American Mountain Guides Cooperative
Find a Guide
You tell us what you kind of program your looking for and where and we put you in touch with a local independent guide.
Rock Climb
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Backcountry Ski
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Ice Climb
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Expeditions
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Rock Climb · Backcountry Ski · Ice Climb · Expeditions ·
Why Work With an Independent Guide?
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Work with Specialists in their Craft.
The certified guides we work with are long time pros. They have spent long careers creating unique experiences they specialize in. You cant find these programs at the big box store--you need to go direct to the guide for these.
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Enable a Diverse Inclusive Workforce
Independent guides get paid a professional wage. This means they can come from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just one that is finically privileged. Supporting independent guides helps create a more diverse inclusive outdoor industry.
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Have a Professional Dedicated to Your Goals
The mountains can be a dangerous place and trust is essential. Being connected directly with the person your teaming up with throughout the whole process will provide a much safer more rewarding experience. Building relationships with guides helps them recommend further objectives and meet your goals in the long run.
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Empower Long Term Professionals
Most guides leave the industry after 5-7 years because it’s not financially tenable working for a guide service. Working directly with a independent guide means they make a professional wage. Supporting independent guides lets them avoid burnout and spend many more years in the field honing their craft.
Why hiring guides directly helps the industry and you.
Working with independent guides you’ll find long term career professionals—they have been in the industry for a long time and have honed their craft. They can be available before and after your trip and they wont be burnt out. They are the experts in their trade and provide unique experiences you cant find at the big box store.
Because there are little to no regulations around who can be a guide in the United States, the market is saturated with young people who will work for cheep. The guiding industry is a hard one to make a living in, unless you start working for yourself as a ‘independent’ guide.
At the biggest, most prestigious guides services in the States a guide will have a hard time making more than $20/hour, even after they worked there for over ten years.
Working with an independent guide means they see the lion share of the cost. This has a very beneficial impact on your experience as well as the industry. They wont be fighting burn out and they will be able to dedicate time to you throughout the whole process. They have also been in the industry much longer and have perfected unique specialized trips. They make a professional wage so they can bring you a professional product.
Supporting longterm career guides has some great impacts on the larger industry as well. The challenges company guides have making ends meet financially, means that the industry is not diverse or inclusive of anyone without fairly privileged backgrounds. Supporting a livable wage supports a more inclusive industry.
Let us put you in touch directly with a certified guide who will work with you throughout the whole process creating exactly the experience your looking for.