Climbing Guide Apprenticeship

To be allocated a place on a Climbing Guides Level 2 Course, you must have met the following criteria:

• Have Assistant Climbing Guide status.
• Achieved Avalanche Risk Management Level 6 (or equivalent)
• A minimum of two years of climbing must have been worked since Assistant Climbing Guide status has been granted and no more than five years elapsed since the Level 1 Course.
• Minimum 30 quality supervised days climbing guiding work since attaining Assistant Climbing Guide status.

At least 7 of the quality supervised days must have been under direct supervision. The Supervisor must be a NZMGA Climb Guide or IFMGA Mountain Guide according to the NZMGA Professional, Terrain and Supervision Guidelines. Three of these days must be ascents under direct supervision.

15 of the 30 days must have taken place in New Zealand. A logbook must be submitted with the application for evidence and should include a diverse range of work and geographical areas, including technical rock climbing guiding and ascents of significant peaks.

• A written record or logbook must be presented on application for the Level 2 assessment course as proof that experience and supervision requirements have been met. This logbook should be presented as an editable spreadsheet alongside all supervision records.

• Application must include 2x Letter of Recommendations; letters must be from two current NZMGA Guides who have supervised the Applicant in the previous 12 months, one of which must be an IFMGA Guide. The letter of recommendation should include validation of: The candidates' high level of personal skills in the discipline applied for, the quality of their self-reflection and error correction, that their decision making and application of guiding technique is appropriate, and that they will act as an ambassador of the NZMGA in their dealings with guests, guides, and with others who share the mountains. This includes adherence to the NZMGA Code of Conduct. Comment on the candidate's embodiment of the values and ethics incorporated with the code.

Refer to the NZMGA Training and Certification Programme for all details and final criteria