Hiking Guide Exam
Goals:
- To introduce participants to the standards of professional guiding, instruction, and client care in the multi-day hiking industry.
- To assess the participants at the standard of an ACMG Hiking Guide.
- To provide an information exchange to better the industry of professional hiking guides.
Format: This course is designed for professional guides who are leading multi-day trips on or off established trails and in mountainous hiking terrain. This course does not include travel on permanent snow, glaciated, or scrambling terrain. The course is a combination of instruction and examination. The certification issued to successful candidates is a sanctioned professional standard for guides leading multi-day backpacking trips.
Expectations: A strong recreational hiking and backpacking background. Arrive with professional standard equipment. Please note there are evening sessions as well as the field days.
Examination: This exam week is designed to test the result of several years experience as a recreational leader on and off trails. Practice navigation (specifically map reading, taking map and field bearings, resecting (triangulation) etc.). Prepare for off trail route finding and brush up on your leadership, communication and interpretive skills prior to the course. Be prepared to hike for 5 days in succession under all weather conditions.
This course does not include travel on permanent snow, glaciated, or scrambling terrain. It does not include terrain where use of hands for balance is needed (scrambling or mountaineering terrain) and does not include information regarding ocean shoreline safety.
Location and Length: 6 days. In most years courses are conducted in September. Location varies but Canmore AB and Pemberton BC are often used.