Why Hire A Fully Certified Mountain Guide?
Guide memes… maybe only funny to guides. It’s a Canadian account, so keep in mind those are Canadian Dollars…
First, a little math. Let’s say average price for a day of private guiding, 1:1, is around $600. This can range from $450 - $1,000, depending on the guide, location, etc. For guides working in the U.S., we have the option of working either as an employee for a larger guide service or working independently. As an employee, the average day wage for a fully-certified, IFMGA Mountain Guide is around $300-$350. The average day wage for all guides, across the spectrum of experience and certification, is probably close to $250. When I started working as a guide a decade ago I was earning $150-$180 per day, plus gratuities. Working independently, more of the price paid by the guest ends up in the guide’s bank account, but you also have permitting and insurance costs to cover, as well as travel, marketing, admin, etc. On average $100-$200 per day is allocated to cover those expenses. Furthermore, independent guides are limited in where they can obtain permits. Want to work in a National Park? You’re going to ‘guest guide’ under a concessionaire’s permits and they are going to take roughly 50%. That’s not to blame the guide services, no one is getting rich in this business. Margins are slim all around. We’re all in it because we love the craft and everyone is just trying to make a modest living.
By our American post-industrial standards, there are 260 working days in the year (52 weeks, 5 days per week). I’m not accounting for holidays because if you want to work in the outdoor tourism space you are probably working many holidays. And I like simple math. So, 260 days at a $300 day wage puts you at $78k annually. That’s not bad. Though in order to live anywhere remotely close to the places we need to work (ie mountain towns), I would say that is about the bare minimum in order to have a modestly comfortable lifestyle. Sounds like an OK gig, doesn’t it? $70k+ annual income and getting to spend all of your working days off in the mountains? Sign me up!
Except… 200 days per year is a very demanding schedule for even the strongest guides. Typically, 150 days seems to be the sweetspot for full-time guides. Enough work to pay the bills, not so much to be destroying your body beyond repair. So let’s say the average full-time guide can sustain a load of 150 days per year in the long term. At $300/day, this guide is making $45k per year. Debatable whether that constitutes a liveable wage. Again, in the mountain towns where we need to work it seems below the poverty level to me. Anecdotally, my sense is that the ballpark annual income for an experienced (~10 years or more), full-time mountain guide is between $45k - $60k. The lower end of that range being more typical/average and the upper end representing guides who have found their niche and do more work independently with minimal overhead. For younger guides just starting out, $30k annual would be impressive.
Even working as an employee for a guide service, the majority of guides do not receive ANY benefits. No health insurance, no retirement saving plan, and minimal support in the case of needing to take time off due to injury or illness. Some companies are starting to find ways to offer some level of benefits to their guides, but it is an exception rather than the rule.
Candidates on a 9-day AMGA Alpine Exam on Mt Shuksan, sharing learnings and prepping for another demanding day ahead.
Now let’s talk training and certification. In the U.S., the decision to pursue certification is voluntary. We are making progress as a profession in terms of standardizing a scope of practice, there is more and more incentive to follow the AMGA’s Scope of Practice. Still, we are self-regulating as an industry. If you meet the insurance requirements, you can get some permits and you can open up business as a ‘mountain guide service’. Certain land management authorities have their ways of being more selective over who they grant permits to (ie National Parks), but that even there the competency, training, and certification of the guide is not a factor in who is awarded a permit. So why would anyone decide to invest the better part of a decade and upwards of $50k to become a fully certified & licensed Mountain Guide? The answer, is that it means achieving and upholding an internationally recognized standard. Enter the IFMGA/UIAGM.
Founded in 1965 by the guides associations of Switzerland, France, Italy, and Austria, the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes) exists to establish the minimum training standard for mountain guides around the world. The IFMGA is now made up of over 20 member countries. The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) was admitted to the Federation in 1997 as the 17th member country. In the U.S., guides can choose to be trained and examined individually in any of the three disciplines (Rock, Alpine, and Ski). For example an AMGA Ski Guide has completed four individual courses and examinations and has a resume of work and personal experience that meets the minimum prerequisites to advance through the program. Achieving this certification requires a minimum of four years of training and assessment and thirty-eight days of demanding, field-based training and instruction. To become an IFMGA/American Mountain Guide, a candidate needs to advance through a similar progression in all three disciplines, requiring ten separate courses and examinations, over eighty-six days of demanding field-based training. In addition, candidates are required to pass both their Professional Level 1 and Level 2 Avalanche trainings, as well as maintain a minimum of wilderness first-responder certification.
AMGA/IFMGA training overview. Each program costs between $2,000 - $4,000, plus travel expenses, gear, and time off of work. It adds up!
This is no small undertaking. It requires commitment to the craft and much personal sacrifice to achieve certification. Unfortunately, many non-certified guides and guide services try to play off of this standard and mis-represent the training and qualifications of their staff. It is very common to see wording such as ‘all of our guides are AMGA trained and/or certified’. So if a guide has completed a single training, without any element of assessment/examination, they may be claiming to be ‘AMGA Trained’ and throw some logos around. While this is not incorrect, it is misleading.
This does not mean certified guide, despite what the internet may want you to believe.
More confusing, many guides begin down this path by taking their Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course (3 days) and exam (2 days). Over the course of a single season, and only five days of observation from a provider grants the candidate an AMGA Certification.
So AMGA trained means the guide has, at some point, taken a single AMGA course. AMGA certified often means the guide only has an SPI certification. Perhaps (and often) that guide is working their way through the program. The SPI program is an instructor level certification. It is not a guide certification. A certified guide will be referred to as a Certified Rock Guide, Certified Alpine Guide, or Certified Ski Guide. You will likely find that title and the associated badge proudly displayed (on their website bio, jacket, etc).
Certified Guides will display one or more of these badges/logos.
The title Mountain Guide is reserved for guides who have achieved certification in all three disciplines and are licensed and certified to the IFMGA standard. It get confusing because nearly every rock, ski, or alpine guide will refer to what they do as mountain guiding. In many countries, one cannot legally work as a guide until they have passed their examinations. That’s not the case in the U.S., which has both benefits and disadvantages.
The blue or white badge indicating fully certified Mountain Guides. You may see this badge on jackets, packs, or you might see a Mountain Guide wearing a small silver pin. It all means the same thing, the guide is committed to the highest level of training and performance in the profession.
So why hire a Mountain Guide? You can likely find an AMGA trained guide, or an SPI, for a much lower rate. Arguably, a full-cert Mountain Guide may be overkill if you are just looking to learn how to set up top-ropes or go out for a day of single-pitch cragging. However, with the certification comes a drastically deeper degree of experience. If you are a climber or skier, venturing out from the gym or ski resort for the first time, an SPI could be a great resource and instructor. However, if you have aspirations to take those sports into bigger and more remote settings (alpine climbing, ski touring & ski mountaineering, expeditions, etc) you will very likely benefit from the expanded perspective that a fully certified Mountain Guide can provide. If you are looking to improve your mountain craft, a full-cert Mountain Guide is the only way to ensure that the person you hire has been trained, mentored, and assessed in a standardized way.
Now back to pricing. If the $600/day sounds overpriced, ask yourself… what would you pay for other skilled labor or services? How much is a one-hour Physical Therapy appointment? How about a one-hour massage? What about a licensed electrician or plumber? How would you feel about finding the rogue contractor to wire up your new home addition for half the price of a licensed contractor? Do you know what you are getting? Is it worth the risk?
Mountains are incredibly dangerous places. Certification ensures that a guide has put themselves through the rigors of examination and mentorship of their peers and proven their ability to perform in accordance with professional best practices. Every fully certified Mountain Guide has paid other fully certified Mountain Guides for nearly 100 days of instruction and supervision. It takes investment to get your skills to a level that allows for consistent and effective risk management in the mountains. You and your loved ones are putting your life at risk each time you step into the mountains. What is it worth to you?
