Author]

Posts