Training and certification
This page is also available in: Icelandic
- Hard Ice Guide Training
- Hard Ice Guide Aspirant
- Hard Ice Guide
- Alpine Trekking Guide Trainee
- Alpine Trekking Guide
Hard Ice Guide Training
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Basic Hard Ice guide training is four days and takes place on outlet glaciers. Course topics
include route selection, crevasse rescue, ice climbing, communication with guests and group management.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites for the course are basic mountaineering and rope skills. The prerequisites are, but not limited to:
- Icelandic Guide certificates or diplomas
- Basic ICE-SAR training
- General glacier and mountain experience
All Hard Ice 1 participants should fulfill specific prerequisites. Specific prerequisites are, but not limited to:
- Basic crampon techniques and movement skills on glaciers on hard ice
- Basic rappel and rope-ascending skills
- Basic construction and types of ice-screw anchors
- Basic crevasse rescue rope set-up
EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated throughout the course according to the course curriculum set by
the Association of Icelandic Mountainguides. Constructive and realistic feedback will be
given by the instructors at the end of each course, and at the end of a given day if needed.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon completion of this course, participants are certified to guide on hard ice as AIMG hard ice guide trainees under supervision from a certified Hard Ice Guide. Supervision should be direct in the beginning of the training, but can become in direct in summer, when conditions are good.
March 2020
Hard Ice Guide Aspirant
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This assessment/instructional course is five days and takes place on outlet glaciers. Main
topics of glacier guiding and accident management are assessed. Such as, route selection,
crevasse rescue, ice climbing, communication with guests and group management. The
instructional part aims to increase guiding skill in complex terrain and advanced rescue
scenarios.
Prerequisites:
The prerequisites are:
- Have completed Hard Ice 1 with positive feedback from lead-instructor
- Have a minimum of 30 days working experience on outlet glaciers
- Have minimum of 10 day’s in challenging terrain to increase personal skill including
ice climbing - Have a valid advanced first aid certificate (70hrs)
EVALUATION:
Main topics of the assessment are communication with guests, route-selection, instructional skills, glaciology, crevasse rescue, rope management as well as advanced rescue operations.
Students will be evaluated throughout the course according to the course curriculum set by
the Association of Icelandic Mountain guides.
Constructive and realistic feedback will be given by the instructors at the end of each course, and at the end of a given day if needed.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon completion of this course, participants are certified to guide on hard ice as AIMG
Aspirant Hard Ice Guide under in direct supervision from an AIMG certified Hard Ice Guide.
March 2020
Hard Ice Guide
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Hard Ice Guide is an exam that is 4 days and takes place on outlet glaciers. Main topics of
hard ice guiding are assessed in simple and complex terrain. The assessment includes,
advanced rescue operations, route-selection, crevasse rescue, ice climbing, communication
with guests and group management.
Prerequisites:
The prerequisites are:
- Have completed Hard Ice 2
- Have a minimum of 100 days working experience, confirmed by Hard Ice 2 / Hard Ice
3 guide - Have minimum of 20 training day’s in complex terrain focusing on movement skill
development, including ice climbing in steep terrain - Have a valid advanced first aid certificate (70hrs)
EXAM SETUP:
The main topics of the exam are communications with guests, route-selection instructional
skills, glaciology, crevasse rescue, rope management as well as advanced rescue operations.
Students will be evaluated throughout the course according to the course curriculum set by
the Association of Icelandic Mountainguides.
Constructive and realistic feedback will be given by the instructors at the end of each course, and at the end of a given day if needed.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon successful completion of the Hard Ice Guide exam, participants are certified through
AIMG as Hard Ice Guides. Hard Ice Guides are certified to observe trainees and aspirant
guides as well decide, depending on conditions client to guide ratios in glacier operations.
March 2020
Alpine Trekking Guide Trainee
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Basic training for Alpine trekking guides is five days and takes place in variable landscape.
Course topics include route selection, route cards, navigation, snow safety, crevasse rescue, rope management for glacier travel, emergency shelters, radio communication,
communication with guests and group management.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites for the course are basic mountaineering and rope skills. Prerequisites are, but not limited to:
- Icelandic Guide certificates or diplomas
- Basic ICE-SAR training
- Basic mountaineering courses
If participants have extensive mountaineering experience, they can apply for course
exemption.
All Apprentice alpine trekking guide participants should fulfill specific prerequisites.
Specific prerequisites are, but not limited to:
- To have completed the AIMG Hard Ice 1 course
- To have taken a minimum of 10 mountaineering tours, with a minimum of 5
mountaineering trips on glaciated terrain - Basic crampon techniques and movement skills in the mountains and glaciers on hard
ice - Basic rappel and rope-ascending skills
- Basic construction and types of ice-screw and snow anchors
- Good knowledge in use of maps, compasses and GPS devices
EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated throughout the course according to the course curriculum set by
the Association of Icelandic Mountainguides. Constructive and realistic feedback will be
given by the instructors at the end of each course, and at the end of a given day if needed. To pass the course, students are obliged to show with confidence the skills in technical rope management, organization and implementations of mountain trips.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon completion of this course, participants are certified through AIMG as alpine trekking guide trainee.
Alpine trekking guide trainee can lead groups under direct & in-direct supervision from a
certified AIMG Alpine trekking guide in non-technical snow covered, glaciated terrain.
March 2020
Alpine Trekking Guide
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This assessment is five days and takes place in mountains and on outlet glaciers.
Main topics of alpine trekking are assessed including route selection, trip organization,
crevasse rescue, communication with guests and group management. As well, continuing
instructions on rope support, bergscrund management and belay options in steeper terrain.
Prerequisites:
All alpine trekking guide participants should fulfill specific prerequisites. Specific
prerequisites are, but not limited to:
- Have completed Alpine Trekking Guide training with positive feedback from lead instructor
- Have a minimum of 20 days experience on glaciated mountains that divide into;
- 10 day’s guiding on glaciated terrain
- 8 day’s on your own in more technical terrain
- 2 day’s on glaciated terrain that include over night in tent or bivy
- Have a valid advanced first aid certificate (70hrs)
- Have a valid advanced avalanche certificate (56hrs)
EVALUATION:
Main topics of this assessment are communication with guests, trip organization, navigation, route-selection, crevasse rescue, group management and rope management.
Students will be evaluated throughout the course according to the course curriculum set by
the Association of Icelandic Mountainguides.
Constructive and realistic feedback will be given by the instructors at the end of each day.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon successful completion of this assessment, participants are certified through AIMG as
Alpine trekking guides.
Alpine trekking guides can lead groups on non-technical snow covered, glaciated terrain.
March 2020
Path to an instructor rating
OVERVIEW
The AIMG path to becoming an instructor and / or an assessor for the Hard Ice program
Hard Ice 1 instructor
To become a certified instructor for Hard Ice 1 the following criteria has to be met:
1. To have the status of Hard Ice Guide and Alpine Trekking Guide
2. To have been an apprentice instructor* for Hard Ice 1
3. To have been an assistant instructor for Hard Ice 1 with a certified instructor
4. To have been a lead guide on a Hard Ice 1 course with a positive review from an assessor**
* An apprentice instructor is not financially compensated and observes another certified instructor hosting a course. After that it is possible to be an assistant instructor.
** An assessor shall be a certified Hard Ice assessor and shall act as an assistant instructor during the course.
Hard Ice 2/ 3 assessor
To gain the status as a Hard Ice 2-3 instructor the following criteria has to be met:
– To have been a lead instructor for Hard Ice 1 three times.
– To have been an apprentice instructor* for Hard Ice 3.
– To have been an assistant instructor for Hard Ice 2.
– To have been a lead instructor for Hard Ice 2 and received a positive review**
Recurrency for Hard Ice instructors and assessors
The rights for instructors and assessors shall be valid three years since the last course. After that time the person must be an assistant instructor with a certified instructor/assessor to reinstate their instructor certificate.
Translated from Þjálfun og réttindi 2.3 Ferli AIMG til að gerast leiðbeinandi
This page is also available in: Icelandic