Packing for an AMGA Alpine Guide Course, Part 1 – By Angela Hawse
Objectives on the AMGA Alpine Guide Course aren’t as big and demanding as what’s to come on the AAGC/AE and Alpine Exam, but you should be thinking ahead and strive to keep everything light and tight. We don’t often do carry-overs on AGC’s but an alpine kit rather than an adapted rock kit (heavier) helps […]
Dealing with Performance Anxiety, Children: Part III
By Arno Ilgner, Certified SPI. This is the third in a series of articles on how guides can deal with performance anxiety. Read the first post and the second post. It’s important for children to be active, participating in some physical activity, to create healthy bodies and minds. Physical activity engages the body and helps […]
Yoga for Guides, Part III: Asanas to do at home
By Richard Parker, Rock Instructor & Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor In the first article (Yoga for Guides, Part I), I discussed some of the areas of the body that take a beating from guiding and some of the poses used to address them. In the second article I discussed meditation and how it relates to […]
Warriors, Way: Dealing With Performance Anxiety, Part II
By Arno Ilgner, Certified SPI. This is the second in a series of articles on how guides can deal with performance anxiety. Read the first post. In the last lesson we developed intellectual awareness about performance anxiety while we are guiding/instructing. We understood how the brain works and about the mental shift we need to […]
Yoga for Guides, Part II: Meditation
By Richard Parker, Rock Instructor & Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor In the first article (Yoga for Guides, Part I), I discussed some of the areas of the body that take a beating from guiding and some of the poses used to address them. This piece focuses on breathing techniques and meditation. The third in this […]
Yoga for Guides
By Richard Parker, Rock Instructor & Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor A big part of managing life as a professional guide is staying healthy (mind, body, and spirit) to meet the demands of the work. Keeping the body flexible, balanced, and strong is generally not too tough for those in their 20’s. As folks move into […]
Nate McKenzie on the takeaways from his 1st AMGA Course
Photos, video, & text by Black Diamond Scholarship winner Nate McKenzie. Read more about Nate in the latest issue of the GUIDE Bulletin. It feels like the beginning of a long journey. Looking ahead at the courses, certifications, tuition, and exams required to become a fully-certified AMGA Mountain Guide is daunting. Or at least it […]
SPI Course Expectations: For the Prospective Student
By Matt Shove, Apprentice Alpine Guide, Certified SPI and Rock Instructor I often feel very fortunate to be able to talk to almost every Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) Course or Assessment candidate over the telephone. Some call it screening, others an interview, but for me, I call it full disclosure. I like it when every […]
What’s in a name? A lot when it’s for guide training & certification
By Patrick Ormond, American Mountain Guide/IFMGA Guide Q: How do you know that someone is a guide? A: They’ll tell you. One in a number of (bad) guide jokes, but it’s true, isn’t it? It is a truth we should embrace and actually expand upon when we interact with our guests and the public. The […]
Beacon Overload: Making Sense of Transceiver Multiple-Burial Functions
Photos, diagrams, & text by Bruce Edgerly “What happens if I press this button over here?” “How come this icon just disappeared for no reason?” “Why do I keep coming back to this victim that I already marked?” If you’re an avalanche instructor, rescue trainer, or just plain old beacon user, you’ve probably been at […]
