What is an IFMGA guide?
IFMGA Badge
IFMGA stands for International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations, and is the umbrella organisation which mountain guide organisations from various countries are allowed to join once they have shown that their training and assessment programs are of a sufficiently high standard. (Great Britain, for example, was admitted into the IFMGA in the mid seventies).
It is the highest award for mountaineering and skiing activites, and whilst individual country's training schemes differ somewhat, qualified guides from any member country are considered as being the same standard, with all the basic disciplines having been rigourously assessed. Unlike in Britain where anyone can guide people in the mountains legally regardless of qualification, only IFMGA guides are allowed to work in the high mountains, on glaciers, etc. in most Alpine countries. Illegal guiding is taken very seriously and has resulted in prison sentences for those caught. Always make sure your "guide" is appropriately qualified - if yours isn't and is caught, it will be the end of your holiday. You will have no idea of his/her level of competance, and your insurance will most likely be invalidated. See the website of the British Association of Mountain Guides (IFMGA members) at www.bmg.org.uk for more information, including a full description of the training and assessment process for British IFMGA guides.