Even though I was considering this “highest level“ of guiding since I had been to Colorado I realized that there it has financial and time limits for me. However, when I was in Austria few years later extending my instructor of climbing licence, one night we came back to this topic again talking about a newly-opened Association of Czech mountain guides. I got inspired and really motivated by this talk and started browsing through papers, calling climbing friends and searching for details of older climbing expeditions and finally leaving for France to extend my “Tourenbericht“.
   The invitation for interviews for guiding in the Alps felt to be my first success! The first days were hectic doing entrance exams held by our southern neighbours, who were trying to choose the best of the best for the new year of training. Later, the exams actually seemed to be the most difficult of the following three demanding years. Maybe, there was not enough time to make and learn from mistakes. Well, the final verdict was ACCEPTED! The next weeks were full of practical experience in summer and winter dream destinations under the guidance of local – Italian, Austrian as well as French – professionals lecturers. At that time I still understood this experience as quite an expensive active holiday. I wouldn´t even regret the bunch of money paid if it all had finished at that moment – I learned so much more in those hundred days than just about safety in the mountains! Later, I undertook first training guiding tours in the High Tatras under the supervision of Slovak guides and the year after that a week-long final exams in Chamonix.