Le Project

Get one of those shiny guiding pins. Cut in all the lift queues, get deep discounts on all the lift passes, take your mates heliskiing for the day, and get all the babes. Where do I sign?

The Steps

Unfortunately they just don't give these pins away. Here's what you do:

Climb 55 routes forming a resume called a "liste des courses"
Pass an entrance exam called a "probatoire"
Take eight weeks of courses within up to a three year period to get something called a "diploma de guide aspirint"
Do one fairly hard climb called a "raid" for example the north face of the Grands Jorasses
Do 49 more routes that can be quite easy, although some have to be in the presence of another guide
Take eight more weeks of courses within up to four more years...

And voila! You're UN GEED.

Progress

Actually I'm not sure if I want to progress past step 2 - the probatoire - or not, so that's the goal for now. Something to stay focused on, and anyway most of the climbs on the list des courses I want to do anyway. The test itself looks pretty hard core but the list should be doable, although I'm not sure if I'll finish before next year's deadline in April.

Current Stage: Probatoire Resume

9 climbs to go - finished 46/55 so far...

Group 1: High Alititude Rock Climbing

#	Name	Grade	Length	Altitude	Natural Pro?	Partner/Notes
	Guy-Anne (Envers)	6a+/TD+	350m	2921m	Y	With Richard, 6/29/2007
	Bienvenue a Georges V (Envers)	6a+/TD+	370m	2921m	Y	With Richard, 6/30/2007
	Danse avec le Pilier	6c/ED-	350m	3300m	N	With Richard, 7/8/2007
	Reglette da Ballo (Triolet)	6b/TD+	360m	3435m	N	With Matias, 7/16/2007
	La Forteresse du Vide	6b/TD+	350m	2929m	N	With Richard and Agnes, 8/4/2007
	Pas d'Asile pour Pazuzu	6a/TD+	400m	3300m	N	With Richard and Agnes, 8/11/2007
	A Nous, La Belle Vie	6a/TD	350m	3025m	N	With Gethin, 8/24/2007
	Amazonia	6a+/TD+	370m	2921m	Y	With Gethin and Yoshi, 9/1/2007
	Chihuaha	6a+/TD+	420m	3409m	Y	With Yoshi, 9/2/2007
	Nabot Leon - Osez Josephine	6a/TD	400m	3170m	Y	With Will, 9/10/2007

Group 2: Ice and Snow

#	Name	Grade	Different Descent Route?	Length	Partner/Notes
	Liskamm North Face - Norma/Neruda	D+/TD	Y	1000m	With Jon, summer 2005
	Lenzspitze North Face	D+	Y	500m	With Jon, summer 2005
	Weissmies Normal Route	PD	N	900m	With two Valais girls... summer 2005
	Mont Maudit via Mont Blanc du Tacul	PD+	N	1000m	Solo, Winter 2006
	Grand Casse par les Grands Couloirs	PD+	Y	1350m	Solo, Winter 2006
	Aig d'Argentiere par la Glacier du Milieu	PD+	N	850m	With Agnes, Winter 2006
	Mont Blanc Traverse (3MB to Gouter)	PD+	Y	1660m	With Will and Athilla
	(W) Jager Couloir	D (D)	Y	600m	Idea...
	(W) Diable Couloir	D (D)	Y	800m	Idea...
	(W) Gabbarou-Albinoni	TD (D)	N	500m	Idea...
	Jungfrau	PD+ (PD)	N	800m	Idea...
	Aiguille de Bionassay Traverse	AD (PD)	Y	1200m (500m)	Idea...
	Monch [swap alpine list with Rimpfishorn]	(PD)	N	500m	Idea...
	Courturier Couloir (Aig Verte)	D (D5)	Y (Y4)	1000m (500m)	Idea...
	Aig du Midi Face Nord - Mallory or Eugster	PD+ (PD)	N (N)	1850m (500m)	Idea...
	*** (W) Petit Viking	D+ (PD)	N	500m (?)	Idea...
	The Shroud (Grands Jorasses)	TD+	Y	750m	Idea...
	(W) Voie Ferrari (Tacul)	AD	Y	500m (?)	Idea...
	(W?) North Couloir	TD-	?	700m	Idea...
	* (W) Col des Courtes NE Couloir (ski)	AD	N	800m (?)	Idea...
	(W?) Courtes Austrain or Swiss Routes	D+/TD-	?	800m	Idea...
	(W?) Original - Aig d'Argentiere	D-	Y	700m	Idea...

3 more graded D or greater

1 of the above must descent route is different from the ascent

All must be 500m in length

Group 3: Alpine Climbing

#	Name	Grade	On List?	Length	Partner/Notes
	Dent Blanche Normal Route	AD	N	850m	With German Thomas, summer 2005
	Matterhorn Hornli Ridge	AD	N	1220m	With German Thomas, summer 2005
	Obergablehorn WSW Ridge	AD	N	840m	With American Paul, summer 2005
	Zinal Rothorn Normal Route	AD	N	1020m	With Ollie, summer 2005
	Rimpfishorn WSW Ridge	PD/PD+	N	1600m	Solo, summer 2005
	Traversee des Aiguilles Dorees	AD+/D-	Y		With Richard, 7/19/2007
	Traversee des Aiguilles Rouges d'Arolla	D	Y		With Richard, 7/27/2007
	Arete Ryan	D+	Y		With Richard, 8/3/2007
	Traveree Aretes de Sialouze	D	Y		With Gethin, 8/26/2007
	Kuffner Arete (Mont Maudit)	D	Y		With Dennis, 9/23/2007 .

Group 4: Hard Rock Climbing

#	Name	Grade	Length	Partner/Notes
	Bon Voyage (Barbarine)	7a	185m	With Jim-Gym, summer 2007
	Punk Not Dead (Balme)	6b	150m	With Jim, May 9, 2007
	Vipers au Pied (Barbarine)	6b	165m	With Toby, May 18, 2007
	La Sylvie Phobie (Barbarine)	6b A0 (6c+)	250m	With Matias, May 20, 2007
	L'Alchimista (Sardinia)	6c+	210m	With Pete, May 2007
	Un apres midi de la chien (Balme)	6b	170m	With Ricard and JC, June 13, 2007
	Inferno (Mirroir d'Argentine)	6b A0 (6c)	450m	With Matias and Pete, June 17, 2007
	Poeme a Lou (Brevent)	6b A0 (6c)	230m	With American Paul, Aug 15, 2007
	Gloire du Satan	6c	150m	With Gethin, 8/26/2007
	Copacabana (Tours d'Areu)	6b (TD+/6b)	190m (150m)	Idea...
	Indiana Jaune (La Maladiere)	6b+ (TD+/6b)	270m (150m)	Idea...
	Aiguille de Vanoise	6b	~250m	Idea...
	Mamba (Mirroir d'Argentine)	6b/6c	500m	Idea...
	Majorette Thatcher	6b	180m	Idea...

1 more graded at least 6b and at least 150m long

Group 5: Ski Mountaineering

#	Name	Height Gain	Nights at different locations	Partner/Notes
	Bernese Oberland 4000m Peak Trip	4500m	2	With German Thomas, winter 2005
	Mont Blanc Grands Mullets	2200m	1	With Nuno, winter 2005
	Monta Rosa Dufourspitze	2000m	1	With German Thomas, winter 2005
	Aletchhorn	3500m	1	With Ricki, winter 2005
	Piz Bernina	1550m	1	With Matias, winter 2007
	Alphubel + Strahlhorn	2350m	1	With German Thomas, winter 2005
	Grand Paradiso	2000m	1	With Tom Idris and Mel, winter 2006
	Dent d'Herons	2170m	1	With German Thomas, winter 2006
	Argentiere - Col du Rachasses	1785m	0	Solo, Winter 2006
	Zermatt - Aschjoch	2006m	1	Solo, Winter 2005

Group 6: Waterfall Ice Climbing

#	Name	Grade	Length	Partner/Notes
		(4+)	(100m)
		(4+)	(100m)
		(4+)	(100m)
		(4+)	(100m)
		(4+)	(100m)

Probatoire Resume

Group 1: High Alititude Rock Climbing

10 routes
Each must be graded at or above TD (or 6a)
Each must be above 2500m (at start or finish?)
Each must be at least 350m in length
Of the 10, at least 5 must use natural protection

Group 2: Ice and Snow

10 routes
Each must be graded at PD or higher
Five must be graded D or higher
Five must have descended down a route different from the ascent
Each must be 500m or greater in length

Group 3: Alpine Climbing

10 routes
Each must be 500m or greater in length
Five must be graded PD or greater
Five must be from a particular list (see ENSA website)

Group 4: Hard Rock Climbing

10 routes
All must be graded at or above TD+ or 6b
All must have at least 150m of vertical climbing

Group 5: Ski Mountaineering

10 routes
Of which seven must have at least 1500m of height gain
Must be composed of seven seperate trips
Of which one must have 3 days minimum ("raid"), where each night is spent at a different location

Group 6: Waterfall Ice Climbing

5 routes
Each must be at least 100m in length
Each must be graded 4+ or above

Full Steps to Getting the Pin

References:

Course description
Resume of Prior Climbs Details (and see also Notes)

Step A - "Probatoire" Entrance Exam
Applicants must be 18 years or older (at the first of January of the year of the test), present a resume of 55 prior climbs (details available on the ENSA website), and have taken a first aid course (AFPS).

Duration: Around five days

Interview on climbing resume
Ski test (Up from Lognon to Les Grands Montets and back down - timed and judged)
Sport? climbing test (6a minimum)
Snow/ice climbing test ( 50-60 degree ice slope)
Alpine climbing test (5th degree?)

Step B: General Course on Mountain Sports
Duration? Cost?

Step C: Fondation Course
Duration: 2 weeks

Module 1: "The way of the mountain man" - 40 hours minimum
Module 2: "Foundation" - 40 hours minimum

Step D: Ski "Aspirant Guide" Course and Exam
Duration: 3 weeks

Module 1: Of piste and ski randonee (1 week)
Module 2: Ski Alpinism and waterfall ice climbing (2 weeks)
Exam

Step E: Alpine "Aspirant Guide" Course and Exam
Duration: 6 weeks

Step F: Canyoning Course and Exam
Duration: 50 hours (?) Must present a list and attestation of 10 canyons already done. Evaluation of skills.

Step G: "High Mountain Guide" Ski Course
Duration: 1 week

Present a list of 50 additional prior climbs (details on the ENSA website).

Fifteen routes must have been done while working with another certified guide (and clients)
A further 35 can just be personal leisure climbs, or guided, as you wish
One of the above must be hardcore (e.g. Eiger North Face, Grand Jorasses North Face)
A further five ski mountaineering routes while working with a another certified guide (and clients)
A further ten additional ski moutaineering routes of which one must be at least four days ("un raid" ?)

"Raid" of ski alpinism ?

Evaluation

Step H: "High Mountain Guide" Alpine Course
Duration: 4 weeks. Course and evaluation of alpine guiding/climbing skills

General Notes

"Aspirant Guide Diploma" awarded after steps A-F completed
"High Mountain Guide Diploma" awarded after step H completed
You must complete steps A-F within three years
You must complete steps G and H within a further four years
A refresher course is necessary every six years to retain certification
It is possible to obtain several other certifications during the duration of the studies e.g. Piste Security Certification (BN), mid-mountain guide certification.
Total cost of the course should be around €6,000 (financing available)

Comments

dave
Sep 30, 2007 at 05:32 pm

HI i live in chatel a place 1 hour from chamonix and have a few more routes to go to get myentrance logbook for my ensa.

I live in france permanantly and am very keen and have lots of free time to climb.

daVE

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