2023 AMGA Membership Scholarship | Ross Lindell

Ski guiding can be hard work. Managing client expectations, fitness, and skill on one hand, while also managing slope stability, weather, and snow conditions on the other hand is all part of the juggling act that must be performed as a ski guide. Throw in some white out navigation or a big descent in flat […]

2022 Patagonia Scholarship | Japhy Dhungana

The AMGA Alpine Guide Exam was the culmination of a seven-year journey in my professional development as a guide.  I am grateful to Patagonia for sponsoring my scholarship and enabling me to complete my certification as an Alpine Guide.  In many ways, although I have been guiding in the alpine discipline for over 12 years, […]

The Intersection of Satellite Communications and Rescue Insurance

How to Send an SOS: Two-Way Communication Success You have planned a remote or backcountry adventure. You have purchased a two-way communication device, such as a satellite phone or satellite messaging and tracking device, knowing it will be useful in an emergency situation. And you know if you’re in the wilderness, reliable emergency communication could […]

AMGA Accreditation

AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES ASSOCIATION ACCREDITATION   What’s the goal of accreditation? Accreditation began as a way to bring people together and create a community who were all interested in a professional career in guiding. By defining standards the profession of guiding could be evaluated, improved, and provide a consistent career option.   The goal of […]

Scholarship Reimbursement Updates

AMGA scholarships were developed to reduce costs for AMGA members participating in AMGA Mountain Guide Programs (MGP). Examples of financial barriers include course cost, ability to take time off work, travel, gear, and childcare. The scholarship program has primarily offered funding for AMGA members seeking AMGA certifications. In recent years, the AMGA has expanded its […]

Significant Progress for SOAR Act

The SOAR Act has made significant progress in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee in the last two months. The bill was integrated into the first-ever recreation package to be developed by Congress, called “America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022” or “AORA” and was passed out of the SENR Committee with unanimous consent […]

AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES AND THE GORE-TEX BRAND

From our partners at GORE-TEX brand:   Climbing season is upon us, so there is no better time to tell you a bit about one of our favorite organizations. The mission of the American Mountain Guides Association’s (AMGA) mission is simple: To be the leader in education, standards, and advocacy for professional guides and climbing instructors. We […]

2021 Virtual Annual Meeting

 

2021 Salewa Scholarship | Matt Zia

The last time I climbed ice in the Ouray area I was 23 years old, cutting my teeth on the bigger routes outside the Ouray Ice Park. In the six years since those formative experiences on routes like Stairway to Heaven, I made my way north to Bozeman, MT and have had the good fortune […]

2020 Petzl Scholarship | Timm Phillips

This past June, with a generous scholarship courtesy of Petzl, I was fortunate enough to participate in the AMGA’s Alpine Guide Course in the sunny Sierra.  Many thanks to Petzl for their kind support.  Their dedication to the mountain guiding craft makes educational endeavors such as the Sierra Alpine Guide Course possible.  The brand invests […]