Wow, certainly opened my eyes to just how difficult a qualification it is to get, respect to anyone who achieves it. Keep the instructional videos coming, I'm learning new stuff from you all the time.
Congrats on the IFMGA qualification, big respect! Booked a course at Glenmore Lodge later this winter for my first foray into backcountry skiing, very excited! Hope to experience the legendary skiing in Chamonix in the coming years so will definitely keep you in mind for a guide. All the best for the upcoming winter, hope you have a good season with lots of great skiing and mountain experiences!
Great video, looked at the website before for the syllabus for what it takes and was blown away. Fair plays for the hard work getting it Dave a lot of effort well spent. Cheers!
Thanks for the great videos So starting at 58 years old, getting the IFMGA is probably not going to happen in this lifetime. Never did mountaineering but ski raced and a ski racing coach and ski instructor all my life. Would love to get into ski mountaineering.
The requirements of this are of a ridiculously high standard. Probably the most qualified people ever. This seems like more experience and training than any pilot, doctor, lawyer requires to qualify in their areas.
@@DaveSearle I am lawyer (that does include medical negligence as part of my practice area) and having read most the exam materials required for a private pilot licence - I am relatively new (but enthusiastic) mountain climber (Some of the bigger ones I've got under my belt in the last couple of years are Zugspitze, Hoher Goll, and some peak I didn't know the name of near Breithorrn) - I recently booked a trip to Mont Blanc via an IFMGA mountain guide and was curious as to what is involved in getting that accreditation, and I am SHOCKED at the level of experience and years usually required to even enroll on the course which takes another 3? years! Wow!
Great video Dave and tremendous achievement. I really like your ski touring/ski mountaineering videos and was just wondering if you had any plans to do a video around the transition from a "resort/piste" skiier to a ski tourer? Would love to see that. Thanks and keep up the good work
Hey! Yeah could be an interesting concept for a video. I would personally recommend a couple of courses. Avalanche safety and beginner ski touring type things but there are some nuances to that!
Hi Dave, informative video, thanks for this! I have a question i can't quite seem to get clarification on though; under "rock:" the pre-requisites specify "a minimum of 15 routes with a vertical height gain of at least 300 metres (or at least 15 pitches), of minimum difficulty 5c (VI / UIAA). The routes have to be belayed by oneself and should therefore not be equipped with bolts". This is in addition to what is listed as "Technical" which states "multi-pitch rock routes, grade 6a (VI+) minimum" - of which there is no min/max quantity of climbs specified. My question is this; are the 5c rock climbs just a way if ensuring you have plenty of experience rock climbing proficiently and is there a typical number that the organisation would accept at grade 6a+?
Thanks for this amazing video with great info ! When did you start « gaining mountain experience » ? Im currently 17, and envisioning high mountain guiding as a possible career path, however all the experience I have in the mountains is skiing. Is it too late to get into more serious climbing in order to gain the experience necessary ?
Not at all! I started climbing quite young but started seriously doing it at your age. Start now and chip away at the experience you need and you will get there at some point. Most folk qualify as guides around the age of 30 so bear that in mind. I would recommend some training to get you moving in the right direction.
@@DaveSearle Thanks alot ! Maybe our paths will cross again in the mountains, but for now, I will try to do my best and jump on every opportunity I get and start training :) Good luck with your TH-cam channel and enjoy the mountains
Good question! The process of submitting a list and doing the inductions is hard to cheat. Generally it’s very easy to tell what someone has done or not with some basic questions. It’s also 100% not worth trying to falsify because not having the experience would cause you big problems in the training. Keep a detailed logbook and take photos when completing major ascents also help. Climbs from other countries are important and there is a detailed list of what you need to do and the split ok uk stuff and abroad on the BMG website.
Hi Dave im looking to become an IFMGA guide in the UK, but I am also wondering how you get so many experience to fulfil the prerequisites? I assume if i have to go down this route I have to work in a mountain guiding company to get those experiences? Thanks!
Actually I lived for many years as a dirtbag climber doing random jobs to make masonry and maximise my time to go climbing. I would recommend the same sort of approach tbh. You have to climb all the time for several years to get the experience.
Hello. Can a foreigner do the course in UK OR AMERICA. I'm from Zimbabwe and I want to be a mountaineer, so I've been look for schools to enroll weighing options seeing which is the best.
Hi! I would like to work as a Backcountry tour guide in the future. Do I need the IFMGA cert. or is there a ``lower´´type of grade that allows you to take clients on easy/ intermediate routes in of-pist terrain?
It depends where you are operating! Some counties you don’t need a certificate and there are lower qualifications. For glaciated terrain IFMGA is the only option.
optionally of course. You have to have done 5 x 800m TD or above routes to get onto the british system but other countries don't require this. I was doing routes like the NF of the Eiger alot back in the day so that helped for sure.
Hello, no worries. Yes it took about 4 years to get the qualification. You also need about 8-10 years climbing and skiing experience. Cost wise the course fees were 10k but when you factor in loss of earnings, travel and equipment etc it’s probably 3-4times that.
In uk and France yes there is, for the rest of the alps I’m not sure. Ifmga is the only qualification that covers all the alpine countries. You will have to ski for it if you want to do it.
How do you pay for all the requirements for yourself? Let alone all the Equipment you need. Thet seems Like a extreme gatekeeper. I dont know any other Job where you need to have a Job in the First place to be able to pay for the education and Gear that you need in Order to do the actual Job you want to do.
Short answer is it was very hard. It took me years to figure it out living through some hard times and being completely focused on climbing and skiing. I think it’s unfair to say it’s the only profession (and it is a profession not a job, I think there is a big difference) that has a barrier to entry like this. Being a doctor or a lawyer jump to mind and the responsibility you have as a guide is just as serious as either of those lines of work. Those who have done it have been very focused on making it happen no matter what. That’s the mindset you need to be in.
IFMGA is the creme de la creme of the guiding world. They are the experts of experts. Mad respect to you for having that certification
Thanks very much!
Wow, certainly opened my eyes to just how difficult a qualification it is to get, respect to anyone who achieves it. Keep the instructional videos coming, I'm learning new stuff from you all the time.
Congrats on the IFMGA qualification, big respect! Booked a course at Glenmore Lodge later this winter for my first foray into backcountry skiing, very excited! Hope to experience the legendary skiing in Chamonix in the coming years so will definitely keep you in mind for a guide. All the best for the upcoming winter, hope you have a good season with lots of great skiing and mountain experiences!
Thank Tom! Hope you have a great time up there. Sure, get in touch if you want to come out this way! Dave
Love it Dave. You're definitely on my short list for a guide for a Cham ski or climbing trip in 2023. Can't wait.
Great to hear!
Respect to all you guys. I've paid to be guided many times all around the world and the British guides I've used have been the most professional.
Thank you! Glad you had some good experiences. 🙂
Great video, looked at the website before for the syllabus for what it takes and was blown away. Fair plays for the hard work getting it Dave a lot of effort well spent. Cheers!
Thanks Mike! It was tough but well worth it. 🙂
Dave is an excellent guide!! Highly recommend booking some time with him if you're in the area!
Thanks Leo!
Wow, that really is quite an accomplishment! I guess I should be in good hands if I can get over there & hire a guide.
Congratulations bro, great video.
Thanks!
Really good insights, great vid Dave!
Thanks jon!
Thanks for the great videos So starting at 58 years old, getting the IFMGA is probably not going to happen in this lifetime. Never did mountaineering but ski raced and a ski racing coach and ski instructor all my life. Would love to get into ski mountaineering.
Wish I discovered climbing and mountaineering when I was younger instead of at 42... Id of done this 🤷🏻♂️ What a fantastic way to earn a living!!
It sure is!
Wow thanks for the insight. Didn't know that theres such a high Standard to be a mountain guide. Thats cool to know :)
Yeah it’s a lot more involved than people think!
The requirements of this are of a ridiculously high standard. Probably the most qualified people ever. This seems like more experience and training than any pilot, doctor, lawyer requires to qualify in their areas.
It’s quite a lot but I don’t know what those guys have to go through!
@@DaveSearle I am lawyer (that does include medical negligence as part of my practice area) and having read most the exam materials required for a private pilot licence - I am relatively new (but enthusiastic) mountain climber (Some of the bigger ones I've got under my belt in the last couple of years are Zugspitze, Hoher Goll, and some peak I didn't know the name of near Breithorrn) - I recently booked a trip to Mont Blanc via an IFMGA mountain guide and was curious as to what is involved in getting that accreditation, and I am SHOCKED at the level of experience and years usually required to even enroll on the course which takes another 3? years! Wow!
Nice one Dave!
Thanks James!
Great video Dave and tremendous achievement. I really like your ski touring/ski mountaineering videos and was just wondering if you had any plans to do a video around the transition from a "resort/piste" skiier to a ski tourer? Would love to see that. Thanks and keep up the good work
Hey! Yeah could be an interesting concept for a video. I would personally recommend a couple of courses. Avalanche safety and beginner ski touring type things but there are some nuances to that!
Sounds like a real pain. Nice work
It was a lot of work yes!
Hi Dave amazing to hear your experience i was wondering if the multi pitch climbing is trad or sport ? Thanks mason
Hey, yeah it’s all trad and has to be on adventurous sea cliff and mountain crags.
Hi Dave, informative video, thanks for this! I have a question i can't quite seem to get clarification on though; under "rock:" the pre-requisites specify "a minimum of 15 routes with a vertical height gain of at least 300 metres (or at least 15 pitches), of minimum difficulty 5c (VI / UIAA). The routes have to be belayed by oneself and should therefore not be equipped with bolts".
This is in addition to what is listed as "Technical" which states "multi-pitch rock routes, grade 6a (VI+) minimum" - of which there is no min/max quantity of climbs specified. My question is this; are the 5c rock climbs just a way if ensuring you have plenty of experience rock climbing proficiently and is there a typical number that the organisation would accept at grade 6a+?
Is this for the French system? I’m unfamiliar with their prerequisites
Thanks for this amazing video with great info ! When did you start « gaining mountain experience » ? Im currently 17, and envisioning high mountain guiding as a possible career path, however all the experience I have in the mountains is skiing. Is it too late to get into more serious climbing in order to gain the experience necessary ?
Not at all! I started climbing quite young but started seriously doing it at your age. Start now and chip away at the experience you need and you will get there at some point. Most folk qualify as guides around the age of 30 so bear that in mind. I would recommend some training to get you moving in the right direction.
@@DaveSearle Thanks alot ! Maybe our paths will cross again in the mountains, but for now, I will try to do my best and jump on every opportunity I get and start training :) Good luck with your TH-cam channel and enjoy the mountains
🔥
🙏
How do I prove my achievements/ascents?
Can I mix ascent done in different countries?
Good question! The process of submitting a list and doing the inductions is hard to cheat. Generally it’s very easy to tell what someone has done or not with some basic questions. It’s also 100% not worth trying to falsify because not having the experience would cause you big problems in the training. Keep a detailed logbook and take photos when completing major ascents also help. Climbs from other countries are important and there is a detailed list of what you need to do and the split ok uk stuff and abroad on the BMG website.
Hi Dave im looking to become an IFMGA guide in the UK, but I am also wondering how you get so many experience to fulfil the prerequisites? I assume if i have to go down this route I have to work in a mountain guiding company to get those experiences? Thanks!
Actually I lived for many years as a dirtbag climber doing random jobs to make masonry and maximise my time to go climbing. I would recommend the same sort of approach tbh. You have to climb all the time for several years to get the experience.
How do you prove that you’ve completed certain climbs or skiing/alpine trips?
Good question! You have to list partners, dates and describe conditions. Hard to make stuff up!
Hello. Can a foreigner do the course in UK OR AMERICA. I'm from Zimbabwe and I want to be a mountaineer, so I've been look for schools to enroll weighing options seeing which is the best.
Hello. Yeah anyone can do the course in the UK as long as you have all the relevant experience. Dave
not bad!
Thanks!
Did you do your mci before the course ?
Nope, I went straight into IFMGA
Takes 10yrs!! When did you start, at 11?!
I was 31 when I passed. I also started climbing when I was about 15yo
@@DaveSearle - You must be using SPF150, as most guides look 10yrs older than their age, not 10yrs younger!
😂
Hi!
I would like to work as a Backcountry tour guide in the future. Do I need the IFMGA cert. or is there a ``lower´´type of grade that allows you to take clients on easy/ intermediate routes in of-pist terrain?
It depends where you are operating! Some counties you don’t need a certificate and there are lower qualifications. For glaciated terrain IFMGA is the only option.
North face of Eiger as a precursor to enter in the guide school? Are you sure?
optionally of course. You have to have done 5 x 800m TD or above routes to get onto the british system but other countries don't require this. I was doing routes like the NF of the Eiger alot back in the day so that helped for sure.
Sorry if this is a little personal, but about how long did it take to get your ifmga cert and how much of a financial investment is it?
Hello, no worries. Yes it took about 4 years to get the qualification. You also need about 8-10 years climbing and skiing experience. Cost wise the course fees were 10k but when you factor in loss of earnings, travel and equipment etc it’s probably 3-4times that.
Man, I don't like skiing. I was hoping there is something just for rock climbing
In uk and France yes there is, for the rest of the alps I’m not sure. Ifmga is the only qualification that covers all the alpine countries. You will have to ski for it if you want to do it.
How do you pay for all the requirements for yourself? Let alone all the Equipment you need. Thet seems Like a extreme gatekeeper. I dont know any other Job where you need to have a Job in the First place to be able to pay for the education and Gear that you need in Order to do the actual Job you want to do.
Short answer is it was very hard. It took me years to figure it out living through some hard times and being completely focused on climbing and skiing. I think it’s unfair to say it’s the only profession (and it is a profession not a job, I think there is a big difference) that has a barrier to entry like this. Being a doctor or a lawyer jump to mind and the responsibility you have as a guide is just as serious as either of those lines of work. Those who have done it have been very focused on making it happen no matter what. That’s the mindset you need to be in.
@@DaveSearle Totally agree with you. Bad wording from my side. Respect!
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