Have Any of You Started the AMGA Guide Path Later in Life?

I'm 47 years old and starting on the guide pathway for AMGA.

Not starting this thread to discuss AMGA but the merits/possibility of progressing to guiding as an older person.

Not trying to "spray" here (in fact, most would not consider my achievements spray worthy!) but to give you a background of where I am now I'll lay out my current fitness and past experience below:

I used to climb a lot, have been over 20,000 feet on three different mountains (summited two of them-One in Ecuador, one in Nepal---made the hanging glacier camp 3 at over 20,000 on Ama Dablam but did not summit it in the year 2000) and climbed numerous others (Rainier/Adams/Whitney Eastside, Cotopaxi, etc) all on "my own"--non-guided, with climbing partners.  Led multi-pitch ice and trad a lot from 16 to 32 years old.  Then I stopped when my Army career started to ramp up and for my residency and surgical fellowship.  Now I'm getting close to Army retirement (3 years away) and I have been getting back into climbing for the last 10 months--slowly but steadily improving as I do not want to injure myself by over-training.  I'm back leading sport/trad multipitch now and loving it here in Germany.

I'm in pretty good shape (I run one or two ultramarathons a year and usually run over a 1,000 miles per year), maxed my Army PT test nearly every time for the last 19 years, have a strong core, weigh 160 and I'm just under 5'11'.  So decent shape but no Brad Pitt.  No current health problems (knock on wood).  Been doing Taekwondo at least twice a week for the last 27 years--flexibility is there but not as great as I would like.

I'm climbing solid 5.10 again after restarting climbing 10 months ago and feeling pretty strong but I'm taking it slowly so that I do not injure myself.

I just finished (and passed) the WFRer course and I have registered for the SPI course in October in the Gunks.  If that goes well I plan on doing the SPI assessment next summer (2020). Then I'm thinking possibly the Basic Rock Guide course and then the Alpine and Advanced Rock guide paths in 2021 to 2025.  Ambitious, I know, but if I can stay healthy I should have the time and money and location to pursue these.

My end goal is to retire from the Army in 3 years, work as a doc 3-4 days a week and climb 2 or 3 days a week.  I'd love to guide professional 2-4 times a month.  I know I will not be guiding El Cap or anything crazy but I can see myself leading clients on Whitehorse/Cannon/Cathedral/Daks sort of stuff.

I would not be doing it for the money but more for the experience.  I've always loved helping others climb and have rediscovered that love over the past 6 months in the gym and at the crags.

So, bottom line:  Have any of you started the guiding cert past 40 years old?  If some are you are guiding in your late 40's/50's+, do you think my plan is feasible?  Any advice?

Thanks!

Buck,

Really ask yourself how much do you like working with people? Guiding is more about people skills, managing risk and managing rope systems than it is about getting out climbing. Guiding is teaching. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who are not good teachers.

Get yourself a copy of The Mountain Guide Manual by Marc Chauvin get really good and efficient at belaying two seconds at the same time and one followed by the other. Work on transitions. Reach out to other older or more experienced guides.

Art Mooney who is an IFMGA/AMGA guide who is still very active would be a great person to contact and ask questions.

Well, FWIW, my plan is pretty much exactly your plan (down to the locations!), with the idea of making the career switch once my kids are out of the house.   So I intend to start the courses in 2-3yrs.

I know several SPIs and based on your experience/skill, I think you'll have no problem with that course/certification.

However: read the SPI book ahead of time anyway and practice those systems (most of which are, unsurprisingly, more suitable for top-roping and instruction of beginners than what you may know from multi-pitch/alpinism).   Maybe you've never thought about a belayed rappel, or what to do if said rappeller gets stuck somehow (hint: it helps if their rap line is proactively fixed with a releasable knot).

Buck Rogers wrote: I'm 47 years old and starting on the guide pathway for AMGA.

Not starting this thread to discuss AMGA but the merits/possibility of progressing to guiding as an older person.

Not trying to "spray" here (in fact, most would not consider my achievements spray worthy!) but to give you a background of where I am now I'll lay out my current fitness and past experience below:

I used to climb a lot, have been over 20,000 feet on three different mountains (summited two of them-One in Ecuador, one in Nepal---made the hanging glacier camp 3 at over 20,000 on Ama Dablam but did not summit it in the year 2000) and climbed numerous others (Rainier/Adams/Whitney Eastside, Cotopaxi, etc) all on "my own"--non-guided, with climbing partners. Led multi-pitch ice and trad a lot from 16 to 32 years old. Then I stopped when my Army career started to ramp up and for my residency and surgical fellowship. Now I'm getting close to Army retirement (3 years away) and I have been getting back into climbing for the last 10 months--slowly but steadily improving as I do not want to injure myself by over-training. I'm back leading sport/trad multipitch now and loving it here in Germany.

I'm in pretty good shape (I run one or two ultramarathons a year and usually run over a 1,000 miles per year), maxed my Army PT test nearly every time for the last 19 years, have a strong core, weigh 160 and I'm just under 5'11'. So decent shape but no Brad Pitt. No current health problems (knock on wood). Been doing Taekwondo at least twice a week for the last 27 years--flexibility is there but not as great as I would like.

I'm climbing solid 5.10 again after restarting climbing 10 months ago and feeling pretty strong but I'm taking it slowly so that I do not injure myself.

I just finished (and passed) the WFRer course and I have registered for the SPI course in October in the Gunks. If that goes well I plan on doing the SPI assessment next summer (2020). Then I'm thinking possibly the Basic Rock Guide course and then the Alpine and Advanced Rock guide paths in 2021 to 2025. Ambitious, I know, but if I can stay healthy I should have the time and money and location to pursue these.

My end goal is to retire from the Army in 3 years, work as a doc 3-4 days a week and climb 2 or 3 days a week. I'd love to guide professional 2-4 times a month. I know I will not be guiding El Cap or anything crazy but I can see myself leading clients on Whitehorse/Cannon/Cathedral/Daks sort of stuff.

I would not be doing it for the money but more for the experience. I've always loved helping others climb and have rediscovered that love over the past 6 months in the gym and at the crags.

So, bottom line: Have any of you started the guiding cert past 40 years old? If some are you are guiding in your late 40's/50's+, do you think my plan is feasible? Any advice?

Thanks!

@Buck!

How's the Guide certification process going?

I’m kind of on the opposite end of the scale. I just got my SPI last spring at 18 years old. I have been guiding a little bit since then and there’s nothing better than seeing people make breakthroughs in their climbing and gain confidence in themselves. 

I say go for it! Why not? 

Houghton Gremlin wrote:

I’m kind of on the opposite end of the scale. I just got my SPI last spring at 18 years old. I have been guiding a little bit since then and there’s nothing better than seeing people make breakthroughs in their climbing and gain confidence in themselves. 

I say go for it! Why not? 

Nice work Houghton!

It's not too late to start. I got my SPI at 47 and recertified this year at 51. Guiding has become a part-time gig for me, mostly on weekends and school breaks (I work in education). I don't live somewhere that supports guiding full-time, but I'd pursue it if I did. I've still got the energy, and it beats the hell out of working inside.

For me, the limitations that my location presents for the amount of guiding and the type of guiding (it's almost all single-pitch in Texas), I can't justify the time or the cost for Rock Guide or higher, but since you say you're not doing it for the money but rather for the experience, then there's nothing to stop you.

By the way, I have a friend who's 72 and occasionally works as an assistant guide. He also still climbs much better than I do.

So you're definitely not too old. Good luck!

Jason Antin wrote:

@Buck!

How's the Guide certification process going?

Wow!  Old thread!

I'm still climbing!

I have my SPI and recert'd on my WFRer this spring.  

I am actually still on Active Duty in the Army as they agreed to move me to Colorado so that has put a damper on further AMGA progression for now.

We love living here and I've been trying to tick a few famous climbs off my wish list but with 3 kids still at home and 2 in college, and the fulltime job, I'm not climbing as much as I would like. My ticklist, limited as it is, is mostly up to date.

Still hoping to do some easy guiding when I retire (like taking old people like myself up multi-pitch 5.6's safely!) for a company or something but it will definitely not be for the money.

TBH, I doubt that I will lay down the multi-thousands of dollars and the week+ long courses required for the BRG and Alpine courses as it doesn't make financial sense.

I'd prefer to meander up another alpine 5.6 with the kiddos or go to Bleau for a few weeks!

Bottom line:  No delusions of grandeur for me, just having fun one day at a time on the rock and being safe!

Houghton Gremlin wrote:

I’m kind of on the opposite end of the scale. I just got my SPI last spring at 18 years old. I have been guiding a little bit since then and there’s nothing better than seeing people make breakthroughs in their climbing and gain confidence in themselves. 

I say go for it! Why not? 

Well done!

If you have the financial ability to do the courses, go for it!

You'll only be safer and it is something better started at 18 than at 50!

Buck, I don't see any reason for you to take the Alpine Course.  SPI cert and Rock Guide course (not neccesarily the follow-up exam) mightreally be all you need to do what you say you want.

Mike (first AMGA cert in my late 40s)

I got my SPI at the age of 59. I’d been an assistant for a guide service for a year previous. Guided off and on for a few years in the mid 90s. I’ll be 63 in January. I probably guide around 75 days a year (I’m retired). I’ve climbed for 42 years - 8 (or is it 9) 6000 meter summits, a bunch of hard ice routes all over N America and a bunch of Canadian Rockies alpine climbs. Rock climbs in too many places to remember them all! I’ll be working outside SOP this winter hence will relinquish my AMGA membership when it expires. Would pursue further courses however quite honestly I can’t meet the movement standards for rock (can for ice). Plus with courses so backed up I think it’s important for the young guides to be able to progress their career paths. Realistically I’ll guide until I drop however I’m sure I’ll slow down as I get older.