Zahan Bilmoria, recipient of the 2015 Black Diamond Scholarship
Winnies Camp. Photo: Zahan Bilmoria
I wanted to thank Black Diamond for stepping up and providing a full-ride scholarship for my Advanced Alpine Guide Course and Aspirant Exam. This was my next-to-last step toward my final certification—and an important step toward diversifying and improving my craft.
For me, the defining characteristic of the program I took—and of guide certification in general—is the process of submitting to peer review. In general, guiding is a “lonely” profession: We work in isolation in high and lonesome corners of the mountains, where we make our own judgments. And provided everyone comes home safe and successful, we applaud ourselves for a job well done.
The North Ridge of Mt. Baker, Washington. Photo: Zahan Bilmoria
But was the job well done? As is always the case in the mountains, the feedback loop is imperfect: Just because we made the right choice doesn’t necessarily mean that the outcome will be good. The mountains are endlessly dynamic: Storms can develop when they weren’t forecasted; rockfall can happen in surprising places.
Equally unsettling is the idea that poor choices don’t always result in negative outcomes. Perhaps you forge ahead despite a forecast for thunderstorms. However, just because the lightning didn’t occur doesn’t mean you made the right choice. This is one of the great conundrums of a life in the mountains. The unsettling part is that over the long run we all become conditioned by the outcomes of our choices; therefore while getting away with mistakes might be nice in the near-term, over the course of a career it can reinforce bad habits.
Vertical action on the Advanced Alpine Guide Course and Aspirant Exam. Photo: Zahan Bilmoria
Advanced Alpine Guide Course and Aspirant Exam
Submitting oneself to peer review and evaluation by an examiner affords you the challenge and the opportunity to make your choices and have someone else question them. You have someone to look over your shoulder and observe every move you make—and every decision that led you there. Having been a student of the AMGA for the past four years, and as I near the end of this chapter in my career, nothing seems more valuable to me about this educational process than the experience of being assessed, reviewed, and ultimately judged. To have seasoned examiners evaluate your choices and challenge your decisions is the hardest and best part of the certification process.
It is one thing to know a technique; it is another to apply it; and yet another to be evaluated for that application. The process of putting my best foot forward and allowing my choices to stand for themselves has been really enriching. It has given me more confidence in the things I do well—and given me insight into areas I can improve. Ultimately, the choice of what to do with the feedback is our own, and for myself I know that incorporating it has made me a better guide.
Dan Corn on Mt. Baker, Washington. Photo: Zahan Bilmoria
I imagine that there won’t come another time in my career when there is so much opportunity to take on board feedback that will shape my career. I am grateful for the opportunity Black Diamond has given me to be the best mountain guide I can be.
