AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES ASSOCIATION SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINS UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL ENDORSEMENT
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Boulder, CO With unanimous support from all members of the Union Internationale des Assocations D’Alpinisme (UIAA) Training Standards Working Group and Pierre Humblet, the chair of the Mountaineering Commission, the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) is proud to announce that its Single Pitch Instructor Certification Program (SPI) earns the highly respected international training label through the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation.
With the UIAA Training Label, the AMGA is able to prove that their training and assessment method for the SPI program have been independently examined by the UIAA and meets the common international standards for a national training and certification program. This makes it possible for professionals from different countries to recognize each other’s qualifications.
The AMGA SPI Program is the only internationally endorsed certification program in the United States that is recognized by and has met the minimum training standards of the UIAA. Land managers, insurance companies, educational institutions, guide services, and most importantly the general public nationally recognize the AMGA SPI Certification. It is the highest standard attainable for single pitch instructors in the USA.
The AMGA applauds the UIAA Training Standards Working Group, Pierre Humblet, and Steve Long for working with the AMGA for the past three years going through the lengthy review and assessment process of our SPI certification program. The AMGA would also like to thank the American Alpine Club for their continued support of our association. It is a great honor for our organization to receive UIAA recognition for the AMGA’s SPI program.
About the AMGAThe American Mountain Guide’s Association (AMGA) is the premier source for training, credentials, and services for professional mountain guides and climbing instructors in the United States. The AMGA is the sole US representative of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA). The SPI program is for current, active rock climbers that have a real desire to teach rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting. To find a SPI Course or Assessment near you go to the AMGA website, www.amga.com. For more information about the AMGA contact Betsy Novak, Executive Director, at betsy@amga.com
About the UIAAThe UIAA was founded in 1932. It started as a European organization, but now all continents are represented with 82 member organizations from 57 different countries. The UIAA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for mountaineering.
Since 1964 climbers have been able to look for the UIAA Safety Label when they buy climbing equipment. The label means that products have been tested to the highest standards. Since 2004 the UIAA has also awarded the Environment Label to those who follow UIAA environmental guidelines when organizing activities in the mountains.
For more information please visit www.theuiaa.org