| 
HIRE A MOUNTAIN GUIDE!
Thank you inquiring about the Mountain
Guide Bureau’s worldwide directory of
mountain guides. From Denali to Everest, from
South America to Asia, from New Zealand to Thailand,
from your local crag or rock climbing gym, to
the Ice Park in Ouray, Colorado, this directory
will help you locate a guide for your first or
perhaps your next dream climb. We intend for this
site to prove helpful as a valuable resource for
first time or experienced climbers interested
in researching and finding a certified mountain
guide or guiding company to hire for a particular
climbing endeavor. Whether you are looking for
a climbing school format for instruction, a guide
to coach you while on-route to improve your current
climbing technique and safety skills, join an
expedition, or if you are just looking to partner
with a very experienced climber/comrade/guide
to work together on a classic mountain climb,
you will find your mountain guide listed here
with The
Mountain Guide Bureau.
Included in an extensive list of alpine, rock,
ice, and ski mountaineering guides on the Mountain
Guide Bureau pages, are individual climbing guides
who have met the requirements of certification
set by a worldwide recognized body of standardization
for professional mountain guiding, the Union
de Internationale des Associations de Guide de
Montagne (UIAGM), or also known as the International
Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA),
and their member country’s own association’s
criteria. These individual alpinists are known
as IFMGA Certified Guides, and are recognized
by all member countries of the IFMGA.
Each member country of the UIAGM / IFMGA operates
their own professional guide certification organization,
such as the American
Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) in the United
States, and in Canada, the Association
of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Certified
guides of the AMGA and the ACMG, in various disciplines
of mountain guiding which include rock climbing,
ice climbing, ski mountaineering and alpine climbing,
are listed as individual guides in The
Mountain Guide Bureau’s directory.
Other member countries of the UIAGM /IFMGA are:
Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand , Norway, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Japan.
On the “links” page on this site, you can access each of these UIAGM / IFMGA member organization websites, and learn of their particular certification process and requirements, and of their membership of certified guides. In any case, the information that these organizations provide on their individual sites, will be the most accurate information available, as to the status of their membership, and particular certifications of their member guides.
Mountain Guiding Companies/Agencies.
The Mountain Guide directory also includes
an extensive world-wide list of mountain guiding
companies/agencies. Most, but not all guiding
companies are owned by, or employ UIAGM / IFMGA
member association certified guides. Whether a
company is owned by or employs certified guides
or not, you must still evaluate each service as
to their particular strengths, expertise, permit
access, reputation, safety record, and experience.
Certification is not a measure of these qualities,
but yet just another helpful factor to consider
in your decision making process, as to which guide
service to hire. To access the entire list of
Mountain Guiding Companies, world-wide, or organize
your own list based on selected criteria, visit
the Mountain
Guide Bureau.
The
Mountain Guide Bureau maintains this
climber’s resource, hireamountainguide.com,
exclusively with funding provided by sponsorships
from the climbing industry. The information on
this site is a complementary service for climbers
interested in locating a mountain guide to hire,
as well as a free marketing resource for individual
mountain guides, certified guides, guiding companies/agencies,
and mountain guide associations. Established in
2005, The
Mountain Guide Bureau is operated
under the umbrella of the DIRETTISSIMA
MARKETING GROUP-Ridgway Colorado, as
a needed and valued service to the sport of climbing,
and is currently provided solely by funding from
Bradley Alpinist LLC, www.bradleyalpinist.com,
as the The Mountain Guide Bureau’s
Retail Sponsor. Additional categorical
sponsorships will be eventually offered to the
following climbing industry contributors; an equipment
manufacturer of climbing hardware, a manufacturer
of clothing for alpinists, a technical fabric
sponsor, and a manufacturer of climbing related
accessories.
Look for our HireaMountainGuide.com advertising in Climbing, and Rock & Ice magazine, found in the Guide and Travel sections, as well as on the respective publication websites.
 Certified
Guides
Climbing can be so many things to an outdoor
athlete/enthusiast, and included in a long list
of positive attributes is the experience, physical
enrichment, and personal growth. Hiring a mountain
guide is the best way to introduce yourself to
the sport of climbing, increase your technical
skills and use of the equipment, and expose yourself
to the many genres of climbing. There are also
an array of characteristics of a guide that will
enhance your climbing experience; personality,
people skills, technical skills, ability to teach
and coach, safety awareness, sound judgment and
mountain sense, rescue skills, and credentials.
As in any country, anyone can claim to be a mountain
guide, but there exists recognized organizations
that certify individuals in the many disciplines
of climbing. In the United States in particular,
this such organization is that of the American
Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). The AMGA
certifies individuals in the following areas of
certification: Rock Instructor, Rock Guide, Alpine
Guide, Ski Guide, and Ski Mountaineering Guide.
The standards of the AMGA are also recognized
in the global guiding organization, Union
de Internationale des Associations de Guide de
Montagne (UIAGM) or also known as
the International Federation of Mountain
Guide Associations (IFMGA). Most countries
with mountainous terrain have an organized body
of guides, and maintain a quality standard for
technical training, with a method of certification
and distinction for its members. Most of these
organizations, including the AMGA,
are also member countries of the UIAGM / IFMGA.
Benefits of Hiring a Certified Guide
Certified Guides are trained and evaluated in areas of leadership, client care, judgment, technical expertise, rescue skill, and environmental consciousness. These areas of expertise offer you, as a client, the most enjoyable and safest experience possible. Besides positive companionship on the mountain, a mountain guide also offers the benefit of organization and/or covering logistical details of an extensive climbing trip to a different region or country.
You as a climber, after an outing with a certified guide, come away with broader knowledge and practical experience in safety, gear usage, route finding, better awareness of terrain hazards, keen evaluation of proper weather conditions for safe climbing, and a sense for the type of climbing that you prefer.
Hire a guide to introduce you to another type
of climbing, hone your rope and gear placement
skills, or learn modern technique. You may be
an experienced rock climber, but need some more
practical experience or a refresher course in
of anchor building. Hire a Mountain Guide!
You may have climbed ice and rock, but want to
gain experience in climbing multi-pitch, multi-day
alpine climbs. Hire a Mountain Guide!
Hiring a certified guide will greatly accelerate
your learning, and in an environment of increased
safety.
Since most certified guides will climb with clients in many different mountain ranges, across many mountainous regions or countries (regardless of their home base), you can choose a destination, and hire a guide to handle all the necessary logistics of climbing in a destination away from your home. Even the most experienced of climbers can benefit from hiring a guide as a travel companion, bringing a broad range of expertise to the trip, enhancing the overall experience and likelihood of a summit.
It is very common for a client/guide relationship to become a friendship and climbing partnership. Many clients return year after year for another adventure with the same guide. Together, you can see the world, and climb safe and often, trying a new route on the same or different mountain, perhaps in a different country. Who knows, your first guided experience may eventually lead your life in the direction of someday, obtaining your guide certifications, and sharing your experience with others, giving them, what your guide and the wonderful sport of climbing gave you.
AMGA, ACMG, and other UIAGM/ IFMGA Guide Disciplines / and General Areas of Mountain Guide Certification
Rock Instructor
Certified for up to grade III rock routes or equivalent
Rock Guide
Certified for any grade of rock Climb
Ski Guide
Does not include glaciated terrain, or mechanized method of access
Ski Mountaineering Guide
All ski terrain, including mechanized access (heli-ski, snow cat)
Alpine Guide
All grades, all types of terrain (rock, ice, glaciated terrain, high altitude)
Mountain Guides Receive the UIAGM /IFMGA
distinction when they have achieved all three
of the following certifications:
- Rock Guide Certification
-Ski Mountaineering Guide Certification
-Alpine Guide Certification
What is the Certified
Guides Cooperative?
The Certified Guides Cooperative (CGC) is an
organization formed in the United States, based
in Washington state, to provide services to not
only AMGA Certified Guides with current AMGA memberships,
but current certified guides from all IFMGA/UIAGM
member countries. They provided permit access
and requisite insurance for guides to work in
specific permit-held climbing areas. Although
a separate entity from the AMGA, the CGC was also
formed to help provide needed access and insurance
components for AMGA certified guides and IFMGA
certified guides, that the AMGA is not designed
to provide. Whereas the AMGA provides the educational/instructional
and examination/certifying components of guiding
in the US (and as a member country organization
of the IFMGA), the CGC addresses permit access
and insurance for Certified Guides, thus completing
the key areas of need for the guiding community.
Certified Guides can take advantage of the availability
of permits and insurance by becoming member/owners
in the coop with a one time investment in the
purchase of a single ownership share, followed
by subsequent annual activiation (as needed) amount
for access to the various permits held by the
CGC (and associated daily usage). The organization
also provides channels for insurance for AMGA
guides working in other countries, on a case by
case basis. Your guide may be a member/owner in
the CGC, and take you climbing to a destination
under the permitting and insurance umbrella of
the CGC. Good news for clients! You may have a
favorite certified guide, and if your guide is
a member of the CGC, your guide can take you climbing
anywhere the CGC has permits. Learn
more. Bradley Alpinist is a proud supporter/sponsor
of the CGC.
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. Other such services or agencies may have
exclusive permits to guide a particular mountain,
or national park, such as Denali, Mt. Rainier,
or Yosemite.
 Hiring a Mountain Guide
Choose a mountain guide by first identifying that they have been certified by an UIAGM / IFMGA member organization, or other similar certifying organizations of their country of origin.
If inquiring about a certified mountain guide
who is based in the United States, you can contact
the AMGA
by calling 303-271-0984, to inquire as to the
current status of an AMGA guide’s certification
and membership, or reference their information
on www.amga.com.
In the US, you should look for a guides and guiding
organizations who include the insignias of the
AMGA and/or IFMGA in their informational materials,
and those guides that maintain their annual memberships
with their certifying organziation. To see what
these insignias look like, visit www.amga.com,
or www.ifmga.info.
If you are inquiring about a guiding agency, you should ask about there safety record, and ongoing training, as well as the certification of all their guides. You may also ask for a referral to several of their current clients.
*Disclaimer: Bradley Alpinist LLC, the Direttissima Group, and The Mountain Guide Bureau provide information about mountain guides and mountain guiding agencies as a causal endeavor to support professional mountain guiding, and the climbing industry. This service is a courtesy, as this site does not function as a placement service, referral service or a broker of guiding services, nor do we recommend one particular mountain guide or mountain guide service over another. It's up to the user of this site to utilize the information found here, coupled with any necessary additional information you may require in selecting a guide or guide service that fits your needs. You are encouraged to utilize the link provided on each guide listing to discover more information about your possible selection of a particular guide. By your use of this site, you also agree to hold harmless, Bradley Alpinist LLC, the Direttissima Group, and The Mountain Guide Bureau of any liability of any kind. By your use of this site, you also acknowledge that climbing activities of any kind are inherently dangerous, and can result in bodily injury and even death. Your usage of this site acknowledges that you have read and understand the risks associated with climbing as outlined and found on the Bradley Alpinist website under “Warnings!” Please refer to the “Warnings!” page here, before continuing.
Whether it’s on your home crags, in your
local mountains, or any destination your imagine
holds for your ultimate climb, Hire
a Mountain Guide! A guide can help
make your climbing dreams come true.
Click a button to see a full list! >>
|
|
|
In the US, only the AMGA (www.amga.com) maintains accurate and current certification and membership status information for certified guides and accredited guiding companies. For the most current, and extensive information on certified guides and AMGA accredited guiding companies, please refer to the American Mountain Guide Association by calling 303-271-0984, or visit them on the web at www.amga.com. The lists on this site that feature AMGA guides, may not be complete, may contain inaccuracies, and may not be up to date as to membership status, or guide qualifications.
|
