WHY CHOOSE ACADIA MOUNTAIN GUIDES CLIMBING SCHOOL?

The simple answer is a steady history of leading the way in climbing instruction.

Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School is committed to helping you choose the climbing school or guide service that is right for you. We believe strongly in the value of instructor and guide education and provide the following information to help you make an informed choice.

This was prepared by Jon Tierney, owner of Acadia Mountain Guides.

Jon was one of the earliest individuals to complete the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) rock guide certification in 1993 and subsequently achieved alpine and ski mountaineering certification to become a fully certified IFMGA internationally recognized mountain guide. He served on the AMGA BOD from 1996 to 2002 and the AMGA technical committee from 1997 to 2008 and was an AMGA instructor/examiner during that time. He also chaired the AMGA Accreditation committee for many years. Jon has served as a peer reviewer and consultant to a variety of universities, organizations, and climbing schools on climbing and outdoor leadership. Jon was the point person behind the development of the AMGA Top Rope Site Manager Course (now called Single Pitch) in 1997 and coordinated it through its youth from 1998 to 2004.

In 2004 the AMGA awarded Jon a lifetime membership for his educational contributions to the AMGA education and accreditation programs. In 2007 Jon co-founded the Professional Climbing Instructors Association and is the current PCIA educational director. He is uniquely qualified to author this information.

There are many quality climbing schools and guides in the Northeast. However, there are differences in detail, history, quality and style that may make a particular school or guide a better choice. While the public is beginning to expect training and certification, there is no government or insurance-based requirement regarding training rock climbing instruction. Acadia National Park does not require training or certification to offer rock climbing to the public.

Although risk can never be eliminated, proper training minimizes it. A strong resume of personal climbing is not enough. It must be combined with formal education, evaluation, and strong mentorship to maximize competency and to reduce risks.  Most people expect this of a doctor or a pilot – Shouldn’t you expect the same from your instructor or guide?

Since our inception in 1993, Acadia Mountain Guides has consistently offered the public a cadre of highly skilled guides who have been trained and certified by professional organizations before working with clients in the field. Few to no other schools in the country can match this commitment to instructor and guide education and mentorship. Simply put, I was a believer in guide education and evaluation long before it became a necessary business expense as some services view it.

When one reviews marketing materials, most climbing schools appear to offer similar products. Crafty language can present a rosy picture to the consumer but what does this all mean? Highly experienced? AMGA or PCIA accredited vs trained vs certified? What training applies to what terrain? How does it relate to you?

In the United States, as in many countries, the needs of climbing instructors and the needs of guides are best served by multiple organizations. While some individuals are equally adept at instructing and guiding, this is not commonly the case. A person who might be really good at guiding you on Cannon Mountain may not be the best person to teach you how to climb on a short crag. While both need to be technically proficient climbers, the instructor needs to better understand learning styles and educational outcomes and have a nurturing attitude that supports learning and fun.

The Professional Climbing Instructors Association focuses on the education and certification of climbing instructors. Instructors provide early climbing experiences and teach fundamental climbing skills such as belaying, rappelling, anchoring, and how to lead climb. They play a pivotal role in forming the habits of new climbers.

The American Mountain Guides Association provides a broad spectrum of training and credentialing programs as well as resource stewardship and services for professional mountain guides and climbing instructors in the United States.  Completion of the entire AMGA certification program leads to recognition as an internationally licensed guide by the International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA).

The common goal of both organizations is to raise technical and professional standards in the climbing industry.

UNDERSTANDING CLIMBING CERTIFICATIONS

The charts below summarize the training and certification of PCIA and AMGA programs. Both utilize terrain definitions to define the intended scope of practice.