History & Mission
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Since 1979, the AMGA has been the leader in education, standards, and advocacy for mountain guides and climbing instructors.
We value the uniqueness of each individual, honoring diversity and cultural competency.
We are dedicated to honesty, strong moral principles, and pride in our craft.
We are responsible for taking appropriate care of natural resources and our organization.
We are committed to upholding our standards to provide exceptional service to our members and the public.
The Story of AMGA
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Our Beginning: The Roots of American Mountain Guiding
In 1979, four legendary guides — Peter Lev, Yvon Chouinard, Jim Donini, and Harry Frishman — met at the Moose Bar in the Tetons to talk about the future of guiding in America. They had big goals to unite the guiding community and professionalize the industry. They authored the “Moose Bar Charter” to establish an American Professional Mountain Guides Association that would promote the highest possible standards for professional mountain guides in the United States and seek to become a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). Doug Robinson was elected the first President.
The Struggle for Unity: Challenges and Progress
As it turned out, uniting the guiding industry wasn’t easy. Guiding was a fringe profession that attracted independently-minded individuals, and different regions of the country had a strong affinity for their locally developed techniques. However, in 1985 an insurance crisis gripped the industry. Suddenly, there was something everyone could agree upon: the need for a stronger national organization to represent the interests of guides. Ian Wade became the second President of the AMGA and presided over early formational tasks: collecting dues, fundraising to open an office and hire a staff person, electing a board to set policy, and holding annual membership meetings to continue building consensus on how guiding would evolve into a professional activity.
Achieving Recognition: AMGA Accreditation
The newly elected board of directors started mapping out strategies to reassure insurance providers that risk management procedures were in place for an industry most insurers barely understood. The first step was to review major guide services’ procedures and accredit them. In 1988, accreditation reviews were conducted in the Shawangunks, New Hampshire, Colorado, the Tetons, Rainier, and California. Consensus around best practices was forming, and insurance became available to guide services again. It was an early example of the progress that could be made when guides were united in pursuit of a common goal.
Taking The Leap: AMGA Certification
To promote the highest standards for professional guiding in the United States and gain entry into the IFMGA — the two original goals at the AMGA’s founding — it would be necessary to have a guide training and certification program that met an international standard. Since most guiding in the U.S. is on rock, the first priority was to develop the Rock Guide program, and the first exam was held in 1990. The Alpine Guide program was next with the first exam in 1991, and the Ski Guide program followed with an early exam in 1993.
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A Major Milestone: Acceptance Into The IFMGA
To be accepted into the IFMGA, the AMGA certification program had to undergo an extensive observation and approval process by IFMGA representatives and senior guides from IFMGA countries. After several years of review, feedback, and improvement, the AMGA certification program was finally approved. At the November 1997 IFMGA General Assembly in Austria, representatives from IFMGA member countries voted unanimously to admit the AMGA into the IFMGA. At long last, almost 20 years after its founding, the AMGA had achieved its goal to be recognized as America’s guide association that trains and certifies guides to an international standard.
Professional Advancement: Scope of Practice
In 2017, the AMGA adopted a “Scope of Practice” that defines the types of terrain an AMGA member can guide, independently or supervised, at all levels of training and certification. The SOP is a set of minimum standards that support the public interest by promoting safety and quality of experience. All AMGA members adhere to the SOP which gives the public the confidence to know they are climbing with a trained professional when they choose an AMGA trained guide.
The Future
The AMGA continues to advocate for the interests of guides, set standards for the guiding industry, and provide the nation’s highest quality guide training and certification. With 4600 active members around the country, the AMGA is the hub for guiding culture, community, training, standards, and the ongoing work to advance the guiding profession across the United States.
Support the AMGA’s Mission by Becoming a Member
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