In reply to r.king:
I was closely involved in developing the upland path 'industry' in Scotland in the 1980s and 90s. I'd say if you go into it with the right spirit it can be hugely rewarding and satisfying. There’s not many jobs these days that’ll give you the same opportunities to work in a wide range of superb mountain environments, to develop real craft skills, to be part of a team of kindred spirits. I’ve certainly never been as fit before or since, I'm astonished now to remember how I rattled up and down to work sites carrying awkward tools and hefty boulders - and I was usually doing only about three days a week hands-on. And some Scottish-trained pathworkers have successfully transferred their skills to warmer places like Australia.
But it’s sustained hard physical work in often harsh conditions. The weather and the midges can be dire, the pay’s nothing wonderful, and the prospects for advancement have always been a bit limited – a number of folk have set up their own contracting operations, but the flow of work tends to be erratic. I’d say it’s a great thing to do for a few years while you’re young and fit (and preferably unattached, because in the nature of the job it tends to be peripatetic). The COAT course is the best possible training, but there’s quite a lot of competition for places on the course.
Best of luck if you have a go.
