UKH

As a British Citizen can I do this assuming I speak french?

I guess its the same standard but do they teach the same techniques?

In reply to Gus Mayor:

Similar system - but has a rather competitive selection process to say the least!

In reply to Gus Mayor:

Yes you can.

http://www.ensa.jeunesse-sports.fr/

No idea what standard you're operating at but the entry level is pretty high, including skiing and ski-touring.

In reply to bryn:

Though it's easier to get onto the selection process which is probably a significant contributory factor.

In reply to Gus Mayor:

You can. A number of British climbers have qualified through the french system.

No it is completely different. Far more candidates apply to the french system each year, making it far more competitive. I think the rock and skiing standard is much higher for the ENSA scheme, but the amount of alpine experience is much lower.

Obviously I'm not a guide and haven't attempted either scheme, but as a brit it would probably be far easier to complete the BMG scheme, rather than the ENSA scheme.

Jon will know for more about it than me. Probably best to ask him.

Cheers,

Tom

In reply to Gus Mayor: To apply one needs to satisfy the entry requirements which are a (Chamonix centric) list of routes in the following categories.

* 10 Courses Rocher
* 7 Courses neige-glace
* 7 Courses Mixte
* 12 Courses de ski de montagne
* 3 cascades de glace

There's a list and some links on camptocamp

http://www.camptocamp.org/articles/223805/fr/liste-de-courses-pour-le-proba...

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: Neil Brodie's another British 'French' guide who posts here (although not as often as Jon, who if I remember correctly, was once a British guide so maybe well placed to compare the 2 approaches)

In reply to Doug:

It's perfectly possible for a Brit to go through the French system. Neil did just that. I went through the GB one then obtained membership of the French Syndicat in '91. Neil is the person to ask as he also works for ENSA. Someone mentioned the competitive process of getting into the French scheme. They are certainly amending this absurdity as we speak, though there will be just as many applicants to reduce down to a more manageable number, but I think it'll be a fairer selection process than the previous one that was almost purely on performance. The British scheme has evolved tremendously since I got my Sherriff's badge, it's much longer and harder and at the moment has higher pre-requirements than the French. However, the advantage of it is that there are never enough candidates to warrant a selection process. The main difference is that you'll be expected to have done a lot of Scottish winter.

Gus, I'll email you Neil's username so you can contact him if you want.

In reply to Gus Mayor:

Dont forget the other pre-requirements to the french system

1. ability to wear sunglasses in all weathers
2. have a better tan than dale winton
3. ability to push past on tricky crux sections whilst maintaining a slight air of arrogance.

(only joking on that last one honest)

In reply to SiWood:

That's not a pre-requirement for the French though - it's a given! Made easier of course by spectacularly slow British teams

In reply to Gus Mayor:

I forgot to ask, do you look good in a gillet?

In reply to Gus Mayor:

Thanks for all the input here, I moving out to France this winter and hoping to stay out there which means less chance of hitting the UK requirments, hence my enquiry...

I've been donning the white rimmed sunglasses and have a tan thanks to sri lankan ancestry, some might say I'm arrogant, now all I need is to be able to climb and ski!

In reply to jon:

Thanks for this Jon

In reply to Gus Mayor:


Ah, now there's a problem!