Stay updated with breaking news from Doug coomb. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
When Martin Volken, owner of North Bend’s Pro Guiding Service, earned his IFMGA guiding pin back in 1996 in his native Switzerland, much of the town turned out for the ceremony including the mayor. “You are a high-altitude representative of the Swiss tourism industry,” the mayor told Volken. “I expect you to act like a professional.” Such is the importance that Europe places on its guides. In the United States, guiding has avoided such esteem. Nowhere is that more true than with ski guiding, which is too often viewed as anathema to American backcountry skiing’s DIY ethos, despite the fact that it can keep inexperienced skiers safer, show many backcountry skiers a far better time than they’d experience on their own, and add to even a seasoned skier’s mountain sense. ....