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IFMGA has five members in South America: Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. They belong together because they share one trait: all of them teach in Spanish (Chile and Bolivia do not say so; this is an inference), and three of them are No Ski associations.
IFMGA's member list states: "Peru, Bolivia, Nepal and Ecuador have the special designations as IFMGA No Ski Associations". Guides from these three countries wear the IFMGA badge but have no rights as ski guides in other member countries. Argentina and Chile are full members whose training includes skiing.
For the common IFMGA training framework, see what guides learn and how they are tested. This post covers only each country's own rules.
The five countries at a glance
| Country | Association | Years of training | Approximate cost | Teaching language | Required by law? | Open to foreigners? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | AAGM | About 4–4.5 (inference) | GPAM fees not published | Spanish | National bill archived; Río Negro province has its own law | Early stages yes; GPAM needs a CUIL, which requires non-tourist residence |
| Chile | ANGM | High-mountain stage up to 3 years, after three national certificates | CLP 7,270,000 (high-mountain stage, 2026–27) | Spanish (inference) | Adventure tourism must register with Sernatur | No stated restriction; registration needs a work permit |
| Peru | AGMP / CEAM (No Ski) | 3 | About S/11,520 tuition + S/1,200 entry (2026, excluding technical modules) | Spanish + a foreign-language exam | Yes, DS 001-2026-MINCETUR | Can apply (passports accepted); working requires a Peruvian degree (inference) |
| Bolivia | AGMTB (No Ski) | Total years not stated | US$11,700 (2025) | Spanish (inference) | Professional registration requires Bolivian nationality | Yes, with a foreign-candidate process |
| Ecuador | ASEGUIM (No Ski) | 3–5 (2018 figure) | About US$16,700 (sum of course prices, estimate) | Spanish | High-mountain guides need a competence certificate | Took Colombian students in 2016; requires a cédula |
Argentina: AAGM / ISAGM
Training path
The Argentine Association of Mountain Guides (AAGM) was founded in 1984 and became a full IFMGA member in 2005, with its first 10 guides supervised by international observers (CCAM, 2024). Since 2019 teaching has been run by its institute ISAGM in Bariloche, and the qualifications are issued by the Río Negro provincial education ministry.
The path has four stages:
- Technical degree, year 1: trekking guide (Guía de Trekking)
- Technical degree, year 2: mountain guide (Guía de Montaña, UIMLA)
- The professional high-mountain course GPAM: the web page says 2 years and 1,400 hours (the course PDF says 2.5 years)
- The "pasaje a guía UIAGM" exam for the IFMGA qualification
Starting from scratch takes at least about 4–4.5 years (an inference from adding the stages). GPAM applications are closed; the next round opens around mid-2027.
Entry requirements
GPAM requires a Guía de Montaña qualification recognised by the education ministry, avalanche training at PRO2/A3 level and a valid WFR. The entry exam includes ice climbing and a 6b+ onsight; for skiing you first submit a video. The documents include notarised ID, a birth certificate and a CUIL (Argentine labour tax ID).
Costs
Year 1 of the technical degree is paid in 10 instalments adjusted monthly: "la última cuota de 2025 tuvo un costo de $598.000", i.e. the last 2025 instalment was ARS 598,000 (TSGM information document). GPAM fees are not published; ask ISAGM (instituto@aagm.com.ar).
Language
Everything is in Spanish. Technical-degree students must live in Bariloche during the course.
Legal status
No national guide law has passed: the most recent bill, S-106/23, was archived in August 2025. Río Negro province has its own Ley G 4046: high-mountain guide training "is Argentina's official UIAGM course", and guiding without the provincial authorisation is an offence.
Foreigners
The technical degree's FAQ says any adult, Argentine or foreign, may apply. But GPAM needs a CUIL, and the Argentine government requires foreigners without a national ID to show a "Pasaporte en el que conste tipo de residencia, la cual no debe ser turista" (government page). In other words, by the IFMGA stage a foreigner needs non-tourist residence.
Mendoza's provincial guide school EPGAMT runs a 3-year programme, but it is not an IFMGA training body; its graduates continue at AAGM to obtain UIAGM (AAGM article).
Number of guides
As of July 2024, six courses had produced 62 UIAGM guides. AAGM has over 700 members, most of whom are not IFMGA guides (CCAM, 2024).
Chile: ANGM
Training path
Chile's National Association of Mountain Guides (ANGM) was formed in 2018 by merging two regional associations. At the 2019 general assembly in Bariloche, AAGM agreed to sponsor it; the first module ran in 2021, the first 6 guides passed in 2024, and ANGM became a full member at the November 2024 general assembly in Prague (article by the ANGM president).
The path:
- Earn three ANGM national certificates first: mountain, ski mountaineering, rock
- High-mountain entry exam (1 day)
- Three modules: glacier travel 8 days, ice climbing 6 days, alpine climbing 17 days, after which you are an Aspirante
- Summer and winter pasaje a guía, 12 days each
- 15 practicum activities with 2 different mentors
- Guía de Alta Montaña UIAGM
ANGM says the whole route exceeds 200 days, and the three modules must be passed within 3 years.
Entry requirements
The high-mountain stage requires valid ANGM rock and ski certificates, Sernatur registration, a WFR of at least 80 hours, and a record of 26 activities, 6 of them above 5,000 m.
Costs
For 2026–2027 the high-mountain stage totals CLP 7,270,000, paid in instalments (application, entry exam, three modules, two pasajes). Amounts are recalculated by student numbers, and foreign cards carry a 3% surcharge. The three national certificates are charged separately.
Language
The website and regulations exist only in Spanish and do not state the teaching language; Spanish is the likely language (an inference).
Legal status
Adventure tourism must be registered with the national tourism service Sernatur. Res. Exenta 52/2021 accepts UIAGM, UIAA and UIMLA certificates for registration. UIAGM is one of several accepted qualifications, and domestic certificates also qualify, so the law does not give IFMGA a monopoly (an inference).
Foreigners
ANGM states no nationality restriction. Sernatur's FAQ says foreign guides may register, but they must attach a "Permiso que autorice la realización de actividades remuneradas", i.e. a work permit. Since the high-mountain stage requires registration first, a foreigner effectively needs a Chilean work permit (an inference).
Holders of a full UIAGM qualification from another country can convert it. Those from No Ski countries can only convert to the rock and mountain certificates and must add the ski modules to get the high-mountain one (ANGM regulations).
Number of guides
The first 6 (2024). Later numbers were not found.
Peru: AGMP / CEAM (No Ski)
Training path
Peru's Association of Mountain Guides (AGMP) was founded in Huaraz in 1980 and joined UIAGM in 1990 (Rumbos del Perú, archived). Training is run by CEAM, a technical college in Huaraz that belongs to the Casa de Guías network.
The programme lasts 3 years over 6 semesters, and graduates receive both a national technical degree and the IFMGA qualification. The technical track:
- Entry exam, 3 days
- Pre-aspirante: 3 modules, 30 days, then a 3-day exam
- Aspirante: 4 modules, 48 days
- Advanced foreign-language exam plus a 3-day entry exam for the guide course
- Guide course: 3 modules, 30 days (including 10 days of exams)
Mountain technical training totals 108 days.
Entry requirements
A copy of a national ID, passport or foreigner's residence card; a secondary-school certificate or a Peruvian-recognised equivalent; a health ministry medical certificate. The entry exam includes 6a+ sport climbing and 5–5+ in mountaineering boots. The 2026-I intake took 20 students (admissions page).
Costs
CEAM's 2026 fee schedule:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Entry exam (including mutual fund) | S/1,280 |
| Semester tuition (paid in one go) | S/1,920 |
| Mutual fund (required for technical modules) | US$100 a year |
| Graduation and certification | S/710 |
Six semesters of tuition come to about S/11,520, by this post's calculation. The schedule notes that tuition (whether paid monthly or once per semester) does not cover the technical modules, but it does not list their price.
Language
Teaching is probably in Spanish (an inference). The programme includes 6 semesters of English, and before the guide course students must pass an advanced exam in English, French or German.
Legal status
DS 001-2026-MINCETUR, issued in January 2026, defines a "Guía oficial de montaña" as someone holding a degree from a Peruvian higher-education institution, who must be on the national register and show an official card while working.
Foreigners
Admission accepts passports and foreigners' residence cards, so foreigners can probably apply (an inference). But the decree recognises only Peruvian degrees, so a foreign IFMGA guide probably cannot register directly as an official Peruvian guide; working in Peru would mean going through the CEAM degree (an inference).
Number of guides
AGMP's roster has 42 cards stating UIAGM international certification (counted for this post).
Bolivia: AGMTB (No Ski)
Training path
The Association of Mountain and Trekking Guides of Bolivia (AGMTB) gained legal status in 1986 (official history) and joined IFMGA in 2004 after training supported by France's ENSA. Its school, EGITM, is in La Paz.
The path: introductory course → climbing CV → entry exam → Aspirante course → professional experience → Guía de Alta Montaña course → IFMGA qualification. Under the 2025 notices, the Aspirante course is about 75 days and the Guía course about 63, about 138 days in total (this post's sum).
No minimum number of years is set between the two stages. The threshold is climbs: after the Aspirante diploma you need 33 ascents graded AD, D or TD, and the 2025 notice explicitly requires them with clients (Guía 2025 notice).
Entry requirements
A climbing record of at least 38 ascents (rock 10, snow and ice 15, mixed 10, icefall 3). The entry exam includes sport climbing at 6b+ and 7a, 6a in boots, snow and ice tests and a 10 km orienteering course; any single score below 12/20 eliminates you (Aspirante 2025 notice).
Costs
The 2025 notices price everything in US dollars, paid in cash:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Entry exam | US$800 |
| Aspirante course | US$5,700 |
| Guía course | US$5,200 |
The total is US$11,700, excluding travel, food, lodging, equipment and insurance. A course runs only with at least 10 Aspirante or 8 Guía students.
Language
The notices are entirely in Spanish, so teaching is probably in Spanish (an inference).
Legal status
The tourism ministry's 2025 guide module rules require a professional "Guía de Montaña" to hold a certificate from an authorised body and an "Acreditación de la nacionalidad boliviana", i.e. proof of Bolivian nationality. The rules do not name AGMTB.
Foreigners
Foreigners can apply. Both notices describe a process for foreign candidates: pre-register by email, then bring originals to La Paz for an interview. But registering as a professional guide in Bolivia requires Bolivian nationality, so a foreigner probably cannot register to work there after training (an inference).
Number of guides
AGMTB's website roster lists 43 people (counted page by page on 2026-10-17).
Ecuador: ASEGUIM (No Ski)
Training path
The school of the Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides (ASEGUIM), ESGUIM, opened in 1994 after 8 guides trained at France's ENSA. ASEGUIM joined IFMGA in 2016 (about us).
The process in the 2028 admissions notice: pass two entry exams (a 3-day movement pre-selection and a 6-day practical), then within 2 years complete four courses in order: essential skills, rock, glacier and alpine. Missing the deadline means starting over. Next come the national guide exam, Aspirante status, a group rescue course and a route logbook, and finally rock and mixed-terrain exams for the international high-mountain guide qualification.
The website says the 2018 programme had "104 días de formación distribuidos en 9 cursos", to be completed in 3 to 5 years. It also says the structure keeps changing.
Entry requirements
Adult, high-school diploma, Ecuadorian identity card (cédula de identidad), medical certificate, rescue insurance, five years of experience in each of five climbing categories, and the ability to onsight 6c+–7a.
Costs
The course pages have been redesigned, but Wayback archives keep the prices (6-person group, US dollars):
| Item | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry exam | 338.74 | 2026 |
| Rock course | 1,549.89 | 2024 |
| Glacier course | 2,211.07 | 2024 |
| National guide exam | 841.92 | 2026 |
| International validation (rock) | 4,576.12 | 2026 |
Adding the essential-skills, alpine, avalanche and alpine-validation items gives about US$16,700. That is this post's estimate and mixes 2024 and 2026 prices (the entry exam, national guide exam, rock validation and essential skills are 2026; the rest are 2024). The prices cover instructors only, not students' travel, food or lodging.
Language
The website and admissions PDF are entirely in Spanish.
Legal status
Ecuador's guiding regulation, published in October 2025, requires high-mountain guides working above 4,800 m to hold a competence certificate from "a national or foreign entity recognised by the competent authority". It does not name ASEGUIM.
Foreigners
The website has no clause on foreigners, but admission requires a cédula. A 2016 report in El Comercio found that 4 of 13 students were Colombian, so foreigners have been admitted. Whether a foreigner without a cédula can apply for the 2028 intake, and what residence is needed, has to be asked of ASEGUIM (secretaria@aseguim.org).
Number of guides
43 UIAGM guides; the association has about 160 members including domestic aspirants and students (ASEGUIM About us).
What this means for Taiwanese readers
All five countries require Spanish (an inference for Chile and Bolivia). Bolivia is the clearest about accepting foreign candidates and publishes its fees, but you graduate as No Ski, and registering to work there requires Bolivian nationality. The full cross-country comparison is in the path for Taiwanese climbers.
References
- IFMGA Member Associations
- ISAGM institute home page (in Spanish)
- ISAGM GPAM page (in Spanish)
- ISAGM TSGM information document (in Spanish)
- Cultura de Montaña: AAGM and UIAGM guides (in Spanish)
- Argentine Senate bill S-106/23 (in Spanish)
- Río Negro Ley G 4046 (in Spanish)
- Argentine government: obtaining a CUIL (in Spanish)
- EPGAMT home page (in Spanish)
- AAGM: EPGAMT 30th anniversary (in Spanish)
- ANGM UIAGM training page (in Spanish)
- ANGM training regulations (in Spanish)
- Andeshandbook: Chile joins UIAGM (ANGM president) (in Spanish)
- Sernatur registration page (in Spanish)
- Sernatur Res. Exenta 52/2021 (in Spanish)
- Sernatur registration FAQ (in Spanish)
- AGMP: UIAGM guides of Peru (in Spanish)
- AGMP guide roster (in Spanish)
- Rumbos del Perú (archived) (in Spanish)
- Casa de Guías (in Spanish)
- CEAM training process (in Spanish)
- CEAM admissions (in Spanish)
- CEAM 2026 fee schedule (TUPA) (in Spanish)
- DS 001-2026-MINCETUR (in Spanish)
- AGMTB home page (in Spanish)
- AGMTB history (in Spanish)
- AGMTB Aspirante 2025 notice (in Spanish)
- AGMTB Guía 2025 notice (in Spanish)
- AGMTB UIAGM guide roster (in Spanish)
- Bolivian tourism ministry guide module rules (in Spanish)
- ASEGUIM Escuela (in Spanish)
- ASEGUIM about us (in Spanish)
- ASEGUIM rock course page (Wayback archive) (in Spanish)
- El Comercio: ASEGUIM aspirants (in Spanish)
- Ecuador guiding regulation (October 2025) (in Spanish)