The problem seems to be not what specific location is chosen for the commune or how experienced the roomates are, but the fact that it is choosing to focus on the value of where people are rather than what they are doing. People move all over the place to follow their jobs or educations, but they do not move away from their jobs or educations for better lodgings. If this commune were to be successful, it would need to have a purpose. Something greater and more specific than "work on our hobbies/chores and hope we get jobs", and if we had such a good purpose and method, we would surely find more people willing, and be able to form a company for that purpose and using those methods. What would we want to make happen with our efforts? This blank is worthy of a thesis paper, but I'm pretty sure it starts with finding a problem or two that needs solving. After we figure out what kind of future we'll be charging into, then we figure out where will be the best place to do it.
I voted 3-5 years, as I should have finished my work here by then, excepting massive disasters (more) or finding a job (less). For the former, I'd need to figure out if I will recieve all my parents debt if they happen to croak, and for the latter, I'll need to get some skills that I consider good enough to sell.
If I were in already in the commune, I would probably be responsible for most of the cooking, and if I had spent a couple weeks at it, I would have adjusted all my recipies to the altitude, resources, what kind of diet each member requires. It would be more difficult if we didn't have a proper kitchen (counter, stove, fridge, pots, pans), but not impossible.