The Federación Extremeña de Montaña y Escalada (FEXME) has begun accepting pre-registration applications for a new course designed to certify mountain guides for low and medium-mountain terrain. The course, aimed at leaders and instructors within affiliated mountain clubs in the Extremadura region of Spain, will align participants with the standards set by the Instituto Extremeño de las Cualificaciones y Acreditaciones (IECA) for professional competency accreditation.
Successful completion of the course will enable participants to pursue official accreditation, a process validated under Extremadura’s Law 15/2015 governing the practice of sports professions. The IECA, integrated within the Dirección Gerencia del Servicio Extremeño Público de Empleo, is responsible for identifying, recognizing, evaluating, and accrediting professional competencies acquired through formal education, professional experience, and non-formal learning, according to information published by Educarex.
The course is structured around 300 total hours of instruction, divided into three components: 125 hours of in-person sessions, 100 hours of asynchronous online learning, and 75 hours of supervised practical training. The in-person component will be delivered across five intensive weekend sessions, scheduled for March 27-29, April 10-12, April 22-24, June 5-7, and June 26-28, all in 2026. Online learning will take place between March 30 and July 1, 2026, followed by the practical training phase from July 1 to September 30, 2026.
Pre-registration for the course is set at €200 per participant. FEXME is offering a 50% discount to the first representative from each club and a 25% discount to a second representative. A minimum of 12 participants is required for the course to proceed, with a maximum enrollment of 18. Priority will be given to applicants who can demonstrate, through club certification, their responsibility for organizing routes and activities within their respective clubs, limited to one or two places per club depending on demand.
Interested candidates must be currently federated with FEXME/FEDME through an Extremadura-based mountain club. Applications are being accepted through an online form, with a deadline of March 18. Further information and inquiries can be directed to escuela@fexme.com. The IECA can be contacted at ieca@educarex.es and reached by phone at 924006413, 924006414, 924006415, 924006416, 924006417, 924006418, 924006410, 924004432, 924007045, 924007049, or 924488134.
