Guide Program Overview

The Guide Program

The Big Sky Resort Snowsports Guide Program is a program that consists of Mountain Sports Instructors who are trained and approved to lead paying guests in Tram access, Special Access, and Hiking Terrain at Big Sky Resort. There are three categories of Guide personnel, each with different approval to lead paying guests in specific terrain.  

Guide 1’s (G1) are the entry level guides and are approved to lead paying guests in liberty, marx and lenin.  

Guide 2’s (G2) are the next level of guide personnel and are approved to lead paying guests in special access terrain.  

Guide 3’s (G3) are able to lead paying guests in all open terrain including special access and hike-to terrain throughout the resort.  

Otter slide is closed to all instructors

Guide Development Program

To enter the Guide Program an instructor must at a minimum hold a PSIA-AASI or an international certification equivalent Level 2 certification.

Once an instructor meets the above requirements and has the approval of their respective manager they are accepted into the Guide Development Program. Instructors in the Guide Development Program must attend Guide Development trainings.

Pathway to Guide

  •  A Guide 1 is approved to lead guided products in Liberty Bowl, Marx and Lenin (no Otter Slide). 

    To become a Guide 1:

    Prerequisites 

    • Level 2 certification in primary discipline 

    • Baseline skiing/riding skills:  

    • Confident in south side tram terrain (green/yellow conditions) 

    • Consistent parallel turns and control 

    Skills needed to attend check off

    • Steep Skiing/riding  

    • Tram Protocols 

    • Patrol/Mountain Ops/Guest Service Relations 

    • Beacon Check and basic skills 

    •  Route training: 

    • Liberty, Marx, Lenin routes 

    • Self-Arrest  

    • Personal Performance 

    • Where and how to teach it 

    • Guide MA Clinic (guest skill evaluation) 

    • Guest Goal management 

    • Kind, professional and respectful with team members 

    Required Training  

    • Early Season Training

    • Schoox e-learning 

    • Guide 1 check-off day 

      *Recommended to attend guide briefings 

  • Able to lead guided products off the Tram including Gullies 1-3, Dictators, special access Big Couloir and North Summit snowfield major routes (NO Otter Slide, Pockets, or Great Falls)  

    To become a Guide 2:

    Prerequisites

    • Confident skiing/riding in all tram terrain (green/yellow conditions) 

    • Rescue fundamentals course and Avy 1 certification 

    Skills needed to attend check off

    • Steep terrain skiing/riding 

    • Tram Protocols 

    • Patrol/Mountain Ops/Guest Service Relations 

    • Beacon Check and basic skills 

    • Route training:  

    • Big Couloir 

    • North Summit Snowfield 

    • Sign-out protocols

    • Advanced MA Guide Training (through level 9) 

    • Guest evaluation for Special Access terrain 

    • Guest Goal management 

    • Kind, professional and respectful with team members 

    Required Training

    • Early Season Training  

    • Schoox e-learning 

    • Guide 2 check-off day 

      *Recommended to attend guide briefings 

  • Able to lead guided products in Headwaters and A-Z Chutes Hike to Terrain and all Special Access and Tram products (No Otter Slide, No Pockets, please check with manager first for any non-typical patrol check out terrain)  

    To become a Guide 3:

                 Prerequisites 

    • Expert skiing/riding in all Big Sky terrain (green/yellow conditions) 

    • Advanced techniques:  

    • Pivot slips in corridor 

    • Stem christies 

    • Hop turns 

    • Kick turns 

    Skills prerequisite before attending check off day 

    • Steep skiing/riding training:  

    • Headwaters 

    • A-Z 

    • Route selection and safety protocols 

    • Tram Protocols 

    • Patrol/Mountain Ops/Guest Service Relations 

    • Beacon Check and basic skills 

    • Advanced guiding techniques 

    • Beacon skills demonstration 

    • Guest evaluation for hike-to terrain 

    • Guest Goal management 

    • Kind, professional and respectful with team members 

    Required Training  

    • Early Season Training  

    • Schoox e-learning 

    • Guide 3 check-off day 

      *Recommended to attend guide briefings 

Approved Guide Terrain

  • Liberty, Marx, Lenin (no otter slide)

  • Gullies 1-3, Dictators, Wave wall, Rockville, North Summit Snowfield main routs, Big Couloir (no otter slide or great falls)

  • Any regularly open in-bounds terrain. Anything that is irregular or rarely open needs manager approval (no otter slide)