Today, a century and some years later, the Moutain Guides and Moutain Leaders from Vanoise established themselves as one of the first companies. She counts 26 offices and 250 members. They play a leading role for the development of all the activities of mountain of the department of the Savoy. The new rocky routes opened since the beginning of 1980s come to supplement, to enrich a glacial ski massif very various, ideally adapted of mountain.
At the dawn of the XXIth century, while tourist requests diversify, the Savoyard Guides chose to bring some change in profession towards new activities, in such the canyoning, via ferratta, the Mountain Leaders towards the winter walking in rackets and the discovery of heritage.
The Guides are originators of plan, teachers, animators, innovators and security guards of natural and human heritage.
Hannibal indeed used conductors to cross the Alps cols but it lacks precision.
During centuries, the mountain is lived as an obstacle, a desolate and savage land that they go through only out of necessity.
The most audacious natives run these centres in pursuit of chamoises, then launch in search of rhinestones, which decorate the chandeliers of the aristocracy. Very naturally, the passengers, the conquerors, later the visitors, call these audacious peasants to "guide " them towards cols...
.

In the XVIIIth century finally the interest for nature awakes. Rousseau, solitary dawdler of Salève, above the Lake Léman, reveals the splendour of the Alps. In 1741, Windham and Pococke organise an expedition in the "coolboxes" of High Savoy. Then in 1786, at the instigation of the scholar genevois Of Saussure, the Mont Blanc is climbed up by Paccard and Balmat. The infatuation for the Mont Blanc dedicates the birth of guides job. The guides get organised in Companies: from 1821 in Chamonix, in 1850 in Valley Montjoie, on 1863 in the Pyrenees, on 1875 in Oisans, on 1876 in Vanoise.
Job obeys first rules or local customs. The organisation of profession takes a national character with the law of 1948. The training, for a long time local and informal, is assured by the National School of Ski and of Mountaineering (ENSA) which issues a State certificate. At the same time, the guides regroup within the National Labour union of the Guides of Mountain (SNGM). Today, the guides all go out of the same school. But the history of job is recent. Rich man of the high facts caused by to the personalities engaging and coloured with those who were the guides of " the gold age " of the conquest of the Alps, profession is successfully between the technical nature of modern sports and the inheritance of ancient..