Admission for the 2025 Mountain Leader Professional Training Course

Important Information: The admission session originally scheduled for October 2025 has been rescheduled for a later date. We will contact you as soon as the new admission period is established.

The Society of Mountain Guides and Leaders (SGLM), a Romanian professional association internationally affiliated with UIMLAis opening registrations for a new professional training course for the (international) mountain hiking guide profession – International Mountain Leader, class of 2026-2028.

What does it mean to be an International Mountain Leader?

Liderul Montan Internațional ("International Mountain Leader" (IML) profession worldwide.The International Mountain Leader (IML) is a professional recognized and qualified to lead, instruct, and provide support to tourists in mountain areas worldwide, regardless of season or altitude, up to the glacier line and outside areas that require technical equipment for progression.

What benefits do SGLM members have?

• Mountain hiking guides who are active members of SGLM benefit from a professional civil liability insurance policy , which covers potential damagescaused by the guide's fault (malpractice), valid in Europe for activities carried out within the UIMLA standard. This policy can be extended for members of the Society of Guides who have also completed professional training courses for mountain guides for activities within their competence (such as alpinism, rock climbing, or off-piste skiing) and is valid only in Romania.
• SGLM members benefit from health insurance, receiving compensation for the period during which they cannot exercise their professional activity due to an injury.
• SGLM members receive legal assistance from the association in the event of incidents requiring such support.
• Upon graduating from the international modules, active members of SGLM become International Mountain Leaders, receiving the UIMLA card, based on which they can legally carry out their activity legallyworldwide.(Note: in some countries, there is an obligation to notify the authorities prior to carrying out the activity).). Additionally, graduates of the International Mountain Leader course can have their qualification recognized in other European countries if they move or primarily carry out their activity in those states.
• SGLM members benefit from continuous professional development courses (some mandatory, others optional) organized both with internal instructors and external instructors (UIAA instructors, UIAGM guides, university faculty) ensuring the maintenance and improvement of their level of competence and professional readiness.

Admission Session

• The date and location of the admission will be communicated later.
• Examination cost: 700 RON (to be paid only after registration validation).: 700 lei (se va plăti numai după validarea înscrierii)
• Registration is done by email at contact@ghizimontani.org by completing the application and standard forms. contact@ghizimontani.org prin completarea cererii și formularelor-tip.

Structure of the professional training course

The course takes place over 2 years (1080 hours) and consists of: 2 ani (1080 ore) și constă în:

• 10 national training and evaluation modules, summer and winter, each lasting 5 days, finalized with the national diploma for mountain hiking guide specialization;, de vară și de iarnă, a câte 5 zile, finalizate cu diploma națională de specializare ghid de drumeție montană;
• 2 international training and evaluation modules, summer and winter, optional, finalized with the UIMLA international qualification., de vară și de iarnă, opționale, finalizate cu calificarea internațională UIMLA.
• Cost per module: 1500 RON. 1500 lei.

Training takes place both in different areas of the Carpathians and in mountain areas across Europe during the international modules.

Admission conditions

Admission to the examination session is based on the analysis of the registration file, according to the following criteria:

• Minimum studies: High school with a Baccalaureate diploma.
• At least one international language of wide circulation, proven by a language proficiency certificate.
• Minimum national mountain experience 40 quality days, of which at least 10 are winter days.
• International mountain experience: 15 quality days.
• General mountain knowledge, proven by a multiple-choice test during the admission.
• Physical aptitude in mountain terrain, proven by a mountain tour during the admission.

The tourist guide certificate is not required for admission. According to current legislation, in order to practice, you must obtain this certificate within the next 2 years, as mountain hiking guide is currently a specialization of it. There is a legislative proposal currently being debated in Parliament that may eliminate this requirement.