What is mid-mountain?
and high mountain?

The French State Diploma in Mountaineering for Mid-Mountain Leader (DE AMM) allows the holder to lead groups on hikes in the mid-mountain environment. But what is the mid-mountain, and how does it differ from the high mountain?

The regulatory text states that the mountain leader must exclude glaciated areas, rocky areas and canyons. In the field, it is above all the safety of participants that distinguishes mid-mountain from high mountain.

The line lies in whether mountaineering equipment or techniques are needed for progression.

The mountain leader's remit ends as soon as such equipment or techniques become necessary. That domain belongs to the climbing instructor below 1500m, and otherwise to the High Mountain Guide.

1000m as well as 4000m of altitude can be mid-mountain depending on the route taken.

A hike in the Vercors, like one in the Mont Blanc massif, can be led by a mid-mountain leader or by a high mountain guide.

The use of a rope is a good example of the nuance between high and mid-mountain. Present in the mountain leader's backpack, its use is limited to emergencies or unforeseen events. It is a safety item, a spare wheel. The leader can then call on mountaineering techniques within the limits of their skills in those situations.

So we can head out with a mid-mountain leader on the Grand Veymont, a Vercors summit, follow the tracks of the wolves or of their prey such as the chamois or the red deer… Between forest and summit, deep knowledge of natural environments is also part of the job.