Courmayeur · Italy

The Guides' House

In 1850 the guides of Courmayeur came together and founded a society: the first in Italy, the second in the world after that of Chamonix. This was not romance. It was a union. It set the rates, arranged the rota so that work circulated among all rather than only the best connected, determined who might call himself a guide, and kept a fund for the families of those who did not return. It was necessary because the relationship was unbalanced: the English arrived with money, leisure and an appetite for first ascents, the valley men had the mountain, the legs and the knowledge, and in the absence of common rules the client chose the cheapest while the risk remained entirely on one side. A guide who refused a dangerous day had to be able to do so without losing the work. That is what a society makes possible. Nearly two centuries later it is still here, and the profession is regulated by law.

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Why did guides organize?

To protect themselves. Without common rules the client picked the cheapest and the risk stayed entirely with the guide. A society set prices, competence and liability, and kept a fund for accidents.

What was the very first one?

The one in Chamonix, founded in 1821 after a fatal accident on Mont Blanc. Courmayeur followed in 1850, and was the first on the Italian side.

Are there still guides today?

Yes, and it is a profession regulated by law, with training and examinations. They are found here, in the same building. The work has changed less than might be supposed: it is still reading the mountain and bringing people back.

Where it is

Strada del Villair 2, 11013 Courmayeur · 45.79183, 6.97256 · Open in Maps

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