Personal commitment

Mountain guiding is a serious profession. Before you consider guide training you should serve a personal apprenticeship in the mountains and be skilled in your chosen recreation.

A guide should take pleasure in the beauty of the mountains and wish to share that beauty with others. You should accept risk while striving to reduce it by total awareness of the mountain environment. A guide should show a spirit of goodwill to all other mountain users.

Guiding is not a nine to five job. It is a way of life.

Objectives

The Training and Certification Programme is the Association’s foundation for professional Ski, Climbing, and Glacier Guides.

Its objectives are to offer those who work or wish to work as professional guides in the high mountains a practical training programme and a high standard of certification.

Through certification, the programme aims to promote high minimum standards of climbing, skiing, mountain craft, snow safety, emergency procedures, and guide/client relationships.

The programme must meet the international standards of the IFMGA.

Training and Certification

Use the links above to find out what is required to become one of the categories of guides. Alternatively you can download the full Training and Certification Manual, which is under 'Training Manual '.

Categories of Guide

NZMGA recognises three streams of New Zealand guides – Ski, Climbing, and Glacier.
Ski and Climbing Guides may be Trainee Guides, Assistant Guides, or fully qualified Guides.
The international categories Aspirant Guide and IFMGA Guide are also recognised.

NZMGA Trainee Ski Guide and Trainee Climbing Guide
A member who has passed an NZMGA Guides Course Level 1 in either the skiing or climbing disciplines but has yet to complete the period of direct supervision required after completion of the course.

NZMGA Assistant Ski Guide and Assistant Climbing Guide
A member who has passed an NZMGA Guides Course Level 1 in either the skiing or climbing disciplines and completed the period of direct supervision required after completing the course.

NZMGA Aspirant Guide
A member who has Assistant Guide status in both skiing and climbing disciplines, plus at least 40 days supervised work experience in each discipline.

NZMGA Ski Guide
A member who has passed the NZMGA Ski Guide Programme.

NZMGA Climbing Guide
A member who has passed the NZMGA Climbing Guide Programme.

IFMGA Guide
A member who has passed both the NZMGA Ski Guide and NZMGA Climbing Guide Programmes to the international standard set by the IFMGA. The full name is IFMGA Mountain and Ski Guide.

NZMGA Glacier Guide
A member who has passed the NZMGA Glacier Guide Programme.