Back in the 1930s, Sun Valley, a small town in the heart of Idaho, became America’s first ski destination. Thanks to a prominent railway, the debut of the world’s first ski lift, clever marketing strategies and gorgeous lodging, the locale quickly became a favorite among celebrities of the time thin.
When Martin Volken, owner of North Bend’s Pro Guiding Service, earned his
IFMGA guiding pin back in 1996 in his native Switzerland, much of the town turned out for the ceremony including the mayor. “You are a high-altitude representative of the Swiss tourism industry,” the mayor told Volken. “I expect you to act like a professional.”
Such is the importance that Europe places on its guides.
In the United States, guiding has avoided such esteem. Nowhere is that more true than with ski guiding, which is too often viewed as anathema to American backcountry skiing’s DIY ethos, despite the fact that it can keep inexperienced skiers safer, show many backcountry skiers a far better time than they’d experience on their own, and add to even a seasoned skier’s mountain sense.