Introduction

You want to become a canyon guide?
You’re looking for a challenge?
You’re ready to invest money, time and energy to achieve your goal?
You are ready for a complete and thorough training?
You want to join an international network?

Then the Canyon Guide training program of the CIC is right for you!

The Canyon Guide training program of the CIC is unique in many ways. It started in 1995 and is therefore the oldest specialised professional training for canyon guides. But we haven’t stopped progressing: we are constantly looking for new means to convey our knowledge in a durable manner.

So what makes the CIC training so special?

Bridges

For most of the training modules, we have worked out introductions that act as mnemonics for the content being taught. Even after a long time, those mnemonics or memory bridges remind us quickly of the important techniques and topics.

Practise, practise, practise…

We allow as much time as possible for repetitions. It is a well-known fact that a technique has to be repeated about 700 times in order to be mastered. To do so in a canyon is not possible due to limited time, low temperatures or simply the impossibility to come back quickly to the training spot. That’s why we practise mostly in a dry, albeit canyon-like environment during module 1+2. Module 3 is therefore spent exclusively in canyons.

Communication training

Many guiding mistakes originate in faulty communication. We strongly focus on communication skills and teach appropriate techniques.

Personality training

Technique alone is not the miracle recipe. A client expects a guide, not just a knot-tying expert. That means guide’s abilities must go far beyond pure rope and whitewater skills, which is why our courses focus strongly on developing the personality of each participant, in order to fulfil the current requirements of canyon guiding.

Length of training

Teaching those techniques, „digesting“ them and memorizing them, all that takes time. Although any course – no matter what - is often considered too short, the length of our courses has been extended to an acceptable level. That resulted in the CIC training being the longest, and therefore the most thorough training for canyoning guides. Training courses that last only 14 days are, in our opinion, no longer appropriate. Training for a job – any job – with much less responsability for people’s lives will take much longer.

Challenges

Our courses are challenging - not everybody that enters the course passes every exam. Working as a canyoning guide means being under physical and psychological pressure. The content of our courses prepare you for that. Very fit candidates also stand a better chance of success.

High standards

We don’t think much of hard entry tests, because we believe that candidates are here to learn a job. And that is done best under safe and experienced supervision. However, students are almost permanently assessed during training and must constantly reach high standards in all fields in order to fulfil the requirements expected from them. In doing so, they have the highest chances of success.

Course documents

As Confucius once said: „he who takes notes, listens carefully“. And he was right. That’s why students don’t get documents, but rather must compile the course information themselves. It is a well-known fact that information is best memorised if it has been written down. To that purpose we provide participants with CIC writing paper pads as well as waterproof pads.

Learning process

Being a canyoning guide is a lifelong learning process. We are constantly influenced by new and better trends, techniques and equipment. A good guide must be willing to adapt to those changes. Further training is the ideal way to do so, and every CIC guide and assistant-guide must attend such a training every two years, in order to maintain his/her active status.

Work experience

A course shouldn’t be just plain dry theory - we build in two training blocks in addition to the standard modules. First, a guiding practise, where one gets an insight into the work of an experienced CIC guide one. Second, a canyon practise, where one hones his/her technical skills.

Whitewater training

The three-day whitewater training of the CIC is worldwide the longest and most thorough of all canyoning guide courses. The ideal training facility allows students to gain more confidence in this complex field. The course is an integral part of module 1+2.


Overview of the CIC canyon guide course

The training course consist of 5 parts:
  1. Module 1+2 (14 days)
  2. Professional internship (10 days)
  3. Module 3 (10 days)
  4. Training trips (10 days)
  5. Guide exam (1 day)
You will find detailed information to each part by clicking on it in the navigation on the right side and in the curriculum (pdf) as well.

Please contact us for any further questions concerning the guide educational program by our online support system.