American Mountain Guides

AMGA PROGRAM HISTORY

The AMGA began as a forum for discussing issues facing the guiding industry as well as a cooperative for support and exposure in a growing market. Sharing techniques and technical skills was a natural progression for the group of founding guides. As a result, the educational process developed and formal training emerged.
In 1987, the AMGA training and certification programs began to take shape with professional development clinics offered at the organization’s Annual Meeting. This tradition still continues to this day. By 1990, the first Rock Guide Exam was held in Boulder, Colorado and today the AMGA offers over 300 AMGA programs each year in over 30 states and 3 countries. As of May 2010 the AMGA has trained over 5,000 guides and instructors and issued 2,568 certifications since its inception.
In 1998 the AMGA created the Top Rope Site Manager Program that, in 2008, evolved into the Single Pitch Instructor Program. AMGA Contract Programs have opened the door for hundreds of aspiring guides to enter into the training and certification program by providing alternative program opportunities that meet individuals scheduling and group arrangement needs.
Many AMGA instructors have been involved in the development of guide training for over two decades. Their wealth of knowledge and efforts to refine the educational and certification process has brought the organization’s courses and exams to an international standard. This level of training cannot be found anywhere else in the country.

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI)
The AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program is the only nationally and internationally recognized single pitch climbing instructor certification program. In 2009 the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program was recognized for meeting the “training standards” of the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) and was granted the prestigious title of “Approved Association.” No other organization in the United States offering training in single pitch terrain can make this claim. Also, the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program is recognized by many land managers, insurance companies, other associations and of course the general public.
The AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program has been created to fit in the AMGA Rock Discipline training program, taking off from the AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor Program and greatly improving the instructor’s skill sets and integrating into the next level of training, the AMGA Rock Instructor Course.
The AMGA SPI Program is for current, active rock climbers that have a real desire to teach the rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting. Candidates should be passionate rock climbers that have their own equipment, regularly climb and have been rock climbing outdoors for at least 12 months. Candidates could be current University Professors that teach climbing, Climbing Instructors, Scout Leaders, Summer Camp Professionals or climbers that wish to achieve additional training, experience and certification to gain employment as a Climbing Instructor in the Outdoor Industry. The SPI will be able to proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting.
For the purpose of the SPI Program a single pitch climb is one which:

• Is climbed without intermediate belays and presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as route finding, scrambling or navigating.

Course Length-The SPI Program is a three-day (27 hour) training course and separate two day (16 hour) assessment. Certification lasts for three years as long as the candidate keeps current AMGA Membership and First Aid Certification. After three years current SPI’s can re-take the SPI Assessment to re-gain the SPI certification. Taking any higher level AMGA Course also re-certifies the SPI certification for another three years.