One of the European Union’s most important goals is to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and the freedom of movement amongst its citizens and member states. The Alpine region as a home to different territories, cultures and nations embodies the European unity like few others with citizens, tourists, learners and workers alike enjoying the freedoms and benefits the EU offers. EUSALP (the European Union’s Strategy for the Alpine Region) already recognizes the special attention this area needs and the necessity for cooperation in various fields amongst the Alpine countries. A specific topic within that context that demands attention is the situation and education of professionals in the field of mountain leaders in the Alps. These professionals are educated in a local environment but often, because of the seasonal nature of their work, have to work across the whole Alpine region, many of them self-employed. They have to be able to constantly adapt to new challenges such as climate related issues, shifting touristic interests, local, national and transnational regulations, global economic developments and the increased desire for mobility within the region. Their respective training frameworks must reflect this reality in order to prepare and support the professionals adequately. To this end, 7 experienced Alpine providers of VET in the field of mountain guide training, under the leadership of CREPS PACA (FR) and with the support of relevant associated partners, have joined forces to form the HIKE! Alpine Mountain Leadership Forum for Future. HIKE! will serve as a platform for the partners to bring local training contents, practices and experiences to the Alpine / European level and to cooperate on developing together solutions for the topics addressed above. The goals of this partnership are: •Deepen cooperation, mutual understanding and knowledge of training contents (initial and Continuous Professional Development - CPD), problems, solutions, infrastructure and training methodology for the purpose of future joint optimisation and harmonisation of the training. •Greater visibility of the profession by bringing together key actors and creating transnational exchanges•The creation and establishment of a new Alpine network of trainers and stakeholders in the field of mountain leaders through joint activities and training •Serious examination of the situation of the profession in the light of current developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of tourism activities, the solution to which requires trans-European efforts and new approaches (e.g. accelerated digitalization) •Serious examination of other pressing transnational issues like environmental protection, climate change, sustainability and the development of joint approaches and sustainable practices for dealing with them •Increased mobility of learners, trainers and professionals through greater mutual recognition of content and certificates•Preparation of a guide containing good practices and learnings from the project, which will be made available free of charge and in four languages (English, French, Italian, German) to all interested actors and the public at the end of the project •the development of further joint strategic partnerships and projects based on the established working relationships for the purpose of a further harmonisation of training programs in the field of Mountain Leading in the Alpine region and widely at European level. Six transnational project meetings will be at the center of the effort to develop strong partnerships across the Alpine region. Each host organization will, together with experienced local and associated partners, present their own case and good practices and showcase their specific situation within their local context which will then be subsequently discussed by all attendees. This will allow the attending partner organisations to gain unique insights into the training standards, infrastructure and the differences and similarities faced by all the partners, exchange practices and share and confront ideas on a European level. This format will contribute to a collection of case studies and good practices and establish improved feedback loops from meeting to meeting, leading to a better mutual understanding and improved cooperation, allowing the partner organisations to move forward towards more aligned transnational training schemes and the publication of a guide of shared and thoroughly tested transnational good practices. The guide and the project results will be disseminated to a wide audience within the mountain leader and outdoor sports community via the extensive network of the project partners and associated partners and be incorporated in mountain leader training at the organisations on a daily basis, guaranteeing a lasting impact on the quality of mountain leader education and the mobility in the Alpine area.