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Simply Savoie

Guided walking – snowshoeing – via ferrata in the French Alps with Mark Tennent

International Mountain Leader

Why choose a locally based walking guide in the French Alps?

Why choosing a locally based walking guide in the French Alps is your best option.

Before you book your next guided walking holiday in the French Alps you may wish to consider the following questions.

Will your walking guide really have ?Local Knowledge??

Many walking holiday companies based outside France talk about the experience of their guides and talk of them as being ?local experts?. Really? The vast majority are certainly not ?local? and, arguably, far from ?experts?.

What is ?local knowledge?? a definition:

?Refers to facts and information acquired by a person which are relevant to a specific locale or have been elicited from a place-based context. It can also include specific skills or experiences made in a particular location.?

Can a walking guide who is ?parachuted in? for a few weeks have the same level of local knowledge as one who lives there all year? Simple logic would suggest, ?No?.

How well does your guide speak French?

Communication is key. When you get off the beaten track English isn’t always spoken or understood.

  • What happens if you have an accident or an emergency? Can your walking guide communicate clearly with the rescue services, a doctor, or at a hospital?
  • You may want help to understand a menu in a restaurant to guide you in your choice; especially important should you have a food allergy or special diet.
  • If you are staying in smaller hotels or mountain refuges can your guide act as your interpreter to make your stay an enjoyable one? Can they help you to break the language barrier between you and others?
  • Can they talk with other walkers on the trail and bring you into the conversation or exchanging information on conditions with other walking guides? This can be a major safety factor.

How choosing a local based walking guide contributes to ?Sustainable? Tourism

Sustainable tourism is a phrase that appears in most brochures or on websites. What does it mean in practice? It is about reducing the impact of tourism in a variety of ways:

  • Informing yourself of the culture, politics and the economy of the area that you will be staying in or walking through. What depth of knowledge does your walking guide have?
  • Anticipating and respecting the local culture and the expectations and assumptions that go with it. A locally based walking guide living, year-round in France can help you avoid making social faux pas, and enhance your experience.
  • Supporting the integrity of the local culture by [sic] choosing to support locally based walking guides or companies.

By choosing a French based and French speaking walking guide you truly contribute to the local economy.

What knowledge do they have of the wildlife and wild flowers?

Seeing wildlife and wild flowers is an important part of a walking or trekking holiday in the Alps. I can help you to spot ibex (bouquetin), chamois, bearded vultures not to mention the ubiquitous marmotte! Some are common and easy to spot, others can be more elusive. By knowing their favourite hang outs I can increase your chance of seeing them. Let me guide you in discovering the kaleidoscope of wild alpine flowers that never fails to inspire me; especially genepy!

Can they help you discover French food, wine and other local produce?

France is world renowned for its gastronomy, great wine and fresh, local produce. It forms an essential part of any walking or trekking holiday in the Alps. A locally based walking guide can help you fully discover local specialities and not just the run-of-the-mill items on every menu.

I can take you to alpine farms where cheese making still happens ?sur place? (on site). Here you can watch this timeless tradition taking place. Huge copper cauldrons brimming with milk direct from the cows, their bells tinkling in the alpine pastures. You can taste the cheeses maturing in the farms cellar and may be buy some to take home with you.

You may know your French wines, Bordeaux, Cote de Rhones, Chablis, etc. However let me introduce you to the local Savoie wines. Savoie wines are comparatively little known due to the very small quantities produced and sometimes they are produce from grape varieties rarely grown elsewhere in France.

Is the walking guide legally allowed to work in France?

Is your potential walking guide legal to work in France? Does your guided walking holiday company only employ walking or hiking guides legally able to work in France? If not you run the risk that your guide is arrested and your holiday ruined. Find out more.

Well, why choose me, Mark …

I’ve lived near Albertville, Savoie, in the French Alps since 2005. My home is in a small rural hamlet on the mountainside that forms part of the Chaine de la Lauziere between Albertville and the Col de la Madeleine.

I speak fluent French, albeit with a British accent, except when I’m working I rarely speak English. I’m currently applying for French citizenship.

All my neighbours are French. As I said to them, ?I didn’t move here to be part of an English speaking ?ghetto? like Chamonix or Meribel?. I now feel ?I belong? and several years ago I was touched by being introduced by my closest neighbour, a retired farmer, a Savoyard ?de souche? (born and bred) as a Villaret (someone from Le Villard). It was a milestone in being accepted into a tightly knit community where the local patois is still spoken.

Let me share my local knowledge with you. It’s an accumulation of my day-to-day life experience in France. So please allow me to bring your holiday ?alive?!

Unqualified walking guide in France – the risks

The immediate risk is that your unqualified walking guide or hiking leader could be arrested at any time leaving your holiday ruined. You may then find yourself required to give a statement to the police as part of their investigation. Clearly not how you wish to spend your holiday.

An unqualified walking guide – your safety at risk

Most importantly your safety and well-being could be at serious risk. What if the weather suddenly changes? Can your leader navigate in difficult conditions? If your route crosses steep, rocky terrain or even makes use of steep ladders and wire protected passages does your leader have the skills and experience to keep you safe? Early summer in the Alps large areas of old snow can make normally easy routes very serious with a trip or a slip potentially having serious or fatal consequences. Can your leader protect your safety?

The benefits of using a qualified walking or trekking guide

No. 1 ? Your safety & well-being.

  • Your leader will have been assessed on their navigation and map reading skills. In good weather finding the right route may be easy but even in summer in the Alps snow can rapidly cover footpaths and way marks. Low cloud may suddenly make route finding more challenging.
  • Your leader will have been trained and assessed in the use of the rope to protect you on steep ladders, wire protected sections of the route or even large areas of snow lingering from the winter. These can look innocuous but a slip and an uncontrolled slide may have very serious consequences.
  • Your leader has to undergo regular refresher training or ?Continued Professional Development? to ensure their skills are up-to-date.
  • Your leader is required to have a good knowledge of the flora and fauna helping you to get the most from your holiday.
  • Your leader will have been trained in First Aid, usually a course specifically for remote environments in the mountains.
  • Your leader is required to hold Professional Indemnity Insurance.

By insisting on only using a qualified Accompagnateur en Montagne (AeM) or International Mountain Leader (IML) you are assured of a leader who has gone through a thorough training and assessment programme.

It is also worth checking how your holiday insurance may be affected. In some cases your insurance may be invalid if you are injured when in the company of an unqualfied leader potentially leaving you with a large bill.

France has strict laws (references below) on who can lead walking, hiking and trekking tours. Indeed this applies to other outdoor sport professionals such as mountain guides (guide de haute montagne), rock climbing and ski instructors. There’s no requirement for leading genuine friends or family. The purpose of the laws is protect the public.

Consequences for an unqualified walking guide or mountain leaders

Regular checks (or contr?les) are carried out by inspectors from the DDCS or the Peleton Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) who also carry out mountain rescues. If they suspect someone is leading a group they will ask for proof of the leaders qualifications and to see if they have registered to work in France. Should they discover that a person is not qualified they may arrest them on the spot. These unqualified leaders face up to 1 years imprisonment and / or up to a Euro 15,000 fine.

A person who is remunerated for leading walks or hikes for (which includes payment in kind) is required to hold the relevant qualification or its recognised equivalent. They are also required to register with the French Sports Ministry. Those who work on a regular basis or are resident in France will also be issued with a ?Carte Professionnelle? with their photograph and a link to the qualifications they hold.

Protectionism?

It’s often decried as France being protectionist. Not true. Any person who holds the recognised qualification or equivalent may work in France regardless of nationality. As a UK national it was a straightforward administrative matter to have my International Mountain Leader qualification recognised. The same is true for IFMGA Mountain Guides and ski instructors. There are at least 350 British ski instructors working perfectly legally in France with no hindrance.

References

Code du sport – Article L212-1 (in French)

Code du sport – Article L212-2

French Regulations for Leading Groups in the Mountains – Code de Sport

Article L212-1

I.-Seuls peuvent, contre r?mun?ration, enseigner, animer ou encadrer une activit? physique ou sportive ou entra?ner ses pratiquants, ? titre d’occupation principale ou secondaire, de fa?on habituelle, saisonni?re ou occasionnelle, sous r?serve des dispositions du quatri?me alin?a du pr?sent article et de l’article L. 212-2 du pr?sent code, les titulaires d’un dipl?me, titre ? finalit? professionnelle ou certificat de qualification :

1? Garantissant la comp?tence de son titulaire en mati?re de s?curit? des pratiquants et des tiers dans l’activit? consid?r?e ;

2? Et enregistr? au r?pertoire national des certifications professionnelles dans les conditions pr?vues au II de l’article L. 335-6 du code de l’?ducation.

Peuvent ?galement exercer contre r?mun?ration les fonctions mentionn?es au premier alin?a ci-dessus les personnes en cours de formation pour la pr?paration ? un dipl?me, titre ? finalit? professionnelle ou certificat de qualification conforme aux prescriptions des 1? et 2? ci-dessus, dans les conditions pr?vues par le r?glement de ce dipl?me, titre ou certificat.

II.-Le dipl?me mentionn? au I peut ?tre un dipl?me ?tranger admis en ?quivalence.

III.-Les dispositions du I s’appliquent ? compter de l’inscription des dipl?mes, titres ? finalit? professionnelle ou certificats de qualification sur la liste des dipl?mes, titres ? finalit? professionnelle ou certificats de qualification r?pondant aux conditions pr?vues aux paragraphes I et II, au fur et ? mesure de cette inscription.

IV.-Les personnes qui auront acquis, dans la p?riode pr?c?dant l’inscription mentionn?e au III et conform?ment aux dispositions l?gislatives en vigueur, le droit d’exercer contre r?mun?ration une des fonctions mentionn?es au I conservent ce droit.

V.-Un d?cret en Conseil d’Etat d?termine les conditions d’application du pr?sent article. Il fixe notamment les modalit?s selon lesquelles est ?tablie la liste mentionn?e au III.

Why take a guide?

… rather than doing it on your own?

Yes, you could ?do it on your own? however here are some reasons why choosing to walk with me may give you an even better holiday.

Local knowledge ? I live in France, and in particular, in Savoie all year round. I also happen to speak fluent French. Over the years I have gained many insights into the area that can give you a far more interesting and enjoyable experience.

The language – If you don’t speak French it’s very difficult or impossible to interact with the local people, be it shepherd’s or other walkers. This interaction enriches your experience. I frequently find myself acting as an interpreter in refuges allowing you to join in conversations with French walkers in refuges or out on the trails.

Route finding – No stress! No need to worry about finding your way. You can relax and let me take care of the route finding allowing you to enjoy your time in the Alps to the maximum.

Choosing the best walks ? whilst you may read about walks in guidebooks or see signs out on the trail they may not be the most suitable for you or the conditions. I can show you places that are not mentioned in guidebooks; especially English language guidebooks.

Culture – avoid committing cultural ?faux pas? from simply not being attuned to local customs and etiquette.

Get off the beaten track – living locally I can help you discover places that you would almost not find out about on your own. Where and when are you most likely to see: ibex, chamois or other wild animals and birds. Where to find alpine flowers and plants like genepy or edelweiss.

Local specialities and produce ? I can introduce you to some of the best local produce and the local markets not the one’s set up to ?trap? the tourists.

Assessing Candidates for the International Mountain Leader Award

At the start of September I joined two other instructors from Plas y Brenin, the UK’s National Mountain Centre, at Samoens in the Haute Savoie for a four day assessment of trainee International Mountain Leaders. The group was split into three groups.

The first day concentrated on looking at protecting clients on steep rocky sections and using fixed equipment like thick ropes or steel cables. I then asked my four candidates to lead me to points I indicated to them on the map. During each candidates navigational ?leg? I asked them to identify flowers, trees and talk about the countryside we were passing through. One of the candidates gave one of their 10 minute talks on an environmental subject of their choice.

The following morning we set off on a three day expedition in the mountains spending two nights in mountain huts. We set off from the Col de Joux Plane above Samoens and headed up on to a narrow ridge protected in places by a cable. After a break on the Pointe d’Angolon we descended a steep grassy ridge watching a herd of sheep and their shepherd below. Soon we were amongst alpine pastures with cows grazing on the late summer grass. The final part of the day saw us pass deep gaping holes in the limestone. The area is famous for one of the biggest cave systems in France, the ?Gouffre Jean-Bernard? with over 23km of passages and reaching a depth of 1602m.

We spent our first night at the Refuge Bostan nestled in a dry valley. The following morning we swapped groups, to ensure that each candidate was seen by another assessor and headed off. After a couple of navigation ?legs? I stopped the group and asked two candidates to set up an ?indirect? belay. I wanted to see them safeguard a short rock step both in descent and ascent. I left the candidates to it until they said they were ready.

Moving off once more we came to the Col de Bostan and the Swiss frontier. Here we looked down to the Rhone valley. Our next objective was the Pas au Taureau, a col, giving access to Combe au Puaires and the Lac de Vogealle. The path became steep and rocky. Part the way up I asked another candidate to take over the leadership of the group. We were now on steep scree with a smattering of fresh snow that had fallen in the last week. The route took a sharp turn left onto scree covered rocks protected by a steel cable that led us close to the top and easier ground. We arrived on the narrow crest of a ridge. It was so narrow that you could sit astride it like a horse (? cheval)! We stopped for lunch in the sunshine looking down on the Lac de Vogealle and the mountains above the Cirque de Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval.

The path down on steep grass led to more scree before climbing once more to the Col de Pointe Droite. Time for a drink and for one candidate to deliver their 10 minute talk to the group. Our onward route continued through tortuous limestone karst requiring concentration. Finally we arrived at the Refuge de Folly. A quick shower and a welcome beer! After dinner I joined the other assessors to compare notes and update the ?matrix? with notes about each candidate. This enabled us to ensure that all points of the syllabus were covered and any remaining ?question marks? about candidates could be addressed on the final day.

The morning started with rain falling steadily but this soon cleared up. The path led down through woods before a traverse brought us to the base of a limestone cliff equipped for rock climbing. Time to eat and drink. The next section of path was protected by a mixture of chains and cables. This gave me the opportunity to test two of the candidates. This done we headed for the car park and a short drive to Samoens.

After lunch I got together for a final meeting with the other assessors. Each candidate was discussed with reference to the ?matrix? and the notes we had made over the last four days. The strong candidates were easy but those whose performance was below or close to the standard were more difficult. Decisions made we called the candidates in individually to give them the result and individual feedback.

It was a very interesting four days for me. I have previously trained and assessed for the Summer and Winter Mountain Leader Awards (UK) and the Single Pitch Award. However this was my first time assessing for a number of years so felt a degree of apprehension. I wanted to ensure that I gave the candidates a fair assessment and to be seen to be doing a ?good job? by Plas y Brenin.

I’m now looking forward to being part of the team delivering IML Winter Training in Le Grand Bornand in January and assessing in Morzine in March.