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Knowledge for the road ahead.

Practical material for guides, hosts and the people who train them.

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8 resources

Audience: guides Clear all

Course outline

Before the season: weather, risk and navigation

English·5 pages ·PDF · 25.39 KB

A four-hour preparation outline for guides: two hours on weather, one on sustainability and risk, and one on maps and compass work. Based on the English course plan of 18 May 2024.

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From the material

Start with the weather you can observe

The largest block connects basic weather concepts to observations, forecasts and trekking plans. It gives the facilitator a sequence of topics rather than a weather prediction method. Page 2 sets out that sequence.

Discussion prompt

Which observations would you compare with a forecast before discussing tomorrow's route?

Source: page 2 of the course outline.

Open PDF at page 2
Page 2 of the source course outline; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 2 of the downloadable material

Presentation

Horse Welfare training

English·29 slides ·PDF · 54.92 MB

A discussion resource for guides, horse owners and service providers, exploring physical and mental welfare through the Five Freedoms.

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From the material

Look beyond physical fitness

The presentation opens by considering both the physical and mental states of horses. It then uses the Five Freedoms to organize examples involving feeding, housing, health, behaviour, fear and stress.

Discussion prompt

What does the presentation ask us to notice beyond physical fitness?

Source: page 4 of the presentation.

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Page 4 of the source presentation; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 4 of the downloadable material

Field guide

Kyrgyzstan's protected areas: a guide reference

French·5 pages ·PDF · 417.99 KB

A short French booklet introducing eight reserves through their landscapes, plants and animals. Explore the original AFKE publication with an English page guide, and use it as a historical starting point for local interpretation.

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From the material

Tell the story of a place through what it protects

The Padysh-Ata entry connects the reserve's landscape to water, vegetation and animals. That structure is useful for preparing an explanation on a journey, even though the booklet's figures and designations need to be checked against current information.

Discussion prompt

For a place on your route, what landscape, plant or animal would help visitors understand why it is protected?

Source: page 3 of the guidebook.

Open PDF at page 3
Page 3 of the source guidebook; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 3 of the downloadable material

Course outline

Mountain first-aid instructor syllabus

English·5 pages ·PDF · 25.29 KB

A topic map for planning instructor-led mountain first-aid training. This English reading edition preserves the distinction between the source's 26-hour Russian programme and 30-hour French programme.

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From the material

Begin by understanding the two programmes

The Russian list contains thirteen two-hour blocks, including an examination. The French list contains fifteen, adding mountain survival and nutrition. They are two source versions, so the website does not collapse them into one course duration.

Discussion prompt

Which topics require demonstration, supervised practice and assessment in the course you are planning?

Source: page 2 of the course outline.

Open PDF at page 2
Page 2 of the source course outline; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 2 of the downloadable material

Course outline

Mountain-guide curriculum and practice weekends

English·6 pages ·PDF · 26.75 KB

A curriculum map connecting geography, navigation, local interpretation and group leadership with practice in the field. An English planning edition drawn from Russian and French teaching programmes and the 2015 weekend plan.

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From the material

A subject becomes useful when it meets the field

The curriculum connects local geography to explanations a guide can give on a journey. Its practical plan returns repeatedly to observation, navigation, camp work and communication. The aim of this edition is to make those connections visible for the trainer.

Discussion prompt

For each classroom subject, what could a learner demonstrate outdoors?

Source: page 2 of the course outline.

Open PDF at page 2
Page 2 of the source course outline; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 2 of the downloadable material

Manual

Reading topographic maps

Russian·118 pages ·PDF · 8.76 MB

A Russian reference for interpreting symbols on maps at 1:25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:100,000. Explore roads, water, relief and vegetation in the original 1983 manual, with an English guide to the useful sections.

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From the material

Read the shape of the land

The relief tables begin on page 39. Compare the symbol and its Russian explanation across the scale columns before looking for it on a map. This manual is a reference to a particular mapping tradition; always compare it with the legend of the map in use.

Discussion prompt

Which marks describe the terrain itself, and which describe something built on it?

Source: page 39 of the manual.

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Page 39 of the source manual; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 39 of the downloadable material

Manual

The guide's field handbook

English·7 pages ·PDF · 27.92 KB

A practical handbook for welcoming a group, briefing the next day and coordinating the people behind a journey. An edited English learning edition drawn from Nomad's Land's French guide notes.

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From the material

A welcome briefing begins with listening

The source places the first briefing at a calm shared moment, such as tea or a meal. Introductions and a map establish the journey; questions about expectations establish the relationship. Page 2 turns this into a short briefing practice.

Discussion prompt

What would you ask before explaining the itinerary?

Source: page 2 of the manual.

Open PDF at page 2
Page 2 of the source manual; an overview is provided alongside.
Page 2 of the downloadable material

Presentation

Tourism careers and sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan

Russian·12 slides ·PDF · 4.17 MB

A twelve-slide Russian discussion deck introducing tourism, sustainability, careers and the guide profession. Most slides are prompts for a speaker-led conversation, with an English section guide to help you prepare.

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From the material

A tourism career is more than one job title

Slide 9 introduces professions in tourism, followed by the guide profession and guide training. The slides invite a facilitator to bring examples and experience; they do not contain a ready-made list of jobs, salaries or qualifications.

Discussion prompt

Trace a visitor's day. Which people make each part possible, and what does each person need to know?

Source: page 9 of the presentation.

Open PDF at page 9
Page 9 of the source presentation; an overview is provided alongside.
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