Should I hire a Mountain Guide?
When to hire a Mountain Guide?
Using a mountain professional can be invaluable for both safety and enjoyment for your time in the mountains. If you are pushing your time in the mountains into new realms they can also help with gaining confidence and the skills you need to enjoy them on your own in the future. They can also help if you have specific objectives, or to set realistic aims.
Whether you are new to scrambling, climbing, mountaineering or walking there is a mountaineering guide for everyone.
Do some research
In the UK, anyone can call themselves a mountain guide but it's important to find one who is experienced, insured and qualified for the activity you want to try. Mountain Training hold a database of qualified mountaineering professionals on their website, and in addition some are qualified as British Mountain Guides.
It's important though not to consider qualifications on their own, if they are a member of a professional organisation such at the British Mountain Guides, Association of Mountaineering Instructors, or Mountain Training Association, then they will be required to keep current, and undertake a certain amount of training each year.
It's also worth checking for prior experience and insurance before you commit to a guide. A Guide's social media page will give you an idea of the work that they do, however like most information from social media, it should be taken with some caution.
So do some research and find someone you can learn from, enjoy your adventures, and prepare for the future.
Related Content
Hill Walking Articles
It isn’t just winter that brings threatening weather to the British hills. Summer storms can be fatal – so what should you do to stay safe?
Mountaineering Learn Skills
In the winter hills you need to constantly make informed decisions, some of these relating to avalanche conditions. In this article from Summit magazine, Andy Nelson takes a look at avalanches in the Scottish hills.
Mountaineering Learn Skills
Here’s your heads-up to some of the most common winter walking mistakes and how to steer clear of them.
Rock Climbing Articles
The BMC Incident and Near Miss reporting system helps to promote reflection and effect behavioural change to reduce the potential for future incidents.
Rock Climbing Skills
Lowering off from a sport climb isn't always as easy as it is at the climbing wall. Knowing a few techniques can make the difference between an enjoyable day's climbing and a trip to A&E.
Hillwalking Skills
In this guide, we share tips to help you navigate your way back to safety in the event of a whiteout.
Rock Climbing Skills
A look at the essential skill of abseiling. What do you need to know to get down in one piece?
Rock Climbing Skills
A common and false perception of abseiling is that it is an adventure activity that is completely safe. But accidents do occur even in controlled circumstances.
Mountaineering Learn Skills
Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Rob Johnson explains the essentials of choosing and using your first ice axe and crampons for winter mountaineering.
Hillwalking Skills
Scrambling is sometimes described as the middle ground between walking and climbing - and for the higher grades in particular, you’ll need some basic climbing skills. Here's our guide to staying safe on the rock.
Rock Climbing Gear
How often do you check your trad gear for damage or wear and tear? Here's the 'how' and 'why' of keeping your cams in check.
Mountaineering Learn Gear
Do you carry a first aid kit in the mountains? We take a look at the essentials for any mountaineering first aid kit and how to use them.
Mountaineering Destinations
From the serious to the seriously funny, Greg Boswell, Uisdean Hawthorn, Ross Hewitt and other experienced Scottish winter climbers offer their top advice - on what NOT to do.
Hillwalking Gear
Whilst emergencies are a rare occurrence in the hills, there are a few pieces of equipment that can make a massive difference if they do happen.
Hillwalking Skills
Know what to do if you have an emergency in the British hills.
Hill Walking Articles
In recent years, the concern of the demands on Mountain Rescue volunteers across England and Wales has been increasing, in 2023 there was a total of 3,462 calls resulting in 2,775 deployments of team members, and over the whole year there was only nine days where no mountain rescue teams were called to respond to an incident.
Hill Walking Articles
Smart phones are not just becoming popular for navigating in the mountains, they can be very reliable and used correctly are more efficient than using the traditional map and compass. However, there is still a requirement to understand a map and how the terrain is interpreted around you.
Hill Walking Articles
Hill walking in the UK presents unique challenges due to the country’s varied and often unpredictable weather. Hill walkers should be aware of all the elements you may come across.
Hillwalking Destinations
The BMC are urging people heading for Wales’ highest mountain in winter to be prepared.