HOW TO CHOOSE A MOUNTAIN GUIDE
Historically, in the US, training of professional mountain guides has
been very loosely organized. While some guide services conduct their own
in-house training, few guides have any formal, consistent and comprehensive
training. As a result, anyone can hang up a sign and claim to be a guide.
Only a few climbing areas, such as , The Mohonk Preserve (gunks)
or Joshua Tree National Park, require any training or evaluation in order
to guide. Picture this: a guide and client are 600 feet off the ground,
500 feet from the top and a violent summer storm comes pounding in. Getting
out of this potentially dangerous situation calls upon a guide's expertise
and training. Although risk can never be eliminated, proper training can
help minimize it. Climbing skills alone are not enough. Guiding experience
and training, as well as evaluation of guiding-specific skills, are essential
to maximize competency and greatly reduce potential hazards.
Most people expect formal training of a doctor or lawyer. Shouldn't you
ask the same from your guide?
One of goals of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) is to
raise the technical and professional standards of mountain guiding in
the United States to a worldwide level. For the consumer, the AMGA can
be the tool to help choose the right guide or guide service.
The AMGA is this country's only organization to offer a comprehensive
training program for mountain guides that is recognized by the International
Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA, aka UIAGM). Choosing
a guide that is certified by the AMGA ensures that the individual has
demonstrated an acceptable level of skills (client care, risk management,
first aid, etc. ) that separate the professional guide from the recreational
climber. It is the only American guiding standard recognized by the IFMGA
/ UIAGM. An IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide meets the world standard in
all three disciplines of rock, alpine and ski mountaineering and is part
of a select group of guides who can legally work in more than a dozen
other IFMGA-member countries.
The AMGA also has a program that accredits climbing schools. An Accredited
company has passed a detailed review of climbing activities, hiring policies,
permits and insurance.
How do you select the right guide?
Ask the following questions in addition to considering
Certification and Accreditation.
• What are the company's guide training requirements?
• What are the company's medical training requirements?
• Does the person or guide service have insurance?
• Will the person or guide service provide a list of previous clients
as a reference?
• How long has the person been guiding or how long has the guide
service been in operation?
• If the trip will take place outside the guide's homebase, how
familiar is he or she with the destination/terrain?
With all these points to contemplate, please take your time and talk with
the guide or service you are interested in working with.
