What ski level is required for British Mountain Guides?

British Mountain Guides must demonstrate expert-level skiing proficiency across all terrain and snow conditions. BASS has been instrumental in establishing and training to these standards since the 1990s.

Where was this article originally published?

This article was originally published in High Magazine in 1999, the UK's leading mountaineering and alpine sports publication. High Magazine's editorial standards and respected position in the mountaineering community make this a significant endorsement of BASS's role in mountain guide training.

Archive article — British Alpine Ski School - BASS,English speaking ski schools

Off Piste Skiing on the British Mountain Guides in service training course

By Hugh Monney - originally published in High Magazine, February 1999

BASS website 1999

Archive link :https://web.archive.org/web/20000709103552fw_/http://www.britishskischool.com/articlesf.htm

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We were skinning up to the Col de Beugeant in the Aiguilles Rouges. The world was hot and white and steep. The granular snow, transformed over weeks by the sun, was already softening from the heat of the day, having frozen hard overnight. The rhythmic movements and the rhythmic sounds produced a hypnotic effect, broken only by the rare, softly spoken, exchanges.

The secret, and the joy, was to immerse myself in the rhythm. Relaxing in it and appreciating it. Trusting it to transport me through time and space. An elusive state of mind, but time passes strangely when I find it. Every step takes forever, but the journey takes no time at all. Every step takes energy, but the journey becomes effortless. A very valuable state of mind too. Losing it would reduce the journey to a difficult slog, struggling for balance, struggling for energy and struggling for air. And struggling to retain a sense of perspective and a sense of humour.

There was no danger of that with the members of this party. Each and every one of the dozen group members was a highly skilled, highly qualified mountain professional and each one shared the appreciation for the rhythm.

There was also the unspoken, but keenly felt, appreciation of the special nature of our surroundings. The perspective was surrealistic, as we climbed up the steep, then steeper, face.

The deep blue of sky was cut at extreme angles by the blinding white planes of the mountain. Part way through another kick turn and, momentarily, the snow seemed inches from my face. Then, a snap down with my heel, to clear the ski tip from the snow, the pivot and follow through, and I was on the next traverse line. The same blue and white at crazy angles and the world falling away steeply underfoot.

What a place, what a feeling and what a band of companions to share it with!

Many of the party were fully qualified UIAGM High Mountain Guides, from the highly respected British Association of Mountain Guides, including Mark Diggins, the Training officer of the BMG at the time, Nigel Shepherd, the previous incumbent of that exalted post and Jim Kerr, who was to become Training Officer after Digger had completed his stint. Others were aspirant Guides. Already highly qualified, seasoned mountain professionals, they were preparing for the final test that would lead to international certification. This test would involve an evaluation of ski touring skills, including a rigorous assessment of their off piste skiing abilities.

Which explained the presence of the last two party members, BASI Trainers Les Ward and myself. It was our role and our privilege to work with the group members to improve their understanding of skiing and their performance, with particular emphasis on off piste skiing.

The course, based in Argentiere, was set up by Shep and Digger as an in service training opportunity for BMG members, many of whom were keen to improve their off piste skiing skills. The course had attracted many fully certified Guides as well as Aspirant Guides preparing themselves for full certification.

The first skiing day followed an introductory evening, and took place at Le Tour, at the head of the Chamonix valley. This venue gave us relatively simple pistes for the introduction of the fundamental elements of skiing, which was the first job.

Many people just go skiing and find a way of getting down, developing a style of their own over the years. Real skiing, however, is actually made up of specific ingredients, which skiers can learn to blend with sensitivity and skill. The is the basis for skilful, rhythmic, elegant skiing, that allows you to flow with the mountain, rather than battle against it.

Le Tour also provided a magnificent, natural half pipe gully in which to shed our inhibitions and become playful, adventurous skiers. A truly wonderful experience, and I am yet to meet a Guide who exits this gully without discovering the joy that can be found in skiing.

An evening review and goal setting session, a good meal and a quiet evening in a local hostelry and we were ready for day two.

Les Grandes Montets, Argentiere. Home of steep challenging terrain and limitless off piste possibilities. Here the groups spent most of the morning applying newly discovered skiing skills on steeper terrain and at higher speeds. Followed, of course, by a run from the summit onto the Argentiere glacier, dealing with wide open slopes, deep windblown snow and some narrow gullies. Making skis work predictably in deep snow, on steep ground, in narrow gullies, through bumps and at high speed took up the rest of day two and all of day three, providing steep learning curves as the pennies dropped. I have yet to meet another set of people who can acquire these skills so rapidly.

To return to the story of the tour, we found ourselves on the route from Flegere to Le Buet, by way of the Col du Beugeant, on the penultimate day of the five day course. We had taken the ski lift to l'Index and then traversed across to the lac Blanc, fitting our skins on the way. From there the climb had become progressively steeper until we were on a face with a sustained pitch of more than 30 degrees. This proved to be a simple practice pitch for what was to come, for as we turned the right hander to gain access to the final pitch, the terrain soared upwards, ever steeper, to the col.

Here, we each had to make sure that the coordination of the up-hill kick turn was fluid and precise. Catching a ski tip in the snow half way round, so easily done on very steep ground, leaves the skier trapped in a hopeless no-man's land. Facing the slope in the splits, with ski tips apart and tails crossed, the skier risks being overbalanced by his rucksack while attempting to recover. A situation best avoided.

This section was a great technical workout for the less experienced skiers in the group. The col itself is accessed by a simple rock traverse, so at the appropriate place I kicked myself a ledge to stand on and I strapped my skis onto my rucksack. From this vantage point I observed an amazing transition,which I can still remember. One of the aspirant guides removed his skis and turned from competent practitioner into world class expert. "Don't worry, Hugh, I'm on my feet now!" he said quietly, with a smile. He seemed to glide across the snow and the rock traverse in a series of light fluid movements, barely touching the ground.

We arrived at the col about two hours after leaving l'Index. We set about scraping traces of skin adhesive from our ski bases, taking sips from our flasks and generally preparing for the descent of the Aiguilles Rouge to Le Buet, though a shady wilderness of cold, powder snow.

The descent offered varied conditions. Sustained steep powder slopes, where we linked fluid turns, running out eventually onto shallower pitches with transformed snow, changing to a rat run of a snowy path, on the bank above the torrent. A combination of blind corners, low branches and no room for manoeuvre made this last section a particularly exciting end to the day. We arrived on the field at Le Buet high on adrenaline and exhilarated by the day.

Back to base for tea and cake, followed by a goal setting session for the final day, a review of work covered and more off piste experience on Les Grandes Montets.

To date, I have been privileged to staff five of these annual courses for the British Mountain Guides. Each year I have met more Guides and Aspirants, each one different, each one an individual, but all sharing a passion for mountains, an eagerness to learn and an unstinting professionalism that I find truly inspiring.

We have skied in many of the Chamonix Valley's wild places and my hope is that I will continue to spend time in the mountains with these remarkable people.

Hugh Monney is a National Ski Teacher of the British Association of Ski Instructors (BASI) a Trainer and assessor of Ski Instructors for BASI and Director of The British Alpine Ski School on Les Gets and Morzine, the first independent British Ski School in France.