Garmin® partners with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA)

Garmin, the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that it has become official GPS partner of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). The IFMGA is the umbrella association of all certified mountain guides and their national associations with currently 23 member countries worldwide.


Garmin GPS devices are established in the Outdoor community for more than 20 years. Mountain guides all over the world are using Garmin devices within their daily work thanks to their renowned reliability, quality and invaluable features. “We are already cooperating successfully with several national mountain guide associations in Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland”, says Martin Resch, Garmin’s Product Manager Outdoor EMEA. “The cooperation with the IFMGA gives us the opportunity to improve our involvement in the training and education of mountain guides worldwide.”

“Working with GPS technology has become an essential skill for a mountain guide, as it helps to increase the level of security for guests and guides and has already proved to save lives in dangerous situations”, explains Hanno Dönz, President of the IFMGA. “One of the main goals of the IFMGA is to establish consistent standards in the training and education of mountain guides. I can’t imagine a better partner than Garmin as the global leader in satellite navigation and a well established brand in our community.”


Within the cooperation Garmin will also provide IFMGA with its industry leading Outdoor GPS handheld and wearable watch devices to support the development of consistent standards in the professional use of GPS devices. Garmin will also be involved in the mountain guides training and education program in cooperation with national IFMGA member countries.


Just in time for the start of the IFMGA – partnership Garmin launched its short film series – ’for what you’re about to achieve’ – featuring fēnix, Garmin’s premium outdoor GPS wrist-watch. In five short episodes professionals including renowned world class Italian alpinist Simone Moro and German mountain guide Christof Schellhammer give their insights into their passion and explain why fēnix has became an essential part of their planning and expeditions. To view the short film series visit the Garmin UK Youtube Channel.


The Alpinist:
Simone Moro is the only Alpinist to have reached three 8000m summits in winter. He says: “Garmin GPS products for me are exactly like an ice ax or a crampon. They are important tools giving me at one glance all the information I need.” Watch Simone speaking about his passion for the mountains and how he uses fēnix for ice climbing or helicopter rescuing in the Himalayas.


The Mountain Guide:
Christof Schellhammer is a certificated professional mountain guide and worked closely with Garmin during the development of fēnix. “For me it’s really important that the fēnix is a hands-free tool. If I am climbing with a rope, I want to have all important information on my wrist, without the need to take off my backpack to check my GPS device.” Find out how the fēnix navigates Christof safely to all alpine huts and how the watch has become an essential part of his mountaineering tours.

For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services, go to garmin.co.uk/onthetrail Keep up to date with the latest Garmin news on twitter.com/garminuk and facebook.com/garmin.uk

About Garmin Ltd.

The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200.

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