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Re: [climbingaggie03] AMGA -- American Mountain Guide Association:
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guangzhou
May 22, 2008, 7:12 AM
Views: 1062
Registered: Sep 27, 2004
Posts: 3389
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climbingaggie03 wrote: j_ung wrote: Word on the street is that Pisgah National Forest (home to Looking Glass Rock, Cedar Rock and many other smaller crags) will begin requiring all guides and group instructors, be they assistants or leaders, to carry AMGA Single Pitch certification at a minimum -- beginning in 2009. To my knowledge this is the most stringent requirement to date in the US, and it will affect hundreds of people, since the above areas are virtually overrun with camp groups all summer long. hmmm, that could be interesting. So does this mean everyone belaying would have to have an SPI? or just the leaders? I'd bet that the camps have probably 1 certified person now to set the anchors and manage the site, however if everybody who is holding a rope has to have an AMGA cert, the crowds probably won't be very bad in 2009.
I am curious about this too. I don't guide in that area anymore, but when my service had permit, all we needed was a one million dollar liability insurance.
I have been a professional member of AMGA since the late 90's and they are always pushing for the industry to become more regulated, but America isn't there yet and I doubt it will be anytime soon.
AMGA certification is an excellent program, but like any certification program, it has it flaws. I won't get into them here.
One reason I don;t see guiding being more regulated any time soon is that plenty of big guide services aren't pushing for it. Actually, I can't think of a single guide service that is petitioning the Federal government too. I can't think of it at state level either.
One thing about guiding in the United States is that many of our crags are actually not on public land. Yes, the Federal government owns a few and so do the various state government, but many of our area are private land owner and organization. Private land owner s deal with guide services how they see fit. I know this from personal experience.
Guiding insurance, well I get asked when I pay my fees every year about my certification, but not being certified, I am not, doesn't prevent me from getting my Insurance. Cost me about 1400 a year to get my guide insurance. This will be the first year in ten that I won't be paying insurance for guiding.
Before any of you assume I am speaking of Asia, let me make this clear, my guiding, my insurance, and my permits were are all in the U.S.A. Asia guiding is even less regulated.
America is along way from having a mandatory guide certification. Part of me wishes the industry was more regulated, but part of me likes it the way it is. of course, I do believe in AMGA's mission and I will continue my professional membership for along time.
On a seprate note, in response to one post above. The guiding industry doesn't even know what going on within the guiding industry. America is a big country with a lot of small local guides and individual land owners all doing what they do. Most are very proficient, so aren't.
(This post was edited by guangzhou on May 22, 2008, 7:17 AM)
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Post edited by guangzhou
() on May 22, 2008, 7:17 AM
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