The New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) was formed in November 1974 to establish a consistent training programme for professional Mountain Guides in New Zealand. Its founding members drew on the wisdom of former guides thus ensuring the skills, knowledge and tradition gained from 100 years of guiding was not lost.
The NZMGA defines mountain guiding as any person engaged in guiding or instructingand as the recognised professional association of trained and certified mountain guides in New Zealand, sets and maintains standards for admission to, and practice of, the mountain guiding profession.
The Association gained international recognition in 1981, becoming a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations - the IFMGA.
The IFMGA membership now totals 26 mountain nations around the world; a rich flow of skill and knowledge dedicated to protecting the public interest in mountain travel is the result.
