How long does it take to be certified? They don't say much on their website.
There's no set time period. About the
fastest anyone's done it is six years. Most don't come close to that - typically 8-10 depending on your resources and ability to build a climbing/skiing resume prior to applying. You need a minimum of three years of extensive experience gained on your own prior to even applying, plus a bunch of certifications. You need you Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance Level 2 certification, Canadian Avalanche Association operations Level 1, but Level 2 is better - that takes three years or so, and your Advanced Wilderness Medic certification before you're eligible to apply. The kid has her CSIA Level 2, her AST1 which is the first step towards her Avalanche operations certification and is registered in the Wilderness Medic course in September.
Even people that decide at a young age don't usually gain entrance into the program until they're in their mid-20s. They spend all the time leading up to that building their experience base and getting out onto as much varied terrain as possible. They take courses and get out with guides and other recreational skiers/climbers and take leadership roles to hone their skills. They work as ski instructors and ski patrol and do all kinds of things related to their future courses/exams.
A barrier for many aspiring guides is cost. The courses and exams are thousands of dollars, and for someone scraping by building their resume, suddenly having to come up with $3K or more can be really tough. The deal I have with her is that if she supports herself, then I'll pony up for the courses, exams and certifications. Taking that pressure off will be a huge boost for her. The estimated total of the courses and exams is approx $40K assuming you pass them all on your first try. Most people do not.
She's grown up in the mountains seeing guides in action. She has a very realistic view of the work they do. She's met with many to gain understanding of the process and how they live their lives.
how she came up with this is that choice is that:
1. She has an INTENSE love of instruction. She loves every minute teaching ski lesson regardless of the ability level of her student. She's naturally gifted at the process as well as having it modeled by her parents. No matter what she does in her life, she wants it to involve instruction. A huge part of guiding is instruction. She's led some recreational climbing courses designed to introduce people to mountaineering and she excels at it - as well as loves it.
2. She can't be indoors. When she's on skis or on the move in the mountains, she's comfortable and at home. In a building, she feels like she wants to claw the walls open and escape. She can't stand to be still - she thrives on being moving.
3. While she loves the physical nature of guiding, the cerebral aspect is even more stimulating. Solving puzzles with regards to building anchors and rescue systems is something she loves. The mental challenge of route finding and planning is something she can't get enough of. She's excited beyond words as this spring her and I (if the avy hazard ever calms down) are going up high on icefields so she can learn the difficult and challenging skill of white-out navigation. Assessing snow conditions, hazards, and on and on all take a high level of mental ability. Being a guide is far from being a ski instructor or ski bum. You make life or decisions not only for yourself, but for other people. You're operating in some of the most dangerous terrain in the world.
Here's a well thought out blog post about becoming a ski guide...
http://skitheory.blogspot.ca/2012/04/becoming-acmg-guide.html
