The profession of Mountain Guide
In Trentino the profession of “Mountain Guide – Mountaineering Master” (this is the full name) is governed by the Provincial Law which establishes the criteria for selecting and training these mountain professionals and the methods through which they can practice.
Becoming a “Mountain Guide” is not easy. A first selection admits only those with a significant mountaineering curriculum (on rock, ski mountaineering, ice and high altitude), a second selection takes place for four practical test sessions, focused on mountaineering teaching and the various mountain disciplines, in classic and modern techniques.
A Commission, made up of Guides, judges the candidates and admits those selected to the training course which covers all mountaineering disciplines, from rock climbing to ski mountaineering, from mixed ice in high-altitude to rescue techniques plus, of course, teaching exercises. Trentino, with Alto Adige and Valle d’Aosta, is the only area in Italy where courses are held every year.
At the end of the course – 85 days in a year, with daily assessments in the various tests and final assessments – the qualification of “Aspiring Mountain Guide” is obtained; after three years of apprenticeship, and after verification and control exams, the “Mountain Guide – Mountaineering Master” license is finally obtained. The title is naturally life-long, the qualification – necessary for the stable exercise of the profession – requires registration in the Professional Register and refresher courses every four years
Our history
The “Val di Sole” Mountain Guides Group was founded in 1982 on the initiative of a group of friends, mountain practitioners, with the aim of bringing together all the Guides present in the valley under a common emblem.
Over the years, various changes took place both at the corporate and staff level and many innovations have been proposed, ultimately arriving at the creation of this website, the operational showcase of our company.
International Guides
The international label “Guide de Montagne – Guida – Bergfuhrer” is an important guarantee of the quality, professionalism and above all the reliability of your Guide.
Walking with the Guides, and of course climbing on the wall, on the snow, on the ice: an experience aimed to share the values of the mountains in the freedom of an adventure without limits and without problems
Guides from Trentino
The history of Trentino’s Mountain Guides dates back to the very origins of Dolomite mountaineering, of which British, German and Austrian explorers and local Mountain Guides were the main characters. The profession of the Mountain Guide evolved: from being the companion of the rich aristocrats of the late 19th century, whose wish was to link their name to a peak or a wall, the Mountain Guide is today a trained professional, not only in the various technical disciplines of mountains, the traditional ones and the more modern ones, but also the naturalistic, cultural and ethnographic aspects of the mountain and of human life in the mountains. In addition, the Mountain Guides have written and still write important pages in the history of mountaineering on our mountains, as well as on all the mountains in the world.
The organization that informs, defends, qualifies and prepares Mountain Guides for the profession is the Provincial College of Trentino Mountain Guides. In Trentino, the Guides registered in the Register are today about 200, gathered in 12 groups between Mountaineering Schools and Guide Groups.
Practically in every valley of Trentino there is a Group and / or School of mountaineering and ski mountaineering with its own office where it is possible to ask for information, advice and adventures or teaching, thanks to the courses promoted by the Mountain Guides.
With the Guides, the “mountain professionals”, a day in the mountains, a simple hike in the woods of our natural parks, a climb in the Dolomites or a via ferrata, become unforgettable experiences. Each year the Trentino Mountain Guides propose a rich calendar of options and initiatives (daily and weekly) suitable for those who know the mountain, but more particularly for those who are approaching the mountain for the first time.
Excursions, trekking, basic rock and high mountain courses, sport climbing, but also naturalistic hikes to discover the natural beauties of the Trentino environment and in particular the natural parks where the “Park Guides” work, specialized in the subjects of nature and territory.
Val di Sole Mountain Guides
Going to the mountains, at all altitudes and at different levels, in the four seasons and in the variety of valleys and alpine areas, is the best way to discover the heart of the mountain. It is an intense emotion, which must be enjoyed in the silence of large spaces and in the freedom of large horizons: climbing or hiking, on rock or snow, are long paths to be experienced step by step.
But this emotion is even greater if on these paths you are accompanied by those who live and work in this mountain land: the “Val di Sole” Mountain Guides. People who live and work among these rocks and these glaciers, people who know everything about these mountains, from the environment to history, from mountaineering to naturalistic and scientific heritage. Set off with the “Val di Sole” Guides: you will discover the secrets and hidden corners of the Ortles-Cevedale, Adamello-Presanella and Brenta mountains and, in addition, you will be protected from any unpleasant surprises.
With the Guide at your side, the mountain becomes a friend, hiking and climbing become experiences full of serene emotions. The “Val di Sole” Mountain Guides deserve your trust: they only become Guides at the end of a long training period and after strict selection exams that issue the license necessary to practice the profession of International Mountain Guide.
The “Val di Sole” Guides are also the official guides in the Stelvio National Park, having obtained a further specialization “Park Guide” with more in-depth knowledge on the naturalistic and anthropic issues of the Stelvio National Park.
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