The only globally recognised raft guiding certification
The IRF Guide Training & Education (GTE) Award was created to provide commercial operators, industry organisations, national rafting federations, government regulators and other interested parties worldwide with a common standard for whitewater guiding professionals. To date, the IRF GTE system is the only globally recognised raft guiding certification.
The IRF is recognised by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the two largest tourism bodies in the world, as the world body responsible for establishing and administering commercial raft guiding standards.
The GTE system is managed by the IRF through the Guide Training & Education (GTE) Committee. The system was first published in 2001 and has been revised several times since then. The most significant recent changes were introduced in 2016/17. Details of which can be found here.
Learn more about raft guiding:
- IRF GTE Certification History and Development
- GTE Certification Requirements, Processes and Fees
- GTE Certificate renewal – how to renew your IRF GTE certificate
- GTE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – two page overview of the system
- GTE Workshops / Assessments – list of authorised guide qualification courses
- Certified Guides / Instructors – list of all current IRF GTE qualified persons
- GTE Instructor Resources – resources, forms & templates for GTE Instructors & Assessors (password protected)
- River Signals – globally recognised river signals
- River Safety articles and videos – further reading on river safety
Recent guide / safety news
Ducky Madness – An Adventure Down Pine Creek
Ducky Madness – An Adventure Down Pine Creek by Monica Nigon in Rafting Magazine A ducky is perhaps the most absurd of whitewater crafts. Elitists
IRF GTE Instructor Conference 2021 welcomed over 80 participants
IRF GTE Instructor Conference 2021 welcomed over 80 participants The IRF’s 2020 Instructor Conference was scheduled to be held in France in May last year
Don’t Panic: Take an IRF GTE Workshop
Don’t Panic: Take an IRF GTE Workshop Since the release of my first article with the IRF, “5 Steps to Becoming a Rafting Wild Whitewater
