The American Mountain Guides Association ( AMGA ) is the United States' "sole representative to the 21-member International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA), the international governing body responsible for guiding standards and education around the world". AMGA is a non-profit organization that seeks to represent the interests of American mountain guides by providing support, education, and standards. The Association offers training courses and certification exams in rock, alpine and ski mountaineering .
12-739: In 1979, 12 guides came together to form what was to become the American Mountain Guides Association as we know it today. AMGA aims to support "the guiding profession by providing representation for land use access, education, training, and examination based on international standards for guiding". As a result of this commitment, AMGA became a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations in 1997. The American Mountain Guide's Association Mission To be
24-552: A guided trip to the summit of Mount Rainier. Between 1988 and 2014, RMI has raised $ 4.4 million for the ALA. In 2009, RMI guides Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker led a charity climb on Mt. Rainier with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , former Seattle Seahawks Coach Jim Mora , and former Seattle Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke . The mountaineering trip raised $ 400,000 for United Way of King County in Washington State. Also in 2009, RMI founded
36-675: Is a magazine focused on the outdoors. The first issue of the Outside magazine was published in September 1977. It is published by Outside Inc. , a company that also owns various other ventures. Outside founders were Jann Wenner (the first editor in chief), William Randolph Hearst III (its first managing editor), and Jack Ford (an assistant to founding publisher Donald Welsh and a son of former U.S. President Gerald Ford ). Wenner sold Outside to Lawrence J. Burke two years later. Burke merged it into his magazine Mariah (founded in 1976) and after
48-556: Is a mountain guide company based in Ashford , Washington founded in 1969 by Jerry Lynch and Lou Whittaker . It leads mountaineering, ski mountaineering, and ice climbing trips on Mount Rainier and the Seven Summits . RMI is owned and operated by Peter Whittaker, the son of Lou Whittaker and the nephew of Jim Whittaker , who was the first American mountaineer to successfully reach the summit of Mount Everest . Peter Whittaker has been at
60-686: The North Cascades , Chile , Ecuador , Mexico , and Peru . RMI guides include Peter Whittaker, Dave Hahn , Melissa Arnot , and Ed Viesturs . In 2014, RMI was named “Best Outfitter” by Outside Magazine in their 2014 Travel Awards. Since 1988, RMI has supported the American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific through the Climb for Clean Air fundraiser. During the annual charity climb, RMI guides lead fundraiser participants on
72-548: The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS . The AMGA offers two different climbing instructor programs. The Single Pitch Instructor and the Climbing Wall Instructor. The Single Pitch Instructor Program teaches climbing instructors to proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting. Certification lasts for three years. After three years current SPI's can re-take
84-579: The CWI: AMGA CWI Top Rope and AMGA CWI Lead. The course length is a minimum of 20 hours of instruction, skills demonstration, and evaluation. The course typically runs over 2.5 days. The certification lasts for three years, and can be renewed via a one day reassessment. AMGA CWI Lead Instructors are limited to the following terrain: AMGA CWI Top Rope Instructors are limited to the following terrain: Rainier Mountaineering RMI Expeditions , also known as Rainier Mountaineering Inc. ( RMI ),
96-626: The Responsible Climbing Initiative. This arm of the company supports environmental organizations through monetary donations. RMI is a partner of the Leave No Trace program of the Center for Outdoor Ethics. Leave No Trace partners raise awareness of outdoor ethics. In 2009, Eddie Bauer and a group of RMI guides worked together to design a line of technical outdoor clothing called "First Ascent". Outside Magazine Outside
108-488: The SPI Assessment to regain the certification. The certification consists of a three day (24 hours) course and a two day (16 hours) exam. AMGA Single Pitch Instructors are expected to operate within the confines of the following terrain limitations: The Climbing Wall Instructor Program (CWI) was introduced in 2007 to certify professionals who teach in an indoor or artificial wall environment. There are two certifications for
120-569: The head of RMI since the late 1990s. RMI is accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). AMGA accreditation certifies that client education in essential mountaineering skills is a primary focus of the mountain guide company. RMI Expeditions leads mountaineering trips on Mount Rainier , the Seven Summits – Mount Everest , Aconcagua , Mount McKinley , Mount Kilimanjaro , Mount Elbrus , Vinson Massif , and Carstensz Pyramid . The company also guides in
132-419: The leader in education, standards, and advocacy for professional guides and climbing instructors. AMGA requires that any guide who wishes to become accredited attend a certified guide program and receive wilderness medical training. Only a handful of organizations are recognized by AMGA as meeting their standards. There are currently 30 organizations that AMGA feels meet the standards it has set out. Some of
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#1732901883559144-514: The organizations that AMGA recognizes for guide training are Colorado Mountain School, Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, and Rainier Mountaineering . For wilderness first aid training, even fewer organizations are recognized by AMGA. AMGA currently recognizes only eleven organizations. A few examples of such wilderness medical training organizations are Remote Medical International and
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