Chronicle Outdoors

Keywords: Robert Montague, Marna Daley, Kimberly Schlenker, rock climbing, American Mountain Guides Association

Seeking the summit

Bozeman climber first in Montana to earn AMGA rock guide certification

By BEN PIERCE

Chronicle OutThere Editor

Robert Montague was 14 years old when he led his first multi-pitch rock climb. He was on vacation with his family climbing on the seacoast cliffs near Cornwall, England. His sister Ada Montague was following his lead.

It was Montague’s first climbing experience. He and Ada were taking instruction from a guide during a multi-day course that began with top-rope climbing and progressed to lead climbing on easy terrain within a few days.

“My guide knew he could push my limits, but still keep me safe,” Montague said recently. “Those are skills that are important as a guide.”

The experience challenged Montague physically and mentally. And it inspired a passion for climbing that recently led to his certification as a rock guide by the American Mountain Guides Association. He is the first rock climber in Montana to be certified with the AMGA’s highest level of training in the discipline.

The AMGA, based in Boulder, Colo., supports the guiding community by providing high-level education and standards in certification to ensure that quality guiding services are available to the public.

Ed Crothers, AMGA accreditation director and climbing instructor program director, said the organization’s courses are aimed at teaching individuals the skills to help other climbers achieve their goals safely in the mountain environment.

“What we are training people to do is taking recreational climbers and teaching them how to guide people efficiently through very technical terrain typically in low ratios, one to one or two to one,” Crothers said on Tuesday. “We aim to meet international standards.”

And while the AMGA is training guides to those standards in the U.S., other aspects of the profession have not caught up with those in Europe, New Zealand, Canada and other countries.

Montague, who began guiding professionally on Mt. Rainier in Washington, said guiding is perceived differently in other parts of the world. In Europe, “mountaineering is viewed like other mainstream professions that you can work for a lifetime and retire from,” he said. “The reality is that it isn’t a profession yet like it is in those countries here in the U.S.”

Among the many measures the AMGA is promoting to better establish the guiding profession in the U.S. is the concept of credential-based qualification for the permits issued by government agencies like the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. Guides and outfitters must acquire permits from those agencies to conduct business on public lands.

According to Kimberly Schlenker, recreation program manager for the Gallatin National Forest, there are roughly 150 permits issued for commercial guiding use on the Gallatin. A handful of those permits are issued to climbing guides.

Permits on the Gallatin are issued for a 10-year term and outline a specific number of “service days” during which guides may conduct business on the forest.

While Montana issues licenses to hunting and fishing guides, the state does not regulate other guiding professions such as climbing. The Forest Service evaluates those guides based on what it knows of the profession and issues permits on a case-by-case basis.

“All mountain guides in Canada need to go through rigorous training,” Schlenker said. “That is not true in this country. We don’t have black and white criteria for climbing guides, per se … we are basing it on common sense and what we believe is a minimum level of expertise to be guiding.”

Montague said the AMGA rock guide program set specific goals and requirements for certification. His final exam took place at Red Rocks Canyon in Nevada.

Montague was required to guide two climbers on a multi-pitch grade 4 route with one pitch of 5.10c climbing or harder. His work was critiqued and evaluated by professional guides that observed him planning his route, preparing his gear, monitoring the weather and establishing an escape plan.

“You are in charge to make sure everything happens the way it is supposed to so everyone stays safe, has a good time and gets to the top,” Montague said.

It’s a system of training he would like to see recognized by land managers and the public.

“My hope is that by going through this process and supporting the AMGA, that in the future we will have a profession for mountain guides, that people can call a mountain guide and ask about routes or hire them to explain rope rescue. And there is someone like that in every mountain town. They are a resource for the community.”

Marna Daley, spokeswoman for the Gallatin National Forest, said that’s exactly the way the agency wants to work with guides.

“We really look at outfitters and guides as a partner with the Forest Service to provide a service to thousands of members of the public,” Daley said. “We rely on them and they on us to provide that opportunity.”

Schlenker said a licensing system for climbing guides has likely not made the desks of state legislatures due to the low amount of use, but she said she would support a system that provides more concrete outlines for permitting.

“I think it could be good to have a rational for the kinds of training that is required,” she said. “It would be good for the public that they know the person they are out climbing with has met a minimum of training.”

Montague said that step would mean a lot for mountain guiding in this country.

“There is a lot of satisfaction in learning a tra

Robert Montague was 14 years old when he led his first multi-pitch rock climb. He was on vacation with his family climbing on the seacoast cliffs near Cornwall, England. His sister Ada Montague was following his lead.

It was Montague’s first climbing experience. He and Ada were taking instruction from a guide during a multi-day course that began with top-rope climbing and progressed to lead climbing on easy terrain within a few days.

“My guide knew he could push my limits, but still keep me safe,” Montague said recently. “Those are skills that are important as a guide.”

The experience challenged Montague physically and mentally. And it inspired a passion for climbing that recently led to his certification as a rock guide by the American Mountain Guides Association. He is the first rock climber in Montana to be certified with the AMGA’s highest level of training in the discipline.

The AMGA, based in Boulder, Colo., supports the guiding community by providing high-level education and standards in certification to ensure that quality guiding services are available to the public.

Ed Crothers, AMGA accreditation director and climbing instructor program director, said the organization’s courses are aimed at teaching individuals the skills to help other climbers achieve their goals safely in the mountain environment.

“What we are training people to do is taking recreational climbers and teaching them how to guide people efficiently through very technical terrain typically in low ratios, one to one or two to one,” Crothers said on Tuesday. “We aim to meet international standards.”

And while the AMGA is training guides to those standards in the U.S., other aspects of the profession have not caught up with those in Europe, New Zealand, Canada and other countries.

Montague, who began guiding professionally on Mt. Rainier in Washington, said guiding is perceived differently in other parts of the world. In Europe, “mountaineering is viewed like other mainstream professions that you can work for a lifetime and retire from,” he said. “The reality is that it isn’t a profession yet like it is in those countries here in the U.S.”

Among the many measures the AMGA is promoting to better establish the guiding profession in the U.S. is the concept of credential-based qualification for the permits issued by government agencies like the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. Guides and outfitters must acquire permits from those agencies to conduct business on public lands.

According to Kimberly Schlenker, recreation program manager for the Gallatin National Forest, there are roughly 150 permits issued for commercial guiding use on the Gallatin. A handful of those permits are issued to climbing guides.

Permits on the Gallatin are issued for a 10-year term and outline a specific number of “service days” during which guides may conduct business on the forest.

While Montana issues licenses to hunting and fishing guides, the state does not regulate other guiding professions such as climbing. The Forest Service evaluates those guides based on what it knows of the profession and issues permits on a case-by-case basis.

“All mountain guides in Canada need to go through rigorous training,” Schlenker said. “That is not true in this country. We don’t have black and white criteria for climbing guides, per se … we are basing it on common sense and what we believe is a minimum level of expertise to be guiding.”

Montague said the AMGA rock guide program set specific goals and requirements for certification. His final exam took place at Red Rocks Canyon in Nevada.

Montague was required to guide two climbers on a multi-pitch grade 4 route with one pitch of 5.10c climbing or harder. His work was critiqued and evaluated by professional guides that observed him planning his route, preparing his gear, monitoring the weather and establishing an escape plan.

“You are in charge to make sure everything happens the way it is supposed to so everyone stays safe, has a good time and gets to the top,” Montague said.

It’s a system of training he would like to see recognized by land managers and the public.

“My hope is that by going through this process and supporting the AMGA, that in the future we will have a profession for mountain guides, that people can call a mountain guide and ask about routes or hire them to explain rope rescue. And there is someone like that in every mountain town. They are a resource for the community.”

Marna Daley, spokeswoman for the Gallatin National Forest, said that’s exactly the way the agency wants to work with guides.

“We really look at outfitters and guides as a partner with the Forest Service to provide a service to thousands of members of the public,” Daley said. “We rely on them and they on us to provide that opportunity.”

Schlenker said a licensing system for climbing guides has likely not made the desks of state legislatures due to the low amount of use, but she said she would support a system that provides more concrete outlines for permitting.

“I think it could be good to have a rational for the kinds of training that is required,” she said. “It would be good for the public that they know the person they are out climbing with has met a minimum of training.”

Montague said that step would mean a lot for mountain guiding in this country.

“There is a lot of satisfaction in learning a trade that people are working at all over the world,” he said. “At its heart it is a noble trade. There is a lot of sweat and hard work. As a guide you step out of your personal goals and focus on keeping the people safe that are trusting you to take care of them in the mountains.

“When you can do it well, it feels really good.”

Ben Pierce can be reached at bpierce@dailychronicle.com and 582-2625. Follow him online at www.chronicleoutdoors.com and twitter.com/BGPierce.

de that people are working at all over the world,” he said. “At its heart it is a noble trade. There is a lot of sweat and hard work. As a guide you step out of your personal goals and focus on keeping the people safe that are trusting you to take care of them in the mountains.

“When you can do it well, it feels really good.”

Ben Pierce can be reached at bpierce@dailychronicle.com and 582-2625. Follow him online at www.chronicleoutdoors.com and twitter.com/BGPierce.