Canadian Mountain & Ski Guide Certification Program
In 1996, TRU began to assist the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) with delivering the Canadian Mountain Guide (CMSG) Training and Certification program. This collaboration resulted in the evolution of the original ACMG program into the unique CMSG Certification Program and CMSG Diploma offered at TRU.
The Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide (CMSG) Certification Program enables students to pursue certification to the standards of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and be recognized by the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IMFGA). IMFGA mountain guides attain the highest level of mountain training and certification in the world and are recognized in over 24 countries worldwide.
Admission to the Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide Certification Program is highly selective. Applicants need to have prior, extensive outdoor skills and experience.
Students may terminate their studies at any assistant or full guide certification point, or continuie studies in the CMSG Diploma or in adventure tourism, entrepreneurship, or tourism management by transferring credit into the third year of the BTM degree. Students intending to enter the BTM degree should contact the department chairperson for advice about selecting courses that transfer smoothly to the degree.to complete the Diploma.
All courses are held off-campus in various mountain locales of western Canada.
Local and worldwide employment opportunities are extremely good in an industry that has a chronic shortage of fully qualified mountain guides. In British Columbia, alpine guides, ski guides, and mountain guides are in high demand and short supply, particularly in the ski guiding industry.
Certification for International Students
If a student’s home country is an IFMGA member, some ACMG certifications will require prior approval from that country’s guides’ association. Contact the Adventure Studies office for details.
Guide Specializations and Certifications
Guide Specializations
Guide specializations in the Canadian Mountain & Ski Guide Certification Program are as follows:
Terrain-limited certifications may be attained upon completion of selected courses in the rock, ski, alpine, and mountain guide disciplines.
Other certifications may be taken separate from, or as part of, the Canadian Mountain & Ski Guide Certification Program as follows: