Did you hear?… Mike Hattrup/XONet Ski Mountaineering Guide Exam scholarship fund etablished

Veteran ski mountaineering guide Mike Hattrup, in cooperation with outdoor events promoter XONet, has donated $21,000 to the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) to establish the Mike Hattrup/XONet Ski Mountaineering Guide Exam scholarship fund. The fund will be used to help two qualified individuals a year pay for and take the AMGA Ski Mountaineering exam. Hattrup said that he saw a real need for the scholarship. “Europe has set the standard for guiding throughout the world. Over there it is like any other profession; the UIAGM establishes a certain level of competence that everyone must possess, just like a doctor, or a CPA. The AMGA has adopted those criteria, but it’s not cheap to provide that level of education and testing and most guides aren’t making a bunch of money. This was an opportunity to financially help people attain that level of certification and improve the level of guiding overall in the United States,” he said. The money has been invested and will be used to fund the scholarship indefinitely. AMGA’s Alkaitis said that if anyone else wants to contribute to the Mike Hattrup/XO Net fund, then the scholarship would be made available to more than two guides each year.