Why Hire a Guide?
By Lisa Kadane (2006)Guiding Light
Like hiring a guide to trek the Inca Trail in Peru, or signing up for a guided safari in Africa, it pays to have a trained local point you in the right direction, keep you out of harm’s way, and show you the area’s secret treasures. After all, if you’re travelling all the way to South America, the Dark Continent or to the Canadian Rockies, you’re likely seeking a one-of-a-kind experience.That’s what Sue and Bob McVey were looking for when they recently vacationed in Banff National Park. The active couple and their two teenage sons, visiting from Chicago, wanted to maximize their time outdoors during the five day trip. They rented canoes, went golfing and hired an accredited guide for a day.
“That was the highlight of the trip,” says Sue. “He took us to places we never would have gotten on our own…with a private guide we were able to tailor our day specifically to what we wanted to do.”
Not only did the guide take them on a hiking trail where they saw mountain goats and a black bear (Sue shot some video footage), the whole family learned a great deal about the Rocky Mountains.
History Lessons While Hoofing It
A century ago the expanse of the Canadian Rockies, wedged vertically between British Columbia and Alberta, was one unexplored mountain wilderness teeming with alps rivaling Europe’s. Its uncharted terrain was a magnet for both well-heeled tourists and adventurers searching for first ascents.
Because the tourists were often daredevils themselves, but lacked the knowledge and skills to traverse glaciers or ascend granite peaks, trained alpine guides were imported from Switzerland to lead fledgling mountaineers safely through the backcountry.
Today’s professionally certified guides are merely picking up where the tradition left off, showing visitors from around the world the mountains they call their own backyard.
That’s what Matthias Ahrens does every day during the summer when he leads tourists on alpine hikes, rock climbing excursions and mountaineering trips. The German native is a certified mountain guide with five years of training and nearly two decades of hiking and climbing experience in the Rocky Mountains. He’s also the in-house mountain guide at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Nestled in the heart of Banff National Park, the luxurious hotel operates a Mountain Heritage Program, as do sister Fairmont properties the Banff Springs Hotel and Jasper Park Lodge.
“I take people beyond the established trails. I call it, quite often, ‘off the beaten path’,” Ahrens says. “All of us (guides), we have our secret spots where we like to take guests, where no one else goes.”
It might be to the foot of a little-known waterfall or to a stellar viewpoint that shows the breathtaking glacier-carved sweep of the Bow Valley.
Certified Guides
Joining a regularly scheduled hike through a hotel is a good way to hit the high country, but hiring a private guide, as the McVeys did, is perhaps a more rewarding way to explore Jasper and Banff national parks. You can hire professionally certified mountain guides directly through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and certified interpretive hiking guides though the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association (MPHIA). Keep in mind that only fully fledged mountain guides (the highest certification from the ACMG) are legally allowed to take you off trail in the national parks.
The beauty of hiring an accredited guide is they make ideal hosts for tourists keen on learning the natural history of the area, as they usually have a greater interest in nature than the average person. Private guides are also employed by folks timid about venturing into grizzly bear country.
"Mountain guides are also in demand because they make trip planning easy for those with limited time," says Gord Stermann, owner of White Mountain Adventures, a well-know guiding outfit. “Guides bring the maps, book the campsites, buy the food and know the route. All the traveller has to do is show up."
Additional Planning Ideas
- The Mountain Heritage Guide program, offered by Fairmont’s Alberta resort hotels, offers guided interpretive hikes. Call (403) 522-3511 for more information.
- As well as offering accredited MPHIA guiding services, the folks at Great Divide Nature Interpretation in Lake Louise are local naturalists who know the landscape like few others. Hike with them in the summer or showshoe in the winter. Call toll free at 1-866-522-2735.
- Join a day hike or backcountry camping trip with Banff-based White Mountain Adventures: 1-800-408-0005. The company also offers private guides.
- Yamnuska offers mountaineering and rock climbing instruction, training and guiding. All guides are ACMG certified. Call 1-866-678-4164.
Once again...
- To hire a certified mountain guide, contact the ACMG directly. Call 403.678.2815.
- To hire an accredited interpretive hiking guide, contact the MPHIA directly. Call 403.760.2854
