In reply to Liz:
Having thought about hiring a guide last time I was skiing and thinking that I MIGHT be good enough to go off piste (but in the end decided that I was not) I have to say that I agree with you.
There would seem to be three types of clients that guides are subjected to:
a) Total idiots - these will go back country what ever. If we are lucky they will take a guide and might survive. With no guides they will go there anyway and probably have a very bad time - witness the snowboarders that die each year with no guide because they were in a daft place and did not know it, or did not realise that the warnings were for real.
b) misguided people - people who really should not be out there and decide not to go following conversations with a good guide, or decide not to try to cross the glacier (etc.) but to go somewhere easy but quite with the guide on his/her advice.
c) the good ones - people who are confident and competent that take a guide because they want local knowledge or support.
It seems to me that without guides at all two things would happen:
1) the idiots and misguided would go out and have a bad time, some would die and the world would exclaim - why were the guide organisations disbanded
2) only the truly competent would be able to get out safely - where would they learn these skills and be able to practice them in safety?
as such banning guides seems to be a daft idea, though the idea of trying to ensure those that are called "professional guides" should be highly trained and able to exercise total discretion in who they will take - i.e. the commercial aspects should be second or even third priority.
Take care - oh and yes next time I go I will probably take a guide out to see what it is like off the beaten track - assuming that I go soon enough not to be so rusty that I have to re-learn all over again!
PS - no disrespect is intended to the unfortunate people that are killed and hurt off piste etc through no fault of their own or the guide - such people are just unlucky not idiots.