Am I a fake?

It amused me how meticulous a commenter on Facebook was: they said to show proof that I’m a guide, or maybe I just imagined it.

These skeptical folks. Well, I don’t mind — it might benefit someone else if they want to get training.

The course started in mid-October last year, and it’s in-person. The educational level is vocational (essentially, technical training). You need to prove that you have completed 9 grades of education (bachelor’s level), that you are healthy (medical certificate), and physically fit (entrance exam).

In the Canaries, training is free; on the mainland, there are both paid and free courses. The language is Spanish.

First, there was an exam to pass: a 12 km course with an elevation gain of 1000 meters, in less than three hours. The backpack should weigh at least 10 kg plus 2-3 liters of water and your food. The exam took place in May in Guimar, along the road leading to the observatory (Pista de Anocheza). I made the time limit; about 25-30% of the participants were filtered out.

We were very lucky with our instructor. Young, passionate, very professional, always available. The training is in-person, twice a week, with many intermediate tests after each module.

In general, I do not regret the decision at all. Yes, it was tough at first, especially because of the language. But it was worth it.

I continue to stay in touch with many of the people from the course.

The training is structured in modules. There is a general module (60 hours — first aid, basic physical training, etc.) and a specialized module (270 hours — route behavior, natural environment, recreation), plus practical training (150 hours in a local club or company).

You can easily Google this for more information: ciclo inicial de grado medio en senderismo (TD1).

And at the end, you get this rather unremarkable certificate, with which you can start your practice or look for a job.