Guiding

GUIDE TRAINING & EDUCATION
The only globally recognised raft guide certification

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. Significant changes were introduced in 2016/17. Version 6.0 was launched in July 2021 which includes improvements overall to the award system and supporting documents and introduced teh new Whitewater Guide Award.

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Recent guide / safety news

Guide / Safety

Raft-guides needed in Norway at Uteguiden

Uteguiden is looking for whitewater enthusiasts to join their team for the 2023 summer season. If you don’t have the whole summer available, no worries, we have different options for you to consider. Valldal is Located at the beautiful west coast of Norway near the gorgeous fjord of Geiranger and Trollstigen valley. Send your CV to

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Guide / Safety

Welcome to the family

The amount of GTE workshops is making a significant come back post covid which is comforting news. I was shocked to receive a call asking to assist on a GTE workshop in Norway in early November. Instantly I said yes & then I found my self mentally visualizing where I had packed my cold weather

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