HILL & MOORLAND LEADER SCHEME
Get away from the paths and enjoy our wild places as a Hill and Moorland Leader. This qualification, which is nationally accredited and developed by Mountain Training, is ideal for walkers who want to learn the skills required
for effective group leadership in the hill and moorland areas of the UK and Ireland. It is used extensively by those involved with delivering the DofE Award
as well as many walk leaders and outdoor instructors. Hill and Moorland Leaders operate in terrain that is generally more remote than that used by Lowland Leaders and not as steep or rocky as ground covered by Mountain Leaders.
The Hill & Moorland Leader Handbook can be downloaded
here and the FAQ's acessed
here.
SCHEME OVERVIEW
The Hill & Moorland Leader is suitable for a wide range of applications, this could be for Teachers or
youth leaders who wish to take students on walks or run the expedition section of the DofE award. There are four stages in the scheme;
- Attend a three day training course;
- Complete a consolidation period to increase your experience and knowledge;
- Attend and complete a three day assessment course; and
- Continue to stay current and up to date.
The syllabus is split into eight sections
- Walking and Route Finding
- Navigation
- Hazards and Emergency Procedures
- Equipment
- Responsibilities of the Leader
- Group Management
- Access, Conservation and Environmental Knowledge
- Weather
Detailed information on each of the above topics can be found in the Hill & Moorland Leader Handbook and the onus is on you to be competent in all of them by the time you come to assessment.
PREREQUISITES & REGISTRATION
The prerequisites for the Expedition Skills Module are as follows:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You should have at least a year’s worth of experience of hill walking.
- You should have an interest in leading groups in the hills.
- You must have recorded a minimum of 20 Quality Hill Days (ideally on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point (pre- or post-registration).
- You must be a member of a mountaineering council: BMC, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland (you can join one when you register if you're not already a member).
If you would like to discuss further, then please get in touch.
If you can tick all of the above boxes, here's what to do next:
- Create an account on our Candidate Management System or log in if you already have one; and
- Register for the Hill and Moorland Leader scheme (this costs £45).
If you would like to discuss further, then please get in touch or there are a series of FAQ’s on the Mountain Training Website.
TRAINING COURSE DETAILS
Course Fee - £195
Our three day, fun and informative Hill & Moorland Leader training courses are based in and around the Shropshire area and are non-residential. The course fee includes tea / coffee,
course materials and expert tuition from passionate, friendly and professional instructors.
Course Program
The program will normally follow this format, but changes may be made to make the best use of venues and weather conditions. On day one please ensure you have a day bag packed and ready to go.
This should include food and water for the day as we will lunch on the hill.
| Day | Morning | Daytime | Evening |
|---|
| 1 | Start 9am
Introductions. | Hill and Moorland,
Navigation Leadership. |
Weather. |
| 2 | Leader Equipment
| Environmental knowledge Access
and conservation. |
D-log
Background
Knowledge. |
| 3 | Legal
Responsibilities | Hazards and Emergency Procedures |
Debriefs
Finish 5 pm |
Course Close
We will aim to finish by 5pm on the final day to allow time for people to travel home.
Kit List
You will need the following items as a minimum for the course:
- Walking boots – waterproof with good tread and ankle support.
- Personal hill/mountain clothing sufficient for 3 days
- A small day rucksack 20-40 litre
- Watch (with a digital stopwatch) not just a phone
- A compass (Silva type 4 or similar)
- 1:25000 map of the area (ideally laminated)
N.B. A full kit list will be provided when you book your course.
ASSESSMENT COURSE DETAILS
Course Fee - £195
We run our three day Hill & Moorland Leader in Shropshire / South Wales / Mid Wales area and tea / coffee is included in the course fee. Our assessments are run in a friendly manner and where appropriate we will also extend
your knowledge so that you go away with some handy hints and tips to pass on to others.
Prerequisites for Assessment
To successfully complete your assessment you will need to provide evidence of the following:
- A minimum of 20 quality days (the more the better); and
- An in date 16 hour first aid course.
Kit List
As this is an assessment, we don’t provide a kit list, but we do expect you to turn up with all the personal and group kit required by a Hill & Moorland Leader.
Assessment Tasks
There will also be a few assessment tasks to complete prior to the course which will be reviewed during the course.