news from the mountains - bmg

Contents

News From The MountainsThe Newsletter of the British Mountain Guides

President’s report

Management meeting

Pro CardPSC UpdateWeb coordinatorTreasurerAudited accountsCourse datesAvalanche TrainingDr. David’s kneesMembership renewalCPD

Volume 21 Issue 3: February 2015

CPDCPD

Basil

News from the Mountains

NFTM: November 2015:

President’s Report - November 2015.

This has been my first year as President of the BMG and its been abusy time, dealing with insurance issues, development of the newweb-site, succession planning and trying to encourage newsponsorship, along with attending to normal BMG business.Management committee meetingsThe management committee have had 3 meetings this year:

● A telephone conference in February● A face-to-face meeting in Chamonix in May● A face-to-face meeting in Edinburgh in September

The committee will meet again in Wales on 27th/28th Novemberprior to the AGM.These meetings are all arranged and minuted by Hannah Burrows-Smith our Secretary, many thanks Hannah.

Succession planningThis year Tim Blakemore our treasurer is stepping down. A verybig thank you to Tim for all his dedicated and careful handling ofthe BMG accounts and for negotiating our insurance cover. Timand Tania Noakes have also been working with the Skills FundingAgency and I am please to announce the the BMG have now beenregistered with the Professional and Career Development LoanScheme ( PCDL) this allows trainee guides to apply for an interestfree loan the final details with be released very soon. Tim, I wishyou good luck with the future and hope you have less stressfultimes ahead..

Andy Perkins, our Equipment and Partnerships Officer is alsostanding down at the AGM. Andy has made a tremendouscontribution to the BMG’s public profile and during his tenure hehas attracted new partners and additional funding. This year twomain events: the Arc’teryx Alpine Academy and the GoretexBalmhorn Project took place with Andy being instrumental inmaking these a huge success. Thank you for your hard work. TheBMG is still currently seeking a suitable replacement for theEquipment and Partnerships officer.Dave Hollinger as ‘Other Areas’ representative is also hoping tostand down soon and is actively looking for another guide to takeover this position. Many thanks to Dave for his active contributionto the management committee meetings. Dave is continuing torepresent the BMG on the Mountain Training Boards.Bruce Goodlad, our Technical Director is intending to stand downat the AGM in 2016 this will be a tenure of four years in office,during which he has successfully managed a great training teamwho have continued to ensure the highest of training standards forthe BMG. Adrian Nelhams currently a member of the training teamhas agreed to be Technical Director Elect; hopefully this will beratified at the AGM this November.

Members contributions.We continue to reinforce our commitment to the home nationtraining boards and I am very grateful to those guides whorepresent the BMG at these Mountain Training associationsmeetingd; Phil George representing us on the Welsh board, DaveHollinger on the English board and Mike Pescod on the Scottishboard.Mark Diggins continues to represent the BMG on the UKMountain Training Board and the A.C.W.G. I’d like to emphasisethe relevance of our involvement in the home nation trainingboards, the BMG’s position within the UK qualification frameworkis crucially important to the the Association, so it’s vital tomaintain our presence and input.I would like to thank Iain Peter for chairing our ProfessionalStandards Committee. His detailed annual report is testimony tohis dedicated and thorough work. I’m please to note that this yearthe amount of incidents is in decline.The new BMG web site is nearing it’s completion. This has been amammoth task preparing and selecting all the various designconcepts, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to James Thacker andthe working group.

Our publicity officer Andy Townsend has continued to promote theBMG through various forms of media and designed a unique logoto celebrate our 40th anniversary.‘News From The Mountains’ continues to enlighten and inform usthanks to Steve Long’s editorial expertise.Thanks to all the area representatives for arranging and chairingyour meetings and producing minutes for management committeemeetings.

New postsAs an organization the BMG can only function as a result of thesignificant amount of voluntary effort from its members. Officebearers are working hard to maintain and improve the day to dayrunning of our association and it’s a difficult task combining thiswith their own work and personal commitments. Our membershippossess a wide range of skills and competences and I would urgeyou to come forward if think you can help with any of the BMGposts in order to maintain our high standards, ethos and ourautonomy.

New guidesIt gives me great pleasure to welcome newly qualified guides;these are Mark Chadwick, Neil Mackay, Rocio Siemans and BenTibbets - well done on becoming International Mountain Guides.I’d also like to welcome the eleven new registrants who havesigned up and are about to embark on our training scheme.

IFMGAPeter Cliff, the EU Co-ordinator for the IFMGA reports that thingsappear to still be on track for the EPC to be launched in January2016 and this web site will be useful for us:www.europa.eu/youreurope.The last meeting of the IFMGA was in April in Schnalstal, ValSenales South Tyrol and there have been no further meetings todate. In October 2015 the IFMGA are hoping to finalise their‘Reference Handbook.’ This has been a long standing project thatwill hopefully ensure consistency amongst member countries,bringing uniformity and the understanding of the requiredcompetencies of a mountain guide.The next IFMGA meeting will be on the 3rd - 4th December 2015,starting in Sion with climbing completion and TechnicalCommittee workshops.This year the IFMGA is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and allguides are welcome for the gala dinner event in Sion on the 4thDecember. On the 5th the meeting will move to Zermatt for its



general assembly as it was in Zermatt where the IFMGA commonplatform document was signed 50 years ago.It’s quite poignant and a great accolade that at our 40thanniversary we have 2 members of the BMG, Mark Diggins andPeter Cliff working with the board of IFMGA who represent 23countries.

Trauma Risk Management (TRiM)At time of this report John Cousins reports that no assessmentshave been carried out this year, though sadly that does not meanthat some of our members haven’t had to deal with traumaticevents. There have been two occasions this year when familymembers of British Mountain Guides have been killed inmountaineering accidents. The BMG ensured that informal visits,support and help were offered to bereaved Guides concerned.

Sponsorship

We continue to be fortunate to have outstanding sponsors: WLGore; Arc’teryx and trade partner Lyon Equipment. However inthe UK WL Gore is currently going through major restructuringwith a large number of redundancies and in early 2016 we will findout how this is going to affect our agreement with WL Gore, as itis uncertain at the moment. There is still a lot of potential for theBMG to attract additional sponsors, which will further enhance therunning of the association and help support trainees. Many thanksto all those who have contributed to maintaining and raising theprofile of BMG and our relationship with the outdoor trade.

A few members of the Association were working in London thissummer and we had the opportunity to support the opening of thenew Arc’teryx shop in Piccadilly. During this event several prizes

were on offer and Chris Ensoll kindly donated 2 days guiding asthe main prize.

Breda Arkless –‘Outdoors in the City’Whilst working in London we used ‘Outdoors in the City’ acommunity charity centre. We found out that Breda Arkless hadbeen actively involved with this centre for about twenty yearstaking young people into the mountains and the centre is namedafter her, we felt quite humbled. I thought it would be quite fittingto endorse her association with this facility by contributingtowards a new sign as part of the centre’s refurbishment. At thelast committee meeting it was agreed to help fund this project, it isintended to have the BMG and IFMGA logo’s incorporated intothe new sign. This centre is frequently use by corporateorganisations for team building events.

The old sign:

Also at the last management committee meetings it was alsounanimously agreed to posthumously award Breda ‘HonouredGuide’ status. At the AGM her son John will collect this award onbehalf of Breda’s family.

BMGThe BMG is celebrating 40 years as an association this year and Ilook forward to seeing you all at the AGM.

Finally, thank you to the administration services at Siabod Cottageand thank you to all those I haven’t got around to mentioning, whogive so much of their time and talents to the operation anddevelopment of the BMG.

Paul MooresPresident

November 2015

L-R: Chris Ensoll, Adam Ketcheson (VP of Arc’teryx Marketing),Mark Diggins , Paul Moores

Inspired by the level of alcoholism seen in new paramedicrole, Owen looks in to further diversification for Ibex

mountain guides with a new Llanberis vineyard. The ideastill lacks some focus but its getting there



Meeting of the BMG Management Committee held at9am on Friday 25th September 2015 at the Norton House

Hotel, near Edinburgh Airport.DRAFT MINUTES

Present (voting members)Paul Moores (PM) – President and Director

Tim Blakemore (TB) – Treasurer and Director

Hannah Burrows-Smith (HBS) – Secretary and Director

Graham Frost (GF) – Alps

Mal Creasey (MC) – North Wales

Dave Hollinger (DH) – Other areas

Mark Diggins (MD) – Scotland area

Present (non-voting members)

James Thacker (JT) – Website Coordinator

Andy Townsend (AT) - Publicity Officer

ObserversSue Doyle

Alasdair Cain

1. Welcome and apologies for absencePM welcomed those present and thanked them for their attendanceand time spent in coming to the meeting. In particular he wel-comed Mal Creasey who was returning to the committee in the roleof North Wales area rep.

Apologies were received from Andy Perkins, Iain Peter, Chris En-soll, Bruce Goodlad, Stu McAleese, John Cousins and TaniaNoakes.

2. Minutes of the MC meeting held on 15th May 2015It was confirmed by SD that members’ contact details are availablefor viewing on the website but not on CMS.

These minutes were proposed by TB and seconded by MD.

3. Matters arising not covered elsewhere none4. Areas – Reports and issues for consideration

4.1 AlpineGraham talked through the report and highlighted the issues of As-sociate subs and Aspirant work experience, which were discussedat length at the area meeting. These issues are addressed furtherdown these minutes.

4.2 Lake DistrictThose gathered looked through Chris’s report and noted thethoughts shown on all_guides emails and the concerns of particularAssociate guides relating to the change in their subs rate.

4.3 North WalesMal read through his report, highlighting in particular that the CPDprogramme for the AGM is up and running and would encouragefolk to attend.

4.4 Other AreasThere hadn’t been a recent meeting with the Other Areas to dis-cuss, however Dave was present and he highlighted the difficultyof finding a replacement for himself. DH is likely to step downfrom this role by this year’s AGM but he will look into one or twopotential contenders before then.

4.5 ScotlandMark presented the report, stating the Scottish area found the CPDprocess good and that they understood it, although looked for clari-fication on CMS. They felt that the future of all_guides was unsus-tainable and looked toward the role of Yammer or anotheralternative. He also mentioned the potential choice oflocation/venue for the 2016 AGM which is due to be held in Scot-land.

5. Directors – Reports5.1 Technical Director

PM read through this report on behalf of Bruce who was notpresent.

There was some discussion over the content of this summer’s Al-pine Test where, due to the conditions of the mountains and weath-er, the test neither involved terrain where the candidates needed towear crampons, nor were they tested in crevasse rescue.

This was discussed, looking at concerns the membership may havewith the test in this form and how the candidates may feel follow-ing such a test. Also considered was how the testing process as awhole was viewed, of having a more holistic approach over havinga ‘tick list’. However, the committee more than anything had com-plete confidence in the decision-making processes of the TrainingCommittee.

5.2 TreasurerTim read through his extensive report, commenting that we shouldstill be cautious in anticipating particular growth within our organi-sation, as there have been as many new members as there havebeen those becoming retired.

In particular he talked through the options for the change in rate forassociate membership subs, which will come into place in 2017following the period in which the rate was capped at £150. The op-tions were discussed, also relating to letters written by variousBMG members who objected to the change in subs. TB also statedhe was keen that the associate membership should appear relativelyunattractive to members in the future and that predominantly fullmembership would be encouraged, and that this would reflect thecost of running the association.

The committee voted to choose the rate whereby the associateguide rate would be 3/4 that of the full guide, which is also thesame as the aspirant subs rate.

In addition, all the remaining subscriptions rates for 2016 wereagreed upon at this meeting. The rates have gone up by 3.5% sonow they are as follows:

Full membership £295, Aspirant £220, Associate £150, Trainee£100, Retired £47

There was some discussion over the expenses which are coveredfor trainers whilst working on Scottish winter courses, and thereappeared to be some disparity between provision for the WinterTraining course and the Winter Test. It was noted that accommoda-tion ought to be included on the Winter Test for trainers and thatcourse conveners need to check that candidates do cover all costsfor their accommodation on training and assessment courses.

Salisburys have done a great job this year. ACTION HBS: Topropose Salisburys at the AGM to continue as our accountants

Doodson are providing the same rate of insurance for us until 2017although this year 3.5% insurance tax will have been added so weneed to check that the actual rate we pay is still the same.

The Ceinwin Faulkner trust fund has come to a close; this is a fundthat has until now contributed £200 towards each candidate’s Al-pine Training course. ACTION HBS: Write a letter of thank youto those involved.

5.3 PresidentPaul thanked TB for all his work over the past 3 years in managingthe funds of the BMG, and also then thanked SD for her continuedwork with this.

PM commented on a recent meeting he had had at the Goretex fac-tory in Livingston. Due to a recent worldwide re-shuffling of re-sources at GORE a significant number of employees at the factorywill soon be losing their jobs. The repercussion for the BMG couldbe that GORE cannot commit to sponsoring us in the future, al-though Chris Blackwood confirmed that nothing is certain as yetand that they may look into different ways of supporting us.



6. Co-opted Officers – Reports6.1 Professional Standards

PM read through Iain’s report and thanked him for doing such agood job.

6.2 WebsiteJames talked through his report and in particular we came round tothe point of employing a copy writer (at a cost of around £250 perday) to view the finished content of the new website. It was agreedthat this would be an important part to the finish of this websiteproject and that we would set aside £1000 for this work, to discov-er beforehand who best could do the copy writing.

JT talked through how the ‘find-a-guide’ section of the site wouldwork and how a particular search might then create an email sentto a guide. He also confirmed that the website search facilitywasn’t just going to be for employing a guide, but also as source ofinformation for people looking for contact details.

The BMG’s approach to social media was discussed, with it beingconcluded that there needed to be someone at the BMG office whocould give an immediate, pre-written response to the public via so-cial media in the event of an incident. ACTION: JT to ask JohnCousins about this.

6.3 PublicityAndy showed us some BMG commemorative acrylic plaques he’shad made up that are to go on display in various places. He alsoshowed us the artwork for the all-weather poster that will be dis-played at PYB and Glenmore Lodge.

AT also talked of how his search for more high resolution, low costimages for the BMG photo library was going.

6.4 Equipment and PartnershipsPM read through this report on behalf of Andy who wasn’t present.We talked through and welcomed Andy Nelson’s offer of becom-ing the new Equipment and Partnerships Officer, replacing AP atthe next AGM. PM has written to Andy Nelson to accept his offer.

The committee agreed with APs proposal to change round whichsponsorship partners support which elements of the BMG trainingprogramme, so that now Lyon Equipment would support the Sum-mer programme and GORE would support the Winter programme.ACTION BG This needs to be confirmed with Bruce.

It was agreed that Lyon could run an informal display of La Sporti-va footwear at the next AGM, but to be fair to our sponsors thisneeds to be run past Arc’teryx as they may also like to promotetheir own footwear range. ACTION AP

The Avatech proposal was also discussed; it was concluded to re-ject the proposal as described but to suggest instead that 2 Alps-based guides could trial/review the product without giving an en-dorsement to the brand.

7. Working Groups – Reports and issues for consider-ation

1.1. MT reportsMD talked about the new forth-coming review of all the UK climb-ing awards being run by MTUK. He related that they are particu-larly keen to have the BMG involved in this as they are interestedin how we do things. Libby Peter appears to be involved in thisalthough there isn’t as yet a BMG member in their working party.So far they are at the stage where there is a draft strategy for thisreview.

MD also talked about the Avalanche Group that was formed to of-fer support and to determine the relevance of a new trial of trans-ceiver, shovel and probe being taken with all members of GLgroups.

8. IFMGAThe IFMGA has recently been looking at its members Crisis Man-agement plans, and the BMG was able to contribute its recentlyconstructed one.

There hasn’t been any other further news about the 50th

anniversary celebrations.

9. Any Other Business9.1 CPD paper – draft proposals

Following the Alps area meeting discussion this summer changeswere made to the proposed CPD Guidelines; the key changes arethat there are now just 2 categories of type of CPD and that thereappears to be less acceptance of CPD that is not directly related tothe work of the mountain guide.

There was some discussion on the relevance to guides of having orbeing encouraged to have training in activities that are out widththeir own profession but would still have some benefit to their ca-reer. However it was recognised that the criteria for what is nowtermed Additional CPD may not be as restrictive as they look.

It was confirmed that each CPD event attended would count as oneCPD point.

The emphasis from the discussion was that it was up to each Areato determine and review CPD that is presented to it.

SD related to a list of BMG training courses that had alreadycounted as CPD

9.2 Aspirants work experienceThe work experience logged by aspirants this year had been of agood standard. The TC has looked at ways of facilitating good,paid work for aspirants but has said there is a limit to what they areable to do.

Clarification on what routes aspirants can work on (under the su-pervision of a full guide as per BMG guidelines) in France?

9.3 EPC and the changes to CMSFor the EPC to come into place guides will need to log in withsome official ID that MT can look at and verify. Insurance docu-ments can already be uploaded and viewed on CMS; the ongoingprocess should be working by 2016.

9.4 Old website contractThere was some discussion over the situation that might arisewhereby Richard Lundberg will continue to hold the access to ourall_guides, guides webform and other in-house messaging as theseare not part of the new website. There was a sense of leaving thisfor the next few months to see how things develop. Yammer, al-though not used by all the membership, is relatively popular with114 members being connected with this form of communication.

9.5 Succession planningAlasdair Cain for new Treasurer, Adrian Nelhams for TechnicalDirector elect, Andy Nelson for new Equipment & PartnershipsOfficer. Resolution to appoint Alasdair and Adrian will be pro-posed at the AGM.

9.6 Publicity signPM talked about the discovery of the Brede Arkless Outdoors inthe City Centre, based in Camden Town and that they are going tohave a new sign made for the outside of their building. We agreedthat we should look into ways of funding this sign ourselves.

9.7 Honoured guidesPM proposed that Brede Arkless should be posthumously made anHonoured Guide in recognision of her services to guiding and tobecoming the first BMG lady guide to be recognised by theUIAGM. One of Brede’s children would be invited to the AGM tobe presented with the honour on her behalf.

9.8 TRiM reportPM read through John’s report, where he related that although noTRiM assessments have been carried out this year, there have sadlybeen traumatic events which have affected BMG members and JCwas grateful for how individual members rallied around the guidesaffected.



JC also stated that on-going training is needed to ensure the assess-ment skills of the TRiM team are kept current and that this shouldhappen within 2 years of completing the initial training course.

Finally, if other guides were interested in undertaking and commit-ting themselves to the training, a further training course ought to beconsidered.

10. Date of Next Meetings1.1. Management Meetings

27th/28th November 2015, Plas y Brenin

Winter tele conference has been planned for the evening of Mon-day 22nd February

Friday 13th May 2016, Chamonix

1.2. AGM 2016 Scotland

European ProfessionalCard

The EPC is still on track to be launched in January for the first5 professions - nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, estateagents and mountain guides. Hopefully by the time you read this,everything to do with the Card will be on the YourEuropewebsite, and all we will have to do is to log onto the website andfollow the instructions.

Getting an EPC for a Temporary visit should be much quickerand easier than the existing process of making a Prior Declara-tion. As regards Establishment (i.e. a longer visit) the EPC willcompliment rather than replace the existing procedures, so thingslike the Carte Professionelle won't disappear altogether.

Discussions are now underway at the Commission about Auto-matic Recognition of qualifications and the IFMGA has formallyapplied for it, as it will again speed up the process. We are wellplaced to get it, as the Commission has already recognised thatthe IFMGA Platform is a worldwide training and assessmentscheme.

Peter Cliff, IFMGA/EU Co-ordinator18.10.2015

PSC Update1st January – 18th October 2015

SummaryThere have been 27 accidents or incidents reported so far this year(this compares to 33 at the same time last year and 31 in 2013). Ofthese, 15 happened on ski, 7 were Alpine climbing, 3 happened inthe UK and there were two “other incidents” (a complaint and anincident in Norway)

In total, 22 accidents occurred in the Alps (one ice fall climbing,three slips or trips, three Alpine mountaineering and the rest onski); one on ski in Japan; 2 in Scotland (both mountaineering – onein Scotland in winter and one in summer; there was one accident inWales in summer conditions) and one in Norway.

Two Inquiry Guides have been appointed in the period to investi-gate:

· an accident that occurred on a winter mountaineeringcourse in Scotland (as previously advised) and

· an accident that occurred on a scrambling course in Scot-land;

The Inquiry reports did not result in any further action.

There have been no PSC Hearings in the period.

Significant incidents since May Report

Inquiry Guide

An Inquiry Guide was appointed to investigate an accident that oc-curred on Skye. A client was injured when another client dis-lodged a large block.

No further action resulted but a CRAG report will be produced indue course.

Complaint

BMG received a complaint from a Guide (a member of anotherAssociation) concerning the conduct of a BMG member. This wasresolved amicably by the Directors and the PSC.

Iain PeterChair, BMG PSC

18th October 2015

Its a little-known fact that auditions for “Valley Uprising”were held in Europe, as this leaked photograph proves.



BMG Web Co-ordinator’s Report20th September 2015New BMG Website Project

The BMG Website project is gaining traction with Vivid CreativeLtd starting to build the site following various design concepts be-ing sent for review.

Key milestones on the critical path have been reviewed and signedoff by BMG Directors Tim Blakemore, Hannah Burrows-Smithand Paul Moores. I am grateful for their continued interest in theproject, and their ability to wade through technical documents. Be-hind the recommendations that I have communicated I am indebtedto the members of the Web Working Group (WWG), who havemade many pertinent observations creating a valuable steer fromthe membership as a whole.

The Functionality Spec and Design Concepts have now been ap-proved. The launch of the new website being scheduled for the 26November 2015, shortly before the AGM and 40th Anniversarycelebrations.

I have invested a considerable amount of time and have had face toface meetings in Sheffield on a number of occasions. This has beengreat to look at design’s, call to action, functionality and heat map-ping etc.

BMG Mailing Lists

The all_guides and guides_webform mailing lists are currently be-coming unsustainable, the addresses have been detected by spam-mers. As a result some members don’t receive correspondence dueto their internet service providers blocing messages. While theall_guides list is an excellent resource as a 360 degree list (i.e. any-body member can email the list), the list is far from secure, and isvulnerable to virus’ on individual members computers.

It would be foolish not to consider alternatives. In the meantime Iwould like point out that we also have Yammer and the mailinglists associated with the MTUK CMS at our disposal as replace-ment or complimentary solutions.

Yammer

114 members of the association are online. I would like to reiterateto the Area Representatives that there are groups for each area, al-lowing information to be shared prior to or after meetings whichmay be useful given the fact that many of us travel for work. It

would also be useful to see Sue Doyle and other MTUK staff whoact as BMG’s Administrators signing up to this platform.

BMG Email / Siabod Cottage

Since the introduction of the MTUK CMS there have been prob-lems with emails generated from the BMG Website reaching Sia-bod Cottage. This seems to have now been addressed with theassistance of MTUK’s Infrastructure Provider B2 and RichardLundberg.

BMG Website News Items

I note the Equipment and Partnership Officers Report regardingNews Items for the BMG site. The BMG site really does require upto date news and reports from the membership and the associa-tion’s office holders. I am happy to post things up but am not in aposition to generate news. Please feel free to send me content thatcan be posted to the BMG website, or on social media. The oddphoto and brief statement is fine.

Social Media

The BMG has a good social media presence that seems to be gain-ing some traction. This is a major job and one that we cannot ig-nore in the long term. Constantly evolving, we do need to ensurethat we keep up with these developments and it is clear that this isseen as a high priority for the BMG’s Partners.

Currently, the BMG has a presence on the following platforms:Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, Twitter, Linkedin. These are ‘offi-cial’ BMG accounts i.e. the voice of the association.

In addition, we have the BMG’s Twitter List which, syndicates in-dividual members activities. Currently, there are big questions overTwitter’s future given previous CEO’s inability to “monetize” andgain revenue. Which although is much of it’s success might ex-plain our Partners investing heavily in Instagram currently.

For those members that tweet regularly I would be really grateful ifyou could continue to tag in @arcteryx and @GORETEXeu

The four main tweeters were noted in recent correspondence directfrom Arc’teryx.

Please also add the hashtag #britishmountainguides which will en-sure that tweets are drawn into the BMG website. This will ensurethat there is some good content there prior to the site going live.

Again, I would like to encourage members via the Area’s to inter-act and ‘Like’ or ‘Retweet’ the BMG’s news pieces to drive traffic

to the BMG site. BMG Members who use LinkedIn can also link tothe ‘British Mountain Guides’ or follow the BMG’s companypage.

As mentioned previously, I am keen to create some guidelines andadvice on the BMG’s social media allowing members to use itmore effectively. I hope to do this once the new website has gonelive.

Finally, there has been significant change in social media in thelast year, with many people making the leap to social media tomake complaints. While that hasn’t happened to the BMG yet, theManagement Committee is considering monitoring the BMG cen-trally from Siabod Cottage. One individual can then respond im-mediately to any complaints, negative comments, or a criticalincident with previously agreed statements.

Thanks to all those who have supplied images, content etc. Finallyplease feel free to get in touch, particularly if you can help me editthe growing content for the new site.

James Thacker, 20th September 2015

Our man from Arc’teryx climbing with the Editor this autumn



Treasurer’s Interim Report Edinburgh September 2015

Introduction

It is with pleasure that I present this interim report before the AGMand it will form much of that final report.

‘The end is nigh’ in terms of my role as Treasurer but many as-pects of my 3 year appointment will carry forward and I have eve-ry confidence in my successor to build upon the work alreadydone.

I would also take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on thecommittee for their professionalism and dedication during my ten-ure. It has been a privilege working with you and one I would rec-ommend to any guide, at least once in their career.

I would further thank Sue Doyle for continued support.

I would end how I started by reaffirming that the BMG is a small,professional association run by dedicated volunteers. I have triedto keep to that ethos. We punch above our weight in so many areasbut not in finances! The model requires effort and commitment byindividual members and I would urge new members, after a fewyears, to seriously give thought to how they might ‘give back’ tothe association.

Membership Statistics

membership category 2014 2015 currentFull 128 119 124Aspirant 9 8 9Trainee 7 13 7Associate 14 10 11Retired 33 34 39Honoured 6 6 6Total 197 195 196

Membership Subscriptions 2016 to increase by approx. 3.5% asfollows:

● Full guide £295

● Aspirant Guide £220

● Trainee Guide £100

● Associate Guide £150 still capped as per arrangement

● Retired Guide £47

Meetings Expenses 2016.

The running of the association is the biggest single expense. With-out the time and effort of its officers however it cannot exist.

For 2016 the guidelines remain the same as 2015.

Officers and members attending committee meetings and externalmeetings on behalf of the association can charge for the reasonablecost of transportation and accommodation (if necessary) to attend ameeting. The cost of meals is covered up to £15 if an overnightstay is necessary. An expenses claim form must be sent to thetreasurer, with receipts, within a maximum of one month after themeeting.

● Car travel: 30p per mile plus toll and parking charges.

● Public transport: Cheapest available fares. Travel to/fromthe Alps will be paid on basis of budget airfare plus travelto/from the airport.

● Car hire: with prior consent from the Treasurer.

● Accommodation: Subject to reasonable limits and onlywhen essential to attend a meeting. The cost of meals iscovered up to £15.

● AGM: Committee members can claim one night accom-modation and dinner up to £15, travel expenses, but notthe cost of a second night.

● IFMGA and other meetings: The Association would nor-mally cover the expenses of a maximum of 2 officers toattend an IFMGA meeting (normally the President andTraining Officer). Expenses for attendance of other meet-ings should have the prior approval of the Committee.

Please help to reduce expenses claims by booking flights or trainsearly and sharing cars and accommodation where possible.

Training and Assessment Course Wages and Expenses

Convenors are paid £310 per day

Trainers are paid £260 per day

Guide’s expenses incurred during the courses for mountain hutsand uplift will be paid. Expenses are not paid for travel to or fromthe training and assessment courses as it is expected that localguides will be used to staff the courses (and courses are priced onthis assumption). If conditions dictate valley accommodation(Alps) then ‘budget style’ will be covered. It is the Course Direc-tors responsibility to stay within budget avoiding daily uplift/valleyaccommodation for e.g.

Accommodation (budget or hostel type) is covered for ScottishWinter training.

Course fees will be set to cover the above costs

Directors’/Officers’ Honoraria

President £1200

Secretary £900

Treasurer £900

Director of Training £2500

Chair of PSC £1200

Publicity Officer £500

Equipment and Sponsorship Officer £500

Website Coordinator £500

All of the above subject to UK tax at 20%. PSC to be paid in twoinstalments to avoid NI contributions.

Officers’ Expenses

Officers can reclaim the costs of telephone, postage, stationery,photocopying etc in carrying out their duties.

Newsletter Expenses

The association will pay £250 per issue for the production of theBMG newsletter (NFTM). This is distributed only in electronicformat (by email to all members) and is also available on the mem-ber’s web site.

An invoice should be sent to the office after each issue has beendistributed.

We continue to be committed to the ‘Professional Mountaineer’and currently pay postage (spread amongst the various member-ships).

Accountants

I am very positive about the service we receive from Salisbury andit continues to represent excellent value for money. I propose theycontinue to be the auditors for the BMG.

Insurance

We have entered into our 3rd year with Integro/Doodson (and Mit-sui as insurer). We have a new contact there (John Capel) and wehave again come to an understanding on how our two organisationscan work together. In addition to a price freeze on premiums for



2015 we have further agreed to freeze premiums until re-newal in May 2017 dependant on no claims. Update – In-surance tax has risen by 3.5% with budget and will affectour premiums accordingly.

Employer’s Liability insurance is included in the premiumfor UK Ltd companies.

We agreed that Integro continue to discount the BMG’sinsurance by £1500 per year (an increase of £500) which ineffect is a profit share dependant on no claims.

Lastly, Integro provide a loss of earnings/injury policy tomembers. We now have a product which is £53 per annumand provides £300 per week for up to a year (can beclaimed after 2 weeks) to those guides injured whilstworking (not available to overseas international mem-bers).

Insurance part 2

In addition to the above agreement I have been asked totake part in an exercise with the ACWG (AMI, BAIML,MTA) as well as (at this stage) Perkins Slade to investigatea joint associations insurance policy.

My personal view is that it is healthy to investigate optionsbut that we have a strong, tailored product with Integro. Iwould like to expand on this at the meeting.

Associate Subs

At the last meeting I was asked (in my absence) to preparea proposal for the increase of associate subs. I attach myproposal.

Training Scheme

The training scheme has seen a small surplus this financialyear. It will always be exposed to some loss due to ratiosbut the model is working. The Trainer/Convenor rate is toremain at £260/£310.

The Ceinwin Faulkner Trust will be depleted in summer2016 (can a letter be sent thanking them for all the assist-ance over the years HBS,PM).

Can I again ask that if accommodation is booked then thisbe passed on to candidates? The BMG suffered some smalllosses (on re-tests) when candidates were charged less thanthe BMG were.

I attach the course prices for 2016.

The alpine training course price will be adjusted for 2017.

CMS Development

The CMS has been developed and I have requested that weadopt a direct debit system. The charges are favourable(1.5%). We are going to be charged 2.5% for all othertransactions which is a slight improvement on Worldpay(which we will cancel).

Professional Career Development Loan Application

Following on from the initial work from Tamsin Gay,Tania Noakes has taken on this labour intensive role. Shehas overseen the application and improved/tidied up a lot ofthe learning material and we have officially applied for thisstatus.

I received a huge interest from all the currentapplicants/learners and support this initiative.

I hope to report positively at the AGM.

The Bottom Line

We show a £4740 (after tax) surplus on a turnover of over£140,000 this financial year. This is an excellent result giv-en the increasing complexity of the association and testa-ment to its members who continue to support it. We areinvesting heavily in a new website and this will show (part-ly) in the next years accounts (it is currently carried for-ward as we have not yet ‘received’ the service).

Tim BlakemoreLes Houches

September 2015

Addendum1. Audited Accounts2. Training Scheme Dates & Costs3. Associate Subs Proposal

British Association Of Mountain Guides

Report of the Directors and

Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 30 June 2015


Contents of the Financial Statementsfor the year ended 30 June 2015

Page

Company Information 1

Report of the Directors 2

Report of the Independent Auditors 3

Income and Expenditure Account 4

Balance Sheet 5

Notes to the Financial Statements 6

Detailed Income and Expenditure Account 8


Report of the Directors and

Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 30 June 2015


Contents of the Financial Statementsfor the year ended 30 June 2015

Page

Company Information 1

Report of the Directors 2

Report of the Independent Auditors 3

Income and Expenditure Account 4

Balance Sheet 5

Notes to the Financial Statements 6

Detailed Income and Expenditure Account 8


Company Information

DIRECTORS: Mr T BlakemoreMr B GoodladH Burrows-Smith

SECRETARY: H Burrows-Smith

REGISTERED OFFICE: Siabod CottageCapel CurigConwy

REGISTERED NUMBER: 03242573 (England and Wales)

AUDITORS: Salisbury & Company Business Solutions LimitedStatutory AuditorsChartered AccountantsIrish SquareUpper Denbigh RoadSt Asaph

Page 1


Report of the Directorsfor the year ended 30 June 2015

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 30 June 2015.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITYThe principal activity of the company in the year under review was that of training, maintaining and regulating a body ofhighly qualified and competent British Mountain Guides.

DIRECTORSThe directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from 1 July 2014 to the date of this report.

Mr T BlakemoreMr B GoodladH Burrows-Smith

Other changes in directors holding office are as follows:

Mr T F Walker - resigned 19 January 2015Mr P Moores - appointed 19 January 2015

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIESThe directors are responsible for preparing the Report of the Directors and the financial statements in accordance withapplicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directorshave elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted AccountingPractice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must notapprove the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of thecompany and of the surplus or deficit of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, thedirectors are required to:

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company

will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain thecompany's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company andenable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible forsafeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraudand other irregularities.

STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORSSo far as the directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the CompaniesAct 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and each director has taken all the steps that he or she oughtto have taken as a director in order to make himself or herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establishthat the company's auditors are aware of that information.

AUDITORSThe auditors, Salisbury & Company Business Solutions Limited, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcomingAnnual General Meeting.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relatingto small companies.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

......................................................................H Burrows-Smith - Secretary

Date: .............................................

Page 2

Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members ofBritish Association Of Mountain Guides

We have audited the financial statements of British Association Of Mountain Guides for the year ended 30 June 2015on pages four to seven. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable lawand the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008) (United Kingdom Generally AcceptedAccounting Practice applicable to Smaller Entities).

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of theCompanies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members thosematters we are required to state to them in a Report of the Auditors and for no other purpose. To the fullest extentpermitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company'smembers as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditorsAs explained more fully in the Statement of Directors' Responsibilities set out on page two, the directors are responsiblefor the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Ourresponsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law andInternational Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing PracticesBoard's Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statementsAn audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to givereasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud orerror. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the company's circumstancesand have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimatesmade by the directors; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial andnon-financial information in the Report of the Directors to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financialstatements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistentwith, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any apparent materialmisstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Opinion on financial statementsIn our opinion the financial statements:- give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 30 June 2015 and of its surplus for the year then

ended;- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice applicable

to Smaller Entities; and- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006In our opinion the information given in the Report of the Directors for the financial year for which the financialstatements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exceptionWe have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report toyou if, in our opinion:- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from

branches not visited by us; or- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or- certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or- the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime

and take advantage of the small companies' exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in

Mr Aled Owen Roberts (Senior Statutory Auditor)for and on behalf of Salisbury & Company Business Solutions LimitedStatutory AuditorsChartered AccountantsIrish SquareUpper Denbigh RoadSt AsaphDenbighshireLL17 0RN

Date: .............................................

Page 3


Income and Expenditure Accountfor the year ended 30 June 2015

2015 2014Notes £ £

TURNOVER 140,311 112,723

Cost of sales (87,724) (66,966)

GROSS SURPLUS 52,587 45,757

Administrative expenses (48,647) (47,024)

OPERATING SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) 2 3,940 (1,267)

Interest receivable and similar income 1,000 987

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) ON ORDINARYACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION 4,940 (280)

Tax on surplus/(deficit) on ordinary activities 3 (200) (197)

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE FINANCIALYEAR 4,740 (477)

Retained surplus brought forward 69,092 69,569

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 4

British Association Of Mountain Guides (Registered number: 03242573)

Balance Sheet30 June 2015

2015 2014

FIXED ASSETSIntangible assets 4 11,250 -

CURRENT ASSETSStocks 353 278Debtors 5 18,172 11,597Cash at bank 91,017 103,944

109,542 115,819CREDITORSAmounts falling due within one year 6 41,003 38,627

NET CURRENT ASSETS 68,539 77,192

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENTLIABILITIES 79,789 77,192

ACCRUALS AND DEFERRED INCOME 7 5,957 8,100

NET ASSETS 73,832 69,092

RESERVESIncome and expenditure account 73,832 69,092

73,832 69,092

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act2006 relating to small companies and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on ............................................. and were signed onits behalf by:

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 5


Notes to the Financial Statementsfor the year ended 30 June 2015

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting conventionThe financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with theFinancial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).

IncomesIncome comprises the value of the goods and services supplied by the company. Value Added Tax is notapplicable. Subscription income relating to a future accounting period is deferred and carried forward in creditorsas 'Subscriptions paid in advance'.

Intangible assetsIntangible assets will be amortised over an estimated useful life of three years from the date it is brought in touse.

StocksStocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete andslow moving items.

Foreign currenciesAssets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at thebalance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange rulingat the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result.

2. OPERATING SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)

The operating surplus (2014 - operating deficit) is stated after charging:

2015 2014£ £

Auditors' remuneration 2,040 1,980Foreign exchange differences 123 -

Directors' remuneration and other benefits etc 5,500 5,800

3. TAXATION

Analysis of the tax chargeThe tax charge on the surplus on ordinary activities for the year was as follows:

2015 2014£ £

Current tax:UK corporation tax 200 197

Tax on surplus/(deficit) on ordinary activities 200 197

4. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETSOther

intangibleassets

£COSTAdditions 11,250

At 30 June 2015 11,250

NET BOOK VALUE

Page 6 continued...


Notes to the Financial Statements - continuedfor the year ended 30 June 2015

5. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR2015 2014

£ £Trade debtors 13,454 -Other debtors 4,718 11,597

18,172 11,597

6. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR2015 2014

£ £Trade creditors 11,386 5,597Taxation and social security 200 197Other creditors 29,417 32,833

41,003 38,627

7. ACCRUALS AND DEFERRED INCOME

Amounts received by the company to be used to fund specified courses, services and expenditure are held asdeferred income until the point the specified outcome is delivered. As at 30 June 2015 there was an amount of£5,957 (2014: £8,100) carried forward.

8. TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS

During the year, the following payments were made at market value to the directors in relation for administrationand training services provided to the company:

Director

30.06.15H Burrows-Smith 900T Blakemore 900P Moores 1,200B Goodlad 2,500

The directors have also paid subscription fees to the company on a normal commercial basis.

9. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY

There is no ultimate controlling party.

10. CONSTITUTION

The company is limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital. Every member of the Associationundertakes to continue such amount as may be required (not exceeding £1) to the assets of the Association if itshould be wound up while he is a member or within one year after he ceased to be a member, for payment of

Page 7


Detailed Income and Expenditure Accountfor the year ended 30 June 2015

2015 2014£ £ £ £

TurnoverSubscriptions 38,788 36,720Tests and training 52,469 52,608Sundry income & jacket sales 12,690 1,864Donations received 12,222 10,446Annual dinner income 3,325 1,485Alpine Arc'ademy 13,454 9,600Goretex Balmhorn Project 2,780 -BMG CPD 4,583 -

140,311 112,723

Cost of salesOpening stock 278 632Annual dinner expenses 3,868 2,730Alpine Arc'ademy 13,020 9,600Goretex Balmhorn Project 4,000 -BMG CPD 3,908 -Sundry expenses & jacket costs 12,169 133Tests and training 50,834 54,149

88,077 67,244Closing stock (353) (278)

87,724 66,966

GROSS SURPLUS 52,587 45,757

Other incomeDeposit account interest 1,000 987

53,587 46,744

ExpenditureDirectors' salaries 5,500 5,800Wages/Honoraria 2,700 2,200Administration 10,957 11,208IFMGA membership 3,987 4,170Insurance 1,249 213Meeting and committee expenses 12,350 17,128Newsletter 1,774 1,965Publicity 3,869 1,649Membership subscriptions 265 232Auditors' remuneration 2,040 1,980Foreign exchange losses 123 -

44,814 46,545

8,773 199

Finance costsBank charges 19 101Credit card 3,814 378

3,833 479

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

Page 8



*2 separate assessments

Module Title Cost Date Convenor

Rock Induction 170 19 September 2015 ATRock Foundation 340 20 – 21 September 2015 LPSki Technique 0 6 – 8 January 2016 SJSki Induction 90 10 January 2016 BGAvalanche Course 550 11 – 15 January 2016 MDWinter Induction 170 27 February 2016 GEWinter Foundation 340 28 – 29 March 2016 GERock 1 Training 580 7 – 10 May 2016 SMcRock 2 / Physical Performanceand coaching

450 23 – 26 May 2016 MC

Rock Assessment 1360 11-16 + 18-23 Sept 2016 * ATScottish avalanche day 0 18 January 2016 MD/AKWinter Training 615 19 – 24 January 2016 TNWinter Assessment 1360 28 Feb-4 Mar +6-11 Mar 2016 * GESki Touring Training 565 4-8 April 2016 GMcAlpine Training 1110 17 – 24 June 2016 ATCascade Training 170 18 January 2016 ANOff Piste Ski Training 360 20 – 22 January 2016 BG/MSAvalanche 2 Course 135 23 – 25 January 2016 AD/BGSki Touring Assessment 680 10 – 15 April 2016 PFAlpine Assessment 1120 14 – 19 August 2016 BGCompletion Seminar 0 21 August 2016 BGTOTAL £10165

British Mountain Guide Training Scheme 2016 in Sequential Order

Associate Rates ProposalBackground

The raising of the associate rate at last year’s AGM caused some consternation and the committeeagreed to a ‘3 year cap’ of £150 per year to allow a settling down period.

The aim of this raise is twofold.

Firstly it is to ‘future proof’ the association from a scenario whereby the associate rate is an attrac-tive option to members living in the Alps. I believe the default membership category should be oneof full membership and in fact is necessary for the financial security of the association.

Secondly, the raise is an effort to reflect the services those members receive (or can receive) andthe cost of those services. These benefits have been identified as all those a full member receivesless IFMGA contribution.

The BMG is a small association that is not yet growing; in fact it there is potential to shrink to anunsustainable level as the members grow older, retire or leave the association. We have seen a re-verse of this trend of late which is very welcome though it is too early to say whether this will con-tinue (though we hope so).

It is unsustainable to run an association with an ever decreasing membership level whilst costs in-crease.

Proposal A

· The current rate of £150 remains until the AGM 2017 as agreed at the 2014 AGM.· At the 2017 AGM a simple formula be adopted to avoid this situation developing again. I

propose ¾ full guide rate (currently what an aspirant pays). This is affordable, good valueand easy to administer. It is less than full membership minus IFMGA subscription as asign of goodwill to our existing members.

Proposal B

· The current rate of £150 remains until the AGM 2017 as agreed at the 2014 AGM atwhich time the Associate band be removed entirely.

Proposal C

· The current rate of £150 remains until the AGM 2017 as agreed at the 2014 AGM.· At the 2017 AGM the rate be increased to full membership less IFMGA subs

This winter the Chris Walker trust will once again be sponsor-ing a number of avalanche training days in Scotland, for lead-ers with a minimum of Winter Mountain Leader (trained).Higher awards are also covered.

Various association (MTA/AMI/BMG) priority for bookingsfor some award levels will appear on the respective CMS are-as, especially as AMI have kindly donated £1000 over thenext two winters. However there is also a waiting list for alldays and if you find a course is full, please contact Alan Kim-ber on 01397 700451 or 07909905664 [email protected] . Please state qualifications andtraining completed when you apply.

There is a £10 fee which will enable the Trust to continuerunning avalanche workshops for many years. All proceedsgo to the trust. This is a one day courses for up to eight peo-ple, run by Sport Scotland Avalanche Information Service,which count as CPD and offer valuable training to those ofyou who spend a considerable amount of time in the UK onsnow covered terrain in your work as a professional moun-taineer. The idea is to get the message out vialeaders/instructors/guides, so that they in turn can educatetheir own guests in current best practice.

This is a great opportunity to share CPD with other UKmountain professionals so please book early to avoid disap-pointment.

Dates:

2015

Friday 18 December Glenmore Lodge (open to all)

2016

Monday 18th January 2016 Nevis Range BMG winter train-ing for trainees and BMG members.

Friday 22nd January (AMI via CMS)

Saturday 23rd January 2016 Glenmore Lodge (open to all)

Friday 12th February (AMI via CMS)

Saturday 13th February 2016 Nevis Range (open to all)

Notes to consider for smooth running of these days:

· The AMI only dates would be bookable only throughthe CMS and Siabod cottage would keep Alan Kim-ber informed of progress and waiting lists and anycancellations.

· The other dates would be open to everyone fromWMLT upwards. Bookable through CMS [email protected] . Again Siabod cottage tokeep Alan informed of waiting lists. Likewise Alanto keep Siabod Cottage informed of email or phonebookings directly.

· 18th January is a closed BMG day for trainees andBMG members.

· Eight places are available on each day· All cancellations for all days to go through Alan

Kimber, either by [email protected] or01397 700451 or 07909905664

· SAIS has asked for the minimum levels of awards inorder to ensure that those attending can handle thewinter terrain. We have agreed that WMLT might bethe absolute minimum. Happy to discuss.

· The BMG winter training day will ideally be forBMG only. I spoke with Mark Diggins about thisand whilst the emphasis will be on a humid Scottishsnowpack and weather systems, some crossovermay occur as all BMG members will go on to workin the Alps and often Greater Ranges, where condi-tions can be very different and on ski. On the rareoccasion that places are available and unable to befilled with BMG, offers can go out to MIC only.Happy to discuss!

Alan Kimber

Oi! Wear a lid!

You know it makes sense

Words of Wisdom from Big Pete

(Congratulations are due for finallyremoving the tube from his stomach after 2

years without a beer)



Occupational Health:Preventing Knackered Kneesby Dr David Hillebrandt(Hon Medical advisor to BMG)

At the Pas de Chevres Mal Creasey and I were looking down toArolla, watching the fit young doctors on the final day of theDiploma of Mountain Medicine heading down to for some welldeserved beers. Mal looked at me and muttered “I used to be ableto get from here to the bar in under 45 minutes”. We both grinned,grunted, got out our trekking poles and hobbled slowly downchatting and enjoying the end of the day. “I reckon I have about tengood ice routes left in my knees,” muttered the old man of the hills“and I intend to use them all for my own pleasure and not forclients”.I first became aware of the problems older guides get from wornout arthritic knees when having a winter breakfast at a centre inGlencoe watching the consumption of porridge, bacon, eggs andnon steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen,diclofenac or naproxen). Later work showed that the incidence ofwear and tear arthritis does appear to be higher than in the normalpopulation (1). We know there is a genetic disposition for somepeople but for anybody a working life carrying heavy loads, jarringthe knees on descents or when skiing and generally hammeringone’s body does not improve the outlook. Many of you will be

visiting physiotherapists and other practitioners, swallowingvarious pain killers and glucosamine, strapping your knees, havingsteroid or hyaluronic acid injections or finally asking the NHS for anew set of metal knees and possibly a hip as well. Medical work iscurrently being undertaken on continuing mountain activities afterjoint replacement but prevention must be better than cure. We oweit to the new generation of guides to educate them and try tominimise future problems.

What can one do? Well most guides do not carry much excess fatso weight loss advice is not relevant. Guides tend to have wellconditioned leg muscles which partly protect knees from jarring ondescent. It seems logical that good quality cushioned footbeds inski and mountain boots may help but what about the use oftrekking poles? I would encourage you to read the UIAA advicesheet on their risks and benefits (2). In otherwise fit people itappears that pole overuse may decrease balance skills but theycertainly do reduce the load on the knees and consequently may bevaluable when carrying a heavy load. Personally I wouldrecommend their selective use when young but acceptance thatthey should be used more as one gets older.

Of course possibly the best prevention is to keep one’s sac light, soexpect your clients to carry the heavy items! In the long term thismay be the best form of client care since they will benefit fromyour expertise for many more years than if you wear out early.

Postscript: DH is visiting his GP today to discuss referral for aknee replacement! (5/11/2015)

References:

1) Hillebrandt D. Occupational Health Problems of BritishMountain Guides. British Travel Health Assn Journal. P43-46 VolX Winter 2007

2) Koukoutsi A. The use of hiking sticks in the mountains.Consensus statement of the UIAA Medical Commission. 2008.See: http://www.theuiaa.org/medical_advice.html

FOR SALE.

Retiring BAIML/MIC is selling home , gite and business inProvence in the Mont Ventoux region. The house dates from 1970and is in good order. There is a good sized garden on land of1200m2 along with swimming pool. Included in the sale is a fullyequipped gite including linen , towels etc. The region is ideal forall year rock climbing on St Julian and Dentelles, walking andtreks, mountain and road biking, skiing on Ventoux, canoeing inthe Ardeche gorge 1hr away and alpine skiing 1hr45 away…

Price £295,000 pounds. For full details contact:

Pat Heffron, Director [email protected]. Tel 0033475276829..Mob 0678554023.http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/listing/47?unit_id=93032.. thegitewww.francetrek.com.. for activity holidays.

David Hillebrandt testing his knees after the UIAA GA in Seoul



3. Go to the Memberships tab and roll over the BMG logo with your mouse (or click on the BMG logo if using amobile/tablet). The BMG badge will flip over.

How to renew your membership (including by Direct Debit)

1. Log in to the candidate management system:https://mt.tahdah.me. You will need to verify your email addressthe first time you log in. Please read the information on thescreen and in the email. The email may go into yourjunk mail box so please check there if it doesn’t appear in yourinbox.

2. Go to your Account by clicking on your username (top right) then click on Account.



4. Click on the More Info or Renew button.

5. Click on the Join/Renew button on the pop up.

6. Tick the box to agree to the terms and conditions, then select thepayment option (either by card or direct debit

7. If you select Direct Debit, create an account will Go Cardless by filling inany missing details (or sign in if you already have one). If you have optedto pay by Credit Card, just fill in your card details and click pay.



8. Confirm your details

9. Your Direct Debit will be confirmed and you can see the date of next year’s payment.

10. Direct Debits can be managed by clicking on your username (top right) and clicking onSettings.

11. Click on the Direct Debits link.

12. You can view all of your direct debits and delete them if required. Pleasenote this will have an impact on your association membership.



BMG CPD GUIDELINES

(4th Draft 24/8/2015)The aim of BMG CPD is to further a mountain Guide’s profes-sional development. This training should serve to deepen and ex-tend knowledge as well as to encouraging the exchange of ideasand experiences relevant to the skills of mountain guiding.

This document sets out to ensure that Guides:

● Keep up to date in guiding practice, techniques and deliv-ery

● Are informed of Guiding issues that have been identifiedby the Professional Standards Committee

● Meet the minimum CPD requirements of the BMG andIFMGA

Requirements: There is a BMG CPD requirement of 2 days in eve-ry 4 years ( 2 days equates to 2 points). However, it is recom-mended that a Guide complete a minimum of one day (gaining 1

point) CPD each year. It is every Guide’s responsibility to keeptheir continued personal development up to date.

1. All BMG Guides must meet the IFMGA minimum re-quirements for CPD of two days

(2 points) every 4 years. Any Guide who does not fulfill thisrequirement will not receive the IFMGA sticker.

2. The two points can be made up of Essential CPD or OtherCPD (see later definitions); however at least one Essential CPDday is required at all times.

3. It is the view of the Committee that Guides should exceedrather than meet this minimum requirement.

4. Guides who wish to have Other CPD approved need topresent their CPD proposal to their Area Committee. If approvedby the Area Committee, the Area Representative will inform theBMG Office. When informing the Office the Area Representativemust have the following information:

● The Guide’s name● The nature of the CPD● The date that the CPD was completed

5. The details of Guides’ CPD are recorded on the Candi-date Management System(CMS) at the BMG Office. Only theBMG Office can update an individual Guide’s CPD records onCMS; BMG Guides must not attempt to update their own CPDrecords.

6. It is the Guide’s responsibility to ensure that the CPD re-corded on CMS is accurate and up to date. The BMG Office andthe PSC will rely upon the information recorded on CMS – it is thedefinitive record. (Note that the CMS system will list CPD as“points” rather than days)

7. BMG Guides who organise CPD are responsible for re-porting the CPD to the BMG Office (who will, in due course, up-date the records of participating Guides on CMS)

8. Newly qualified Guides do not need to meet the CPD re-quirements until three years after the date they qualified (i.e. inyear four they must have two CPD points as described above).

9. The training must be provided by an IFMGA member, anappropriate organisation or qualified person. If a third party pro-vider is used for the training, an IFMGA guide must take the re-sponsibility to promote the training and to ensure the trainingfulfils the required objectives.10. The CPD should have a syllabus showing aims and ob-jectives so that the BMG membership can see the value of theevent. After the event, a report should be written by the courseconvenor and sent to the BMG office. This report is important as itallows the membership to review the day and learn indirectly anyimportant issues from the day. The report helps to improve andexpand on the type of CPD provided as it can be reviewed by themembers who can indirectly benefit from the issues covered. Thereport will be posted under the CPD section of the BMG website

11. Guides convening and working on CPD will have theCPD count towards their own quota. If the convening guide regu-larly delivers the subject professionally it would be better if theirCPD focussed on other areas of interest. For example, a BMGtrainer working on a BMG training course would not count whilsta guide running a CPD workshop would count.

12. CPD training should be promoted to all the BMG mem-bership. This can be done by email, BMG website or the “Newsfrom the Mountains” internal magazine.

13. The BMG shall not be liable for any outstanding pay-ments for any CPD.



A client at the Cabane du Trient went to the toilet. On herreturn she commented on how sore her bicep was.

"Why's that?" Inquired the Guide, concerned.

"I was just following the instruction and pressing the handle5 times after I had finished".

"you're supposed to press that with your foot, not yourhand....." Oh how we laughed...

What became of the likely lads?

1970’s instructors: Can you spot theones who would become Guides?

That was then and this is now!

Guides teaching the locals how todance. Notice the audience takingnotes.

Mick Tighe collection Alan Kimber collection



Origins…..By Alan Kimber

At a time of significant anniversaries for mountaintraining boards in the UK (50 years) and AMI (25years) and BMG (40 years), not to mention IFMGA(50years) as well, I thought it would be good tolook back personally, to view how I have arrived in2015 and whom I have to thank for arriving as aninternational mountain guide in particular. TheBMG became a member of UIAGM in 1977.

My own successful entry into BMG, after MIC,came in 1974 after a second rock assessment inthe Lake District. John Brailsford initially deferredme, in North Wales. There was only a rockassessment in those days, although winterassessments and the Alps followed on quickly,under the guidance of John and others. I actuallyran the initial winter tests for many years. It wasdifficult to engage the most experienced staff asguide assessors. Bill March and John Cunningham,obvious candidates, were possibly shackled toGlenmore Lodge contracts. Getting into the CICHut in those days was also a stumbling block forprofessional mountaineers running courses or

assessments. Dennis Gray was the NationalOfficer of BMC at the time of the first BMG wintertest and managed to persuade the SMC to allowaccess. Will Hurford and Rob Collister were thefirst to gain the BMG winter ticket in 1976.

Outstanding encouragement came from RichardGrant, Warden/Director of Loch Eil Centre (whereI worked). Not only did he allow me the timerequired, but he opened the doors of the centrefor accommodation. Richard sincerely believedthat British guides, should advance and standproud alongside continental associations. Heprovided the support which was not forthcomingfrom other UK agencies: the relationship betweenthe associations and Boards has always beencomplex!

Winter training and assessment with JohnBrailsford was always interesting and fun.....”If itworks use it lad”.....Anything from buried ‘Fag’packets and Dachstein Mitts in bone hard neve toretrievable ice- axes and screws. John has alwaysbeen an inquisitive person, not wishing to sit on anarrow established, ‘spectrum of possibility’ froma reference book. ‘The path less travelled’ canoften provide answers, albeit in a random fashion.John was also a blacksmith of some note. He bent

the pick of my first serious ice axe (centre below).Twice, as it turned out, when the pick snapped‘after’ an ascent of the Droites N.E.Face in 1977.

Also check this link out to see how all of us of acertain age will have used one of the nuts whichJohn designed in his workshop.http://www.needlesports.com/NeedleSports/nutsmuseum/nutsstory.htm

One phrase from John has stuck with me. Thatis...”You can climb ‘owt’ on gritstone with threeMOACs”...Thus, one of his nicknames..”ThreeNuts”..

He carried 3 PEBBLES initially, predating MOACs!MOAC’s lifted him from VS to “Owt” & reducedpeg use considerably. How they gained their nameis another story to be told.

Also of interest. Guy Dufour was the innovator atENSA. He and John spent hours simply playingwith rope and developing new ideas, whichworked. I believe the ‘French Prusik’ (autobloc)came from this friendly mutual liaison Guybecame technical President of UIAGM and we alluse many of these ideas to this day.

John Brailsford was the key for British guidesunlocking the door into the UIAGM, and it was noteasy! However, even today ‘visionaries’ find ithard to change entrenched ideas and moveforward in a progressive alliance. There existed inEurope those who wished to preserve therelatively new

UIAGM as a model of “Alpine arc” institution.Others, notably the French, firmly believed in aworld wide organisation, open to suitably trainedand qualified candidates. Individuals, such as

John Brailsford and some ice tools, including the Curver



Anderl Heckmair (German), Andre Contamine,Guy Dufour (French) & Tonio Carrel (Italy) gavevigorous personal support to John at all times,particularly at general, international meetingsboth in committee and mountain based settings.BMG faced opposition from some, who did notsee the British as having the right background,mountains (glaciated, high altitude etc.) or skills.Some deliberately went to great lengths to placeobstacles in our path. On the hill, it was always acase of “Show us what the British do!” Incommittee it was the same, i.e. Prove that theBritish have the structure and legal strength inkeeping with international (inc. EEC law.) All thesehurdles were presented and responded to inFrench, by John Brailsford.

English was never considered. Guy Martin (Frenchdelegate & teacher) was of great support both inclarifying and correcting our linguistic needs. JohnBrailsford even had to give a TV interview inFrench! Perhaps two of the best examples of“hoops” were when John was given a French, non-guide, as partner to extract an overweight guidefrom a deep crevasse and a challenge to cutadequate steps up & down a steep serac. All

under the critical eyes of alpine arc guide trainers.It was clear that certain countries were moreprotectionist than others, not wishing to competewith guides, who they saw as competitors forclients. John’s best weapons were humour andtechnical competence. John was invariably alone,with minimal support from any sources, althoughColin Firth (BMG Hon Sec) and Pete Boardman(BMC) were willing, supportive and helpful‘deputies’, offering a balanced view.

J B was way ahead of his time and worked withFrench guides at ENSA in Chamonix. & Ailefroide.Also used by both Briancon & Monetier syndicates( with Scandinavian & Dutch clients. (they usedEnglish as 2nd language.)

He has lived in Vallouise ,France now for manyyears with his French wife Eve.Another précis on ‘guiding’ in UK and the Alps canbe found athttp://www.bmg.org.uk/index.php/eng/Community/Articles/Le-boeuf-roti-des-montagnes

Photographed above with John Brailsford andDavid Hopkins in December 2014. I first met Davidon my initial BMG test in North Wales, where hewas a ‘Guinea-Pig’ laid on by John, for a day onCyrn Las, ‘Main Wall’. David and I have sinceclimbed together in various places at home andabroad. My first climbs in the Dauphine were withJohn, where he delighted in showing young Britishclimbers the ropes, many of whom had cycledfrom North Wales with him after spending timeon his outdoor programme in Bangor.

Clearly a lot has changed in the last forty years.The British Mountain Guides are respectedmembers of the I.F.M.G.A and part of a highlystructured global framework of training andassessment. Prior to entry into the UIAGM(IFMGA) British mountaineers had worked asguides in the alps for many years, without anyneed for a qualification, other than a high level ofskill and experience in alpinism. Looking back, Iwas fortunate to become involved with organisedBritish guiding at a time when a small band offorward looking individuals, led by John Brailsfordput an official alpine stamp on an associationwhich now numbers nearly 200 members.

Taken by Jean-Louis Francou, Briancon. outside the then newbureau, Ailefroide. JB on extreme right.

John with Trudi and Anderl Heckmair

news from the mountains - bmg

Documents