A Path to Certification and a Job as a Mountain Guide
Where do you begin?
Figuring out how to start your career is one of the most difficult challenges you’ll face as you look to begin your career in the mountains.  And the answer isn’t simple.  You need to consider the various certifications that exist, requirements for the area(s) that you’d like to work in, what kind of work you’d like to do or who you’d like to work for, the time, money, and experience necessary to get your foot in the door, and so forth.  So let’s break this discussion down into four different areas:

-What certifications are out there?
-What certifications do we offer?
-What kinds of jobs can I get and how do I get started?
-What opportunities exist for further training?

A Broad Overview of Guiding Certifications of the World
Before I begin this section, I need to note that the guiding certifications and standards vary significantly from country to country and can be complicated.  This section outlines my best understanding of the more common systems that exist and has been culled from information on the Internet as well as my experience in the industry and conversations with other guides.  This is by no means meant to include every drop of information available, and we heartily encourage you to do your own research into the various systems that exist.

That said, I think the best place to start is with the name: What is a “Mountain Guide?”

If I were to describe my job to you (take people out into the mountains, lead them up mountains, across glaciers, teach them skills, and generally live life with crampons on my feet and an ice axe in my hand), and ask you what my job title is, odds are very high you will say “Mountain Guide.”  And I would agree with you.  As would most other people.

The general term “Mountain Guide” is fairly broad in scope, and probably refers to glacier guides, the girl at the rock climbing gym, the head of the “Outdoor Studies” department at your state university, the guy leading a group up Everest, and maybe even summer camp counselors and Boy Scout “guides.”  I am assuming that your goals/aspirations lie somewhere on that continuum when you tell me that you want to be a “Mountain Guide.”

In a professional sense, however, “Mountain Guide” is the title given specifically to graduates of an IFMGA/UIAGM program such as the AMGA (USA), ACMG (Canada), BMG (UK), or NZMGA (New Zealand).  IFMGA Mountain Guides have generally spent years (3-5 or more) working their way through the program, in addition to the many years of experience they would have built up just to qualify for admittance to the program in the beginning.  IFMGA guides are some of the most technically competent, professional, and capable in the industry.

Further, the IFMGA is the largest and most well recognized guiding certification in the world.  An IFMGA certification is the only accepted certification for guiding in some countries (most of Alps Europe, Canada, and Peru), and the IFMGA is recognized in nearly every country as the authority on technical mountaineering, ski, and rock guiding.  So, why not just go out and get an IFMGA certification?  Two reasons:

1) The IFMGA has very high requirements for admittance to their programs. You need to have multiple years of high grade rock climbing, ski confidently in just about any terrain or conditions, and/or have completed numerous alpine peak ascents.

This kind of experience takes time, years and years, to develop.  If you’re looking at our program, I’m assuming this isn’t you (and if it is, you should look seriously into an IFMGA program).  More likely, you’ve done a bunch of backpacking, rock climbing, skiing, or mountaineering on your own, and have decided that you’d like to make a career out of it.  Luckily…
2) Most jobs in the industry, especially outside of Europe/Canada/Peru, don’t require IFMGA certification.  This leaves a large segment of the industry available for work without an IFMGA certification.  This includes backpacking, glacier guides, many rock and mountaineering guides, and so forth.

To give you some idea, in the USA, there are only 67 full IFMGA guides, and 1 in state of Alaska (Source: AMGA.com, August 2011).

Looking further, there are numerous other guiding certifications available to you to gain employment.  These include the MLTB awards in the UK, NZMGA or NZOIA certifications in New Zealand, the IML award in Europe, and (finally) the Wilderness Education Association certifications in the USA, through whom we provide our major guiding certification.

The Wilderness Education Association (WEA)
In 1977, the Wilderness Education Association was founded with the goal of training mountain leaders with the judgment and decision-making skills to safely lead and teach groups in remote wilderness areas.  Today, the WEA curriculum is taught in 33 universities and at 6 private companies.

The WEA provides training on two levels.  First, they provide training in the core areas of outdoor leadership.  Put simply, whether you’re a kayak guide, mountain guide, backpacking guide, etc., there is a base of knowledge and skills that are universal to your ability to lead well.  As defined by the WEA, these are:

•    Outdoor Living (Camping, Leave No Trace skills, cooking, navigation, etc.)
•    Planning and Logistics (Rations planning, emergency action planning, route planning, goal setting, etc.)
•    Risk Management (Field based risk management, pre-expedition risk management, risk mitigation strategies, etc.)
•    Leadership (Communication, self-knowledge, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, decision making processes, etc.)
•    Education (How to teach, how students learn, lesson planning, assessment, etc.)
•    Environmental Integration (Environmental ethics, knowledge of flora and fauna, care for the environment, etc.)

In addition, various technical skills are required for competency as a guide or instructor in different fields, listed under what are called Technical Training Modules (TTMs).  These include climbing skills, kayaking skills, mountaineering skills, and so forth.  Unlike the 6 core competencies, these skills are different for different guiding “focuses.”

A WEA program teaching mountaineering would combine instruction in both the Mountaineering TTM, the technical skills, plus the general skills covered by the 6 core competencies.

Further, the WEA offers certification at 5 levels:

•    Wilderness Steward
•    Outdoor Leader
•    Apprentice Instructor
•    Level I Instructor
•    Level II Instructor

A Wilderness Steward is someone who is competent in 2 or more of the 6 core competencies.  This is generally taught on 5-10 day programs.  An Outdoor Leader is someone who is competent in all 6 core competencies.  This certification takes a minimum of 35 days training, and often more.  An Apprentice Instructor is someone with 200 or more days experience as a guide or instructor, is working with a WEA approved program, and who is looking to qualify as a full instructor.  A Level I instructor can teach and provide certification for Wilderness Stewards, and a Level II instructor can teach and provide certification for Outdoor Leaders, Apprentices, and Level I and II Instructors.  Level II instructor certification requires many hundreds of field days and the creation of a large portfolio of work.  Graduates of our program work to earn this certification.

Obtaining WEA Certification
In a traditional education program, you would participate in a course, take an exam at the end, and your instructors would give you a grade.  From this, you would get your certification.  However, the WEA certification process is different.  It is what is called an evidence based certification program.

Basically, instead of taking a test and us telling you that you’ve passed, the WEA requires that you put together a portfolio of your work (submitted and displayed online) for evaluation by a committee.  In this portfolio, you would submit videos, maps, documents, spreadsheets, etc. in order to answer one simple question:  Why do you think you’re qualified as an Instructor?  It is your job to prove to us/the WEA that you’re ready to earn your certification.

This arrangement has advantages and challenges.  First off, it’s a lot of work.  As I mentioned above, you have to make videos, write papers, compile maps, route plans, rations plans, emergency action plans, lesson plans, and upload everything, along with a resume, cover letter, and experience log for review.  This will take planning and commitment to make happen.

On the other hand, you are able to take more responsibility for your learning, highlighting your strengths and are more easily able to identify and work on your weaknesses.  And when it’s all done, you’ll have an online portfolio that you can show to potential employers to give them a much better idea of what you can do and how you can help their company by being a great employee and guide.

So, WEA certification in hand, where can you get a job?

Employment in the Industry
Before we talk about jobs, let me get one thing straight:  Certifications are great, but they’re only pieces of paper.  Just as important, you need to get experience, both to get a first job and to continue to work your way up in the industry.  Our program is the only course I know of, anywhere, that offers you the opportunity to work with actual, real, live clients (working with fully qualified guides, of course).  As a part of our course, you will get 470 days experience in the field, and 220 (or more) days of work as an apprentice instructor.  These will be working in places like the Patagonian Ice Cap, the ice fields of Alaska, or as a climbing instructor in Spain.  This kind of experience is invaluable and is equally, if not more important than the certifications you will earn on course.

Ok, back to getting a job.  As it turns out, like I said above, experience is crucial.  Very few countries actually require a specific certification for work.  WEA certification isn’t required for work in the USA.  MLTB certification isn’t required for work in the UK.   Most of Asia, South America, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe don’t have any certification requirements.  Alps Europe, Canada, and Peru are exceptions to this, but, really, what’s important is to have a meaningful certification from a governing body and enough experience to convince someone that you know what you’re doing and they should give you a chance.  In these areas, the Mountain Guide Training School shines.

When you finish your course, you’ll have guided extended glacier traverses, technical rock climbs, and/or hard ski descents.  These things place you well ahead of most “new” guides.  Further, as part of the WEA certification process, you’ll have developed a detailed online portfolio showing off your skills and training.  You’ll have an online repository of videos of you teaching, lessons you’ve written and executed, expedition plans you’ve developed, and documentation of your growth as a leader and instructor.

When looking for jobs, potential employers won’t have to guess what you can do from a short letter and a resume.  With a few clicks, they’ll have a comprehensive idea of who you are, what you’ve done, and, more importantly, what you can do for them.

Ultimately, the most important question is “Do our graduates get jobs?”  And the answer is “Yes!”

Right now, we’ve got an American student working as a rock climbing guide in Thailand, an Aussie student working ski patrol in Canada, an American and a Scot student working as glacier guides in New Zealand, and Malaysian student working on Aconcagua.  Our students have worked in Iceland, Alaska, Canada, mainland USA, Argentina, Chile, Thailand, and the UK.  We have an excellent track record of helping students, from all over the world, get jobs.

Whether you’re looking to guide glaciers, work with youth groups, or get a full IFMGA certification, the Mountain Guide Training School is a great place to start.