Northeast Mountain Guiding

Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI) is a federally registered and regulated 501c3 non-profit public charity. Professional Climbing Guides Institute (PCGI) develops and governs nationally recognized training, assessment and certification standards for rock climbing instruction and guiding. PCGI programs are designed to serve current professional and aspiring rock climbing guides and/or instructors, university/college rock climbing program leaders, youth program rock climbing leaders and climbing club/association leaders as well as recreational climbers seeking to improve safety and efficiency. 

Top Rope Guide Course (TRGC)

The TRGC is perfect for current professional guides/instructors working primarily in top rope terrain, or for people seeking to move into the field of professional rock climbing guiding and/or instruction, as well as for college rock climbing program leaders, rock climbing club leaders, youth rock climbing program leaders, or recreational rock climbers wishing to improve safety and efficiency in top rope terrain. It is exclusive of complex climbing, approach and descent environments. The training does not encompass guiding in glaciated environments. The TRGC is specifically developed to primarily address the most widely implemented type of top rope guiding, commonly referred to as “bottom managed”. The training does encompass implementation of top managed techniques as commonly needed to safely conduct the guided top rope rock climbing experience and achieve any clients given top rope rock climbing goals. A primary goal of this training is to provide a forum of open ideas while presenting practical top rope guiding skill standards. The TRGC will consist of technical, hands-on top rope rock climbing guide training. The training days will consist of: discussion of common guide concerns, instructor demonstrations of common guiding and instruction techniques, and most importantly, participant practice of the guiding and instruction skills presented.

Courses Offered in 2012

Top Rope Guide Course

Allamuchy State Park, NJ: TBA

Crowders Mountain, NC: April 27 - 29

                                            November 2 - 4

Pilot Mountain, NC: August 3 - 4

                                    December 14 - 16

Single Pitch Guide Course (SPGC)

The SPGC is an extension of the Top Rope Guide Course into single pitch lead climbing terrain. The SPGC is perfect for current professional guides/instructors working primarily in single pitch terrain, or for people seeking to move into the field of professional rock climbing guiding and/or instruction, as well as for college rock climbing program leaders, rock climbing club leaders, youth rock climbing program leaders, or recreational rock climbers wishing to improve safety and efficiency in single pitch terrain. The SPGC is exclusive of guide skills which involve short roping, short pitching, intermediate belays and complex approach and/or descent environments. The training does not encompass guiding in glaciated environments. The SPGC is specifically developed to primarily address single-pitch and top rope guiding, commonly referred to as top and bottom managed techniques, as needed to safely conduct both guided single pitch and top rope rock climbing experiences for any given client. A primary goal of this training is to provide a forum of open ideas while presenting practical top rope and single pitch guiding skill standards. The SPGC will consist of technical, hands on top rope and single pitch rock climbing guide training. The training days will consist of: discussion of common guide concerns, instructor demonstrations of common guiding and instruction techniques, and most importantly, participant practice of guided rock climbing skills. Lead climbing up to 5.6 is done during the SPGC.

Courses Offered in 2012

Single Pitch Guide Course

Allamuchy State Park, NJ: TBA

Crowders Mountain, NC: April 27 - 30

                                            November 2 - 5

Pilot Mountain, NC: August 3 - 5

                                    December 14 - 17

Lead Guide Course (LGC)

The Lead Guide course is designed as an introduction to guiding techniques common to non-glaciated 5th class guided rock climbs that are Grade I.

The LGC is perfect for current professional guides/instructors working primarily in Grade I terrain, or for people seeking to move into the field of professional rock climbing guiding and/or instruction, as well as for college rock climbing program leaders, or recreational rock climbers wishing to improve safety and efficiency in Grade I terrain. The guiding terrain will most often involve straightforward approaches and descents, does not require short roping but may require short pitching. Many of the climbing areas in the United States are comprised of grade I terrain. A primary goal of this training is to provide a forum of open ideas while presenting practical guiding skill standards. The Lead Guide Course will consist of technical, hands-on guide training, discussion of common guide concerns, instructor demonstrations of common guiding and instruction techniques, and most importantly, participant practice of the guiding and instruction skills presented.

Note: The rescue course component is incorporated into the Lead Guide course. The rescue assessment is offered as a separate undertaking from the LG course. Participant involvement in the rescue assessment is voluntary. Passing the rescue assessment is required in order to become a PCGI Certified Lead Guide.

Courses Offered in 2012

Lead Guide Course

Location: Shawangunks, NY

Dates: TBA

Rescue Training Course

The RTC is perfect for current professional rock climbing guides and/or instructors seeking to improve rescue skills, or for people seeking to move into the field of professional rock climbing guiding and/or instruction as well as for college climbing program leaders, climbing club leaders, youth climbing program leaders, or recreational climbers wishing to improve safety and efficiency during a rescue. This course covers a variety of technical techniques used in vertical rescue scenarios and will provide working knowledge of the systems needed to get out of a bind in the vertical setting. The rescue training requirement is fulfilled via the Lead Guide Training Course, but can be completed via a separate 2 day Rescue Training course. Completing a Rescue Training is required in order to enter the Multi-Pitch Guide Training course.

Courses Offered in 2012

Rescue Training Course

TBA

Multi Pitch Guide Course (MPGC)

The MPGC is designed to be an introduction of guiding techniques common to non-glaciated Grade III and under multi-pitch rock climbs, which often include descents and approaches where technical proficiency is paramount to safety. The MPGC is perfect for current professional guides working primarily in Grade III or under terrain, or for people seeking to move into the field of professional rock climbing guiding.

It is important to understand that the MPGC is designed to focus on guiding skills necessary to competently navigate fifth class grade III and under multi-pitch rock climbing terrain, while providing a safe and rewarding experience for guided clients. The goal is that students will walk away from the course having learned technical guiding skills that will provide for safe, smooth and efficient upward progress on grade III and under multi-pitch rock climbs, as well as on technical descents and scrambles most commonly found in the a variety of rock climbing areas. Another primary goal of this training is to provide a forum of open ideas while presenting practical guiding skill standards. Aspiring or professional guides will then learn a variety of technical guiding skills and knowledge through discussion, demonstration and practice. The MPG course involves approaches, route finding, gear management issues as well as technical descents and largely will consist of technical, hands on guide training. Climbing will be done on routes up to and including grade III. Please come physically prepared for this type of climbing as the days will usually consists of some discussion on guide concerns and the remainder practicing guiding while focusing on acquiring new skills and understanding their utility.

Each day should be approached as a learning experience, techniques employed by your mentors may vary from that of the students as well as other instructors, as climbing situations are dynamic so must our tools, safety is the bottom line and PCGI approved independent provider mentors realize there are numerous means to that end.

Courses Offered in 2012

Multi-Pitch Guide Course

Joshua Tree, CA: March 15-22

                                October 8-15

                                November 12-19

Eastern Sierra, CA: Sept 15 - 23

Devils Tower, WY: October 3 - 10

If you have any questions or would like to register please call our North Carolina office at: (704) 765-9949

*For Wilderness Medical Certifications please see our Wilderness Medicine page. These certifications include: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Wilderness First Responder.