Organization of undergraduate studies
A guide with a focus on glacier guiding
The guide course with a focus on glacier guiding is a 60-unit specialized program in mountaineering and guiding, students need to complete 56 units to graduate. The program can be taken in two or four semesters.
Studying on the track is intended to increase students’ ability to travel through the mountains and wilderness in Iceland and to be able to lead a group of people in a safe and responsible manner.
In order to start a course in guiding with a focus on glacier guiding, the applicant must have completed a matriculation degree, journeyman’s degree or other similar study. Exams from primary subject departments of universities are considered equivalent to a matriculation exam. Applicants who have reached the age of 18 and have no formal education but have worked in mountaineering tourism can request an exemption from the admission requirements.
The book phases of the program are taught via distance learning, and the practical phases are taught steadily throughout the semester for 4-7 days at a time. You can view the undergraduate program calendar on this page to see when courses are taught.
The program is designed as a first step towards mountaineering and guiding that can be built on.
Students gain a lot of experience traveling in mountains and on glaciers, where
The program gives students qualifications within the Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides (AIMG). Students complete AIMG glacier guide 1. Students also attend the first aid 1 course from Landsbjörg.
Students need to have personal equipment and a list of that equipment can be found here on the page under “Equipment”. The school provides technical equipment, such as tents, glacier and climbing equipment, mountain bikes, skis and kayaks to name a few. However, students are encouraged to purchase personal specialized equipment during their studies
In most of the school’s field trips, it is suggested that the students spend the night in tents. Included in the school’s unit price is access to school tents, along with a large “house tent” that is used on some trips. On other trips, students use small tents, tents can be borrowed from the school free of charge. When using small tents, we sometimes set up a kitchen tent or try to have access to an area where students can do activities inside if we are in a settlement.
In rare cases, we will ask students to book accommodation inside, in common cabins or e.g. hostel or similar and then the students pay for it themselves.
All students in FAS pay 6000 ISK. registration fee per semester, but in addition the unit fee for the mountaineering course is ISK 150,000 per year. You can pay ISK 150,000 at the start of your studies or ISK 75,000 per semester. It includes the use of the school’s equipment and access to a large tent and a kitchen tent when appropriate, along with the cost of accommodation at the campsites.
If staying in accommodation, the students are responsible for the costs themselves, as well as all costs for transport and food during the field trips.
Students also need to have personal equipment, and if students do not have the equipment they are expected to have, there may be additional costs for students to get equipment, see more about that under equipment on this page.