Summit Adventure Academy Guide Training, Nepal

Challenge

‍We were approached by Summit Adventure Academy who was working with a number of Swedish Universities to develop a River & Mountain guide training program, to be run and based in Nepal each year, linked to and accredited by colleges and universities in Sweden.

‍Approach

‍To develop a program of 12 weeks duration with a core syllabus that utilised exsiting international awards and standards of training. To addtional make the course very experienced based learning to facilittae mutl day expeditions, underatndig the roles and reposbilities of a guide as well as the skills required to undertake the role. By running the course in Nepal it took advantage of its glolbal reputaion for adventure guding enxpmassing altidude, remote areas, extensive river systems as well as cultural and envirnonmental responsibilities of guiding.

‍Delivery

‍The first stage was to plan and develop the syllabuses for a 6 week mountain guide course followed by a 6 week river guide course. This syllabus was to encompass existing awards into this training (EG, Rescue 3 international, remote first aid, Navigation awards) as well as additonal guiding skills such as planning, group managment, risk management, evacuation considerations, camp skills etc.Then this syllabus had to be worked in to the best locstaions for ech part of the course inclduing logcistics for travel around Nepal and instructing staff required. The first courses were piloted in 2015 with use of local Nepalese staff and guides and international trainers and initally overseen by Anthony of Adventure Consultancy.

‍Outcome

‍The course has now been running annually for over 10 years, still based in Nepal and gained university credit accredition. It has seen had people from all over the world attending the courses who have now started a career on the rivers and in the mountains as professional guides working all over the globe. Anthony still acts as a consultant and head of awards for these programs.