In reply to Paul Johnson:
never said I was a guide, I went the mountain instructor route. I looked at it, but didn't consider myself quite climbing hard enough, consistently enough, to enjoy the assessments etc.. plus at the time my skiing was a pants! Personally I think the grand courses in the Alps are the relatively easy bit if you have a few good seasons of reasonable weather, you can easily surpass the requirements.
I was commenting on those I know who have been through it.
I think you are approaching it from the wrong angle, for most guides they were climbing for fun, several days a week, all their holidays we climbing holidays globally... then at some point they realised they had already met a fair proportion of the requirements of the scheme, plus were climbing at a level where they already know other guides so the reference, aspirant elements all kind of fall into place. Others are already working as MIA/MIC and simply want to up their game so their can work more overseas etc...
It's a calling!!
Post edited at 19:07