The profession of guiding in North America has a long and distinguished history that dates back more than one hundred years. In that time, a great number of guides from around the world, including Canada, have used and revised traditional techniques and developed skills specifically suited to local areas. Today’s guiding industry is based on this groundwork and continues to evolve at a significant pace. This manual defines technical guidelines for professional guides who are trained and certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG); however, no one person or organization can lay claim to the techniques included here.