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adventures
Selecting
a guide & what qualifications to look for
We
strongly believe that a badge or qualification
does not make a good leader, which is why
we carefully hand pick our guiding team. However
you have our guarantee that all our courses
are led by verified highly qualified professionals,
as this is a legal requirement in the Alps.
Elsewhere
on the internet you will find disillusioned
individuals stating that the qualification
is everything, yet nothing could be further
from the truth. You all remember good and
bad teachers from school, and they all had
the same qualification. We avoid narcissism,
and focus on personality.
This
page is to explain what the qualifications
mean in greater detail, and to uncover how
we select our guiding team, and our guiding
safety policies.
As
a reputable leading guiding outfit, we see
it as part of our greater social responsibility
to help market and explain the various qualifications,
some of which we do not even use, as they
are not valid in the Alpine countries.
The
qualifications of different mountain instructors
may at first seem bewildering to someone new
to the sport, especially all the differences
between the UK and the Alps, but this page
sets out to explain them.
All
the information below is summarised from the
UK Mountain Leader Training website (www.mltuk.org)
website, for your ease of reference. If you
would like to read more about the qualifications,
click on the link above.
The
table below, outlines the key differences,
selection,
assessment, responsibilities, and limits imposed
on the different levels of instructor, and
ranks the qualifications from lowest to highest.
Single
Pitch Award
This qualification
is only valid in the UK only, and is for one
pitch climbs only. It is often used by as
the key award for climbing wall staff. As
well as previous experience, it involves one
weekend training, and 2 days assessment.
Walking
Group Leader
This qualification
is only valid in the UK only, and is designed
to teach navigation and group management skills
for a person leading groups in non-mountainous
terrain (e.g. Dartmoor). No steep ground can
be crossed.
Summer
Mountain Leader ML
This qualification
is only valid in the UK only, and is the mountain
version of the WGL. In addition it covers
group security on steep ground. It involves
extensive previous experience, 1 week training,
and 1 week assessment of which a 3 day expedition
element is a key element.
Winter
Mountain Leader MLW
This qualification
is only valid in the UK only, and is the winter
version of the Summer Mountain Leader award.
The use of crampons and ice axe is necessary,
and further winter experience is required
before a 1 week training, and a 1 week assessment
with a 3 day expedition involving snowholes.
Mountain
Instructor Award MIA
This qualification
is only valid in the UK only, and is limited
to the leading of groups on multipitch rock
climbing and for hillwalking in summer conditions.
All holders of the MIA become members of the
Association of Mountaineering Instructors
(AMI). Rate of pay is c.£180 per day.
Mountain
Instructors Certificate MIC
This certificate
covers all activities included in the MIA,
and also covers UK winter mountaineering and
climbing, and winter hillwalking. All MIC
qualification holders are also members of
the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.
Neither MIA's or MIC's can work in the Alps.
Rate of pay is c.£120 per day.
Trainee
Mountain Guides
These are people
who have enrolled on a Mountain Guide training
scheme. In addition they have passed the first
test in the training scheme which is the rock
test. At this stage they can Guide independantly
in their own country on rock climbs,
equivalent to the MIA award.
Rate of pay is c.£180 per day.
Aspirant
Mountain Guides
After completing
the trainee stage, and passing several more
tests, a future Guide gains the Aspirant status.
In the Alpine countries, Aspirant Guides can
work alongside senior fully qualified mountain
guides, but within tight guidelines as to
the grade and altitude. Pay is c.£250
per day.
International
Mountain Leader
To lead trekking, winter
walking, or snowshoeing groups in the Alps,
it is a legal requirement to be qualified
as an International Mountain Leader (IML).
To gain this award, you require your ML award,
significant international trekking experience,
and then three weeks of training and assessment
in the Alps, both in summer and in winter.
Some of the training specialises in avalanche
awareness, altitude sickness, the environment,
and physiology. This award does not involve
any climbing. Holders of this award hold a
UIMLA carnet and that of their own country
(e.g. British Association of International
Mountain Leaders, BAIML). In the French speaking
parts of the Alps IML's are often refered
to as Accompagnateurs or Mid Mountain Guides.
Only the IML and IFMGA Mountain Guide schemes
hold carnets. Rate of pay is c.£180
per day.
International
Mountain Guide
This qualification is
the highest possible in the mountaineering
world, and whilst the qualification is enforced
as a strict legal requirement in the Alps,
many leaders choose to train to this standard
to lead groups in other corners of the world,
to offer a good guarantee of providing the
highest levels of professional and safety
standards. Any full Guide can lead groups
for rock climbing, off piste, mountaineering,
ice climbing, anywhere in the world. In addition
there is no maximum grade that they are restricted
to. The majority of the countries with IFMGA
(International Federation of Mountain Guide
Associations) bodies are in the Alps and Europe,
and there are seventeen member associations
globally. In addition to the IFMGA carnet,
holders may also use the logo of their nations
association. The rate of pay is c.£300
per day.
To
the left is the badge worn by UIMLA International
Mountain Leaders, and to the right is that
of the IFMGA Mountain Guide. It is your
guarantee of the highest standards in the
mountains. Click on each logo for more details.
About
the Icicle guiding team & key safety policies
Icicle
only uses Aspirant and full Mountain Guides
to lead all the climbing and skiing Alpine
courses, and International Mountain Leaders
for trekking or snowshoeing elements of courses.
The
cost of all the guide fees is included in
all of our course prices. All Icicle courses
include the cost of guides cable car tickets
and accommodation, and this is a hidden cost
that many operators try to pass on to you.
On
each week we have a head guide, supported
by a number of other guides. We can also name
the head guide from about six months before
the course, and the rest of the guiding team
about four months beforehand.
If
there are less than the maximum numbers, you
benefit from better guiding ratios. If you
have been on a course before, and have a favourite
Guide, you can request that they guide you
during your next course.
We
have a regular team of over 40 mountain guides
and leaders, details of whom you can see published
on the guides
& staff
page of the website. Some
are very good teachers (great for Intro level
courses), whilst others are inspirational
leaders on hard climbs (for advanced level
courses).
We
are incredibly lucky to have some very good
all rounders working for Icicle. One
of our key strengths is that we are never
going to be complacent about our team, and
will evolve with the times.
Team
flexiblity gives Icicle a great advantage
over other operators with a static approach,
or groups of guides trying to market themselves
as a company, and we urge any potential client
to consider this point carefully.
One
key advantage Icicle can offer in its itineraries
is the flexibility offered by having both
a guide and a Chamonix team. Whilst the guides
make all the safety decisions, they rely on
the Chamonix staff to assist them a lot with
arranging the day to day logistics, such as
altering hut bookings and driving minibuses
to collect them from different locations.
Flexibility
gives our courses great versatility, and a
far better product than independant guides
can offer. You need to consider this point
very carefully when choosing an operator,
as it could affect your summiting chances.
We
check out the qualifications of all the Guides
and instructors working for us. This is done
in three ways, firstly we confirm if the Guide
is listed on the published lists of the BMG
/ BAIML / SNGM / UIMLA (or their website),
secondly we check the carnet (qualification
card) of the Guide and its date stamp, and
thirdly we call the relevant Guide association
to confirm.
On
many routes and activities there are recommended
guiding ratio limits, such as 1:1 for the
Matterhorn or 1:6 for glacier travel. We always
adhere to these limits and often are far below
them. For
example on Gran Paradiso 4061m, a Guide could
take up to six clients, but how fun would
it be if you were at the back? We limit our
ratios to 1:3 for this type of ascent.
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