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ABOUT MOUNTAIN GUIDE CERTIFICATIONS
North American Guide Disciplines / and General Areas of Mountain Guide Certification of the UIAGM
-AMGA ( American Mountain Guide Association)
-ACMG ( Association of Canadian Mountain Guides)
-UIAGM/IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations)
The certifications listed below are general descriptions, and may vary with each of the above listed organizations.
Top Rope Site Manager (AMGA Specific)
Certification allows for rock guiding on single pitch crags, utilizing an anchoring system from above, and belaying a climber via a top-rope. Beginning in 2008, this certification is inclusive in the Single Pitch Rock Instructor certification, and will no longer be issued separately. Current holders of this certifcation, certified prior to 2008, can upgrade their certification to Single Pitch Instructor with some additional instruction hours, and exam. *NOTE:This site will include listings of individuals who have achieved this certification when the same individual has also achieved certification in another AMGA discipline, such as Alpine Guide, Ski Guide, or Ski Mountaineering Guide. *See explaination at bottom of this page.
Single Pitch Instructor (AMGA Specific)
Certification allows for rock guiding in a single pitch setting only. *NOTE: This site will include listings of individuals who have achieved this certification when the same individual has also achieved certification in another AMGA discipline, such as Alpine Guide, Ski Guide, or Ski Mountaineering Guide. *See explaination at bottom of this page.
Rock Instructor (AMGA Specific) ( formerly called Level I Rock Guide )
Certified for up to grade III rock routes or equivalent
Rock Guide (Formerly called Level II Rock Guide)
Certified for any grade of rock Climb. Guides who have this distinction are also Wilderness First Responder certified.
Ski Guide
Certification does not include glaciated terrain, or mechanized method of access. Guides who have this distinction are also Wilderness First Responder certified, and have completed a Level I Avalanche training course.
Ski Mountaineering Guide
Certification includes all ski terrain, including mechanized access (heli-ski, snow cat). As a prerequisite to this certification, guide candidates have completed their Level III AIARE Certification or Canadian Avalanche Association Level I, and Wilderness First Responder.
Alpine Guide
Certification covers all grades, in all types of terrain (rock, ice, glaciated terrain, mechanized access, high altitude environments, and expedition oriented endeavors). As a prerequisite to this certification, guide candidates have completed their Level III AIARE Certification or Canadian Avalanche Association Level I, and Wilderness First Responder.
IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide
Mountain Guides Receive the UIAGM /IFMGA internationaly recognized distinction when they have achieved all three of the following certifications:
- Rock Guide Certification
-Ski Mountaineering Guide Certification
-Alpine Guide Certification
UIAGM/IFMGA Certified Mountain Guides meet all the international standards for guiding as formulated by the UIAGM with their member organizations. Mountain Guides with this distinction can guide clients in international environments, in UIAGM member countries with certain privilages of permiting, insurance, and other means of assistance in organizational support.
GUIDES AND GUIDE SERVICES
Some certified guides operate as individual contractors, and work in the mountains of their home state region, or country, and/or travel to destinations at their client’s request. There are also organized guiding services that may have a team of certified guides, either employed full time, part time, or contracted, and guide clients in the mountains around their base of operation, or within organized trips around the globe. Certain Guiding companies may have exclusive permits to guide a particular mountain, state park, or national park, such as Denali, Mt. Rainier, or Yosemite. These such permits may include: Authorized Land Use permits, Private Arrangements, Outfitter Guide Permits, and Incidental Business Permits, within private, or public lands such as BLM Lands, Forest Service Lands, and Wilderness.
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS
If an individual guide is referenced on this site, there may also be other certifications or distinctions noted. These certifications include:
-Wilderness Medicine:
OEC (Outdoor Emergency Care)
FA ( First Aid )
FR (First Responder)
EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
-Other Medical Training:
EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), Paramedic, PA (Physicians Assistant), MD (Medical Determiner)
-Avalanche Education and Training:
CAA- Canadian Avalanche Association: Levels I & II Certified (Canadian Level I is often reqcognized by the AMGA as an equivalent to a Level III in United States educational formats . The AMGA will honor a CAA Level I Certification as a prerequisite to the Alpine and Ski Mountaineering Certification courses, exams)
AIARE-American Institude for Avalanche Research and Education: Levels I-III Certified, and Certified Instructor Levels I-III
AAI-American Avalanche Institute: Levels I-III Certified, and Certified Instructor Levels I-III
AAA-American Avalanche Association: Certified Instructor
Other Avalanche Education Programs: Levels I-III
-PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America): Alpine, Snowboard (AASI), Nordic. Level I-III Certified
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*SITE POLICY ON LISTING AMGA-TRSM and SPI CERTIFICATIONS
The AMGA Certified Top Rope Site Manager and AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor Certifications are important, valued, and useful programs in a variety of climbing, and other outdoor recreation applications. We are carefully evaluating these certification classes as a category to list individuals who have achieved one or both of these certification levels, exclusive of other certifications from the AMGA. Because The Mountain Guide Bureau website ( www.HireaMountainGuide.com) is focused on providing a marketing service for individuals who guide clients on outdoor climbing endeavors, as well as providing a guide locator service for clients who wish to hire a guide for a particular climbing objective, this poses a significant grey area in our listing criteria.
No Mountain Guiding Certification of any kind is an end-all definitive representation of one’s continued interest or competence in guiding clients in outdoor climbing situations. For instance, a person could only hold a Top Rope Site Manager Certification, and successfully guide a client to the top of Everest, or not hold a certification of any kind for that matter. At the same time, all other certifications offered by the AMGA, represent a far greater commitment by the individual, including experience, financial investment, time investment, and pursuit of the guiding career and life. All other certifications offered by the AMGA also represent a more assessed expertise in a mountain guide’s skill set to offer a wider scope of professional guiding services to potential clients.
At this point, we are still evaluating this grey area, but have made an interim decision to include in our individual guide listings, any individual who achieved these above certifications, but also hold at least one other certification from the AMGA, such as Certified Alpine Guide, or Certified Ski Guide. The AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Guide Instructor encompass the Top Rope Site Manager, and Single Pitch Instructor Certifications.
Certified Mountain Guides at any level, may provide a variety of services to the community other than those primarily focused on climbing, and utilize expertise from their earned credentials of AMGA certifications, including corporate team building, courses for Children’s programs, school programs, corporate programs, search and rescue training, military training, and confidence courses. These activity areas are valued, but are not included as a feature of interest on the Mountain Guide Bureau website. So, that said, we want to make sure that the individuals we list on our site, that are Top Rope Site Manager Certified, or in 08, Single Pitch Instructor Certified, are focused on climbing, and primarily focused on finding/soliciting potential clients who will hire them to work on climbing skill, partner with them on climbing goals, and/or accompany them on destination climbing trips in the outdoors. In addition, we endeavor to list guides who, not only are certified at any level, but who are also pursuing guiding as significant component to their chosen career, however seasonal.
The Mountain Guide Bureau is focused and exclusive to guided climbing services for potential clients, the climbing industry, and the professional mountain guide industry.
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