The One and Only Chamonix Guides Company

Founded in 1821, the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Guides Company is quite simply the first guide company in the world. The original. The pioneer. The one who invented the collective organisation of guiding and inspired mountaineers beyond the Alps. Two centuries later, it remains the largest in terms of membership. The same DNA forged by sharing and respect, the same passion for nature, and a vision firmly rooted in the present.

The first ascent of the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn by Michel Croz in 1865. Mont Blanc by Jacques Balmat and Dr. Paccard in 1786, of course. The first 8,000-metre peak by Louis Lachenal on Annapurna in 1950. The list of guides in the Company reads like a record of world mountaineering achievements. From the elders to the younger generation who continue to blaze trails all over the planet, the Company has not only accompanied the history of the mountains; it has written it.

It was after a fatal accident on Mont Blanc that the Chamonix Guides Company was officially founded, based on two founding principles that remain in effect today: the "rescue fund," to support guides and their families against the risks of a dangerous profession; and the "rotation system," for an equitable distribution of work. A collective and supportive vision of the mountains.

Becoming a guide or mountain leader is not a whimsical career change. The selection process is rigorous, from the initial interviews, followed by a qualifying exam with technical tests, training spread over several years, internships, and continuous assessments. In Chamonix, the ENSA (National School of Skiing and Mountaineering) trains high-mountain guides over four years. Each year, out of approximately 180 candidates, only about fifty will complete the program. Guiding is something that must be earned, and it's a lifelong pursuit.

The Guides' Festival is much more than just local folklore. The ceremony for calling up the guides, the blessing of ropes and ice axes, tributes to the elders, and a vertical sound and light show at Les Gaillands... Tradition and creativity come together in an atmosphere that is both solemn and festive. The mountains are a collective celebration.

Approximately 160 high-mountain guides (for glacier travel, ski touring, or mountaineering), 60 mountain leaders (for nature outings on snowshoes), and about twenty employees who coordinate this entire operation. A diverse team, generations working side-by-side, and a senior member over 75 still active. Few female guides (4 in 2023), but a growing trend. There's bound to be a professional guide who's right for you.

Mountaineering, ski touring, ice climbing, via ferrata, canyoning, trekking, paragliding, big wall climbing, seminars, children's outings… There's a mountain for everyone, from first steps to lifelong projects. All sharing one thing in common: some of the strictest guiding standards and a focus on the human element before performance.

Adaptability. To the weather, the terrain, the people, and now, the climate. Here, we're not talking about abstract ecology but lived reality: melting glaciers, evolving routes, practices that need rethinking. Less summit-level thinking, more education and immersion. And always, the passing on of knowledge.

The biggest challenge is no longer the verticality, but climate change. The Company is adapting, innovating, and raising awareness. Because in Chamonix, the mountain isn't just a backdrop. It's a living, fragile, demanding world. And a collective responsibility.