Permits
There are several other things that you may want to consider when choosing a guide. These could be such things as permits, insurance, experience in a given area and client to guide ratios. In many places in this country in order for a guide to be working legally, that guide must have a permit or concession from the local land manager. This could be the National Forest Service, National Park Service or state agencies.

Insurance
Does your guide carry insurance? This could be extremely important should there ever be a mishap. The best guides can greatly reduce the chances of such a thing ever occurring but the hazards of climbing and of the mountains can never be completely eliminated. The requirement for insurance and permits are somewhat tied together as most insurance companies will not pay a claim if it is discovered that the guide has been operating illegally. Guiding without a permit is illegal. Having a permit however, is no indication of a guide's ability. Land managers, like most other groups, generally don't require any qualifications for climbing guides.

Experience
If you will be climbing with a guide who will be operating outside of his or her local area you may want to consider whether or not that guide has had any experience in that area. The guide's previous experience in an area can be of obvious benefit to you as a client. However, a good guide can still do an excellent job in unfamiliar terrain by doing a lot of homework, organizing the trip properly and making the most of his or her guiding skills.

Ratios
Client to guide ratios is another factor you may want to consider. Large groups can obviously be much cheaper per individual than going out with a guide on a private or semi private basis. However there is a tradeoff between price and such things as flexibility, attention to each individual, and sometimes safety. Some activities and objectives may be appropriate for larger groups and some may not be.