Becoming an Alpine Guide

A mountain guide is anyone who performs the following activities professionally, even on a non-exclusive and non-continuous basis

• accompanying persons in rock and ice ascents or in mountain excursions also of naturalistic interest as well as in canyoning and canyoning activities
• accompanying people on ski-mountaineering ascents or ski excursions;
• teaching mountaineering and ski mountaineering techniques with the exclusion of skiing techniques on downhill and cross-country ski runs as well as teaching climbing, canyoning and canyoning techniques.

The carrying out of these activities on a professional basis, on any terrain and without limits of difficulty and, for skiing excursions, outside of equipped ski resorts or downhill or cross-country skiing tracks and in any case where the use of mountaineering techniques and equipment may be necessary, is reserved for mountain guides who are qualified to practise and registered in the professional register of mountain guides. Alpine guides may also accompany people on visits to nature parks or environmental protection areas as well as other areas of particular naturalistic value and provide news and information of naturalistic, landscape and environmental interest.

The mountain guide profession is divided into two grades

• aspiring guide
• mountain guide-master.

The aspiring guide may carry out the activity of accompanying people with the exclusion of more demanding climbs, the limits of which will be determined by resolution of the Provincial Council, in agreement with the Provincial College of Alpine Guides. This prohibition does not apply if the aspiring guide is part of a group led by a mountain guide-teacher.

The licence to exercise the profession of aspiring guide and mountain guide-master is obtained by attending the relevant theoretical-practical courses and passing the corresponding examinations. Admission to the courses for qualification as an aspiring guide is subject to passing a cultural aptitude test and a practical aptitude test, to be taken before the competent examining sub-committees.

The attainment of the qualification consists of the following steps:

(1) aptitude tests: access to the qualifying courses is subject to passing aptitude tests consisting of the following

• a written examination, consisting of questions with synthetic or multiple answers, covering the following subjects: tourism, with particular reference to provincial tourism legislation; geography and environment of the province of Trento; local history and history of mountaineering; flora and fauna in the territory of the province of Trento; meteorology and topography; first aid
• an evaluation of the mountaineering curriculum, with an interview, aimed at ascertaining whether the candidate has carried out mountaineering activities of no less than the minimum established by the Provincial Council
• a practical examination aimed at ascertaining the technical capacity and aptitude of the candidate to carry out the specific activity of the mountain guide profession.

2) Theoretical-practical courses: the theoretical-practical courses are organised by the Provincial College of Mountain Guides for candidates who have passed the aptitude tests and are divided into

• cultural courses aimed at acquiring the theoretical notions preparatory to the teachings and exercises foreseen in the technical-practical and didactic courses. They comprise classroom lessons on subjects related to the profession of aspiring guide;
• technical-practicalcourses aimed at acquiring knowledge and practice in the various mountaineering specialities. They include lessons and exercises in a mountain environment;
• didactic courses aimed at acquiring teaching methods in the various mountaineering specialities. They comprise lessons and exercises in a mountain environment.

3) Licence examinations: these consist of cultural, technical-practical and didactic tests assessed by sub-commissions set up within the Examination Board.

4. enrolment in the register of mountain guides and mountaineering instructors: held by the Provincial College of Mountain Guides.

The registration fees for admission to the aptitude tests and payment methods are set out in the attached notice.

The deadline for applying for the aptitude test for admission to the driving licence aspirant courses is 10 January 2025.

Italian and European citizens

Aptitude tests for access to mountain guide qualification courses are normally held annually.

The application for the aptitude test for access to the training courses for aspiring drivers must be submitted by applicants exclusively online by authentication with SPID, CIE, CPS/CNS through access to the digital IT platform accessed by clicking the "Access the online service" button below.

The digital platform to apply is open from 5 December 2024 to 10 January 2025.

A candidate who has passed the same examination in the three years preceding the date of the aptitude test or is qualified to exercise the profession of mountain guide or ski instructor is exempt from taking thewritten aptitude test.

The online application must be accompanied by a mountaineering CV according to the following facsimile:

The digital platform to apply is open from 5 December 2024 to 10 January 2025.

The time limit within which the candidate must attend the courses and pass the relevant examinations to qualify as an aspiring driver is set at seven years from the date of passing the relevant aptitude test.