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MOUNTAIN LEADER SCHEME

The Mountain Leader scheme is designed for people who want to lead groups in the mountains, hills and moorlands of the UK and Ireland. If you love being out in the mountains and want to share your enthusiasm with others, become a Mountain Leader and you will be amazed at what you can help people achieve. Mountain Leaders operate the length and breadth of the country with all sorts of groups of people from school children, scouts/guides, outdoor instructors and OAPs. The award is what you make it and there are countless opportunities for passionate Mountain Leaders. The Mountain Leader Handbook can be downloaded here here and the FAQ's acessed here.

SCHEME OVERVIEW

This scheme trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead hill walking groups in summer conditions on mountainous routes not requiring the planned use of a rope. There are 4 stages in the scheme:
  1. Attend a six day training course.
  2. Complete a consolidation period to increase your experience and knowledge.
  3. Attend and complete an assessment course.
  4. Continue to stay current and up to date.
The syllabus is split into eight sections;
Each area of the syllabus will be covered in detail empowering you to get out and feel confident that you can deliver a safe, enjoyable experience for a wide range of participants.
Detailed information on each of the above topics can be found in the Mountain 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:
  1. You must be at least 18 years old.
  2. You should have at least a year’s worth of experience of hill walking.
  3. You should have an interest in leading groups in the hill.
  4. You must have recorded a minimum of 20 Quality Mountain Days (ideally on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point (pre- or post-registration).
If you can tick all of the above boxes, here’s what to do next:
  1. Create an account on our Candidate Management System or log in if you already have one; and
  2. Register for the Mountain Leader scheme (this costs £45)
  3. To register successfully you must be a member of a mountaineering council (the British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Council of 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 or there are a series of FAQ’s on the Mountain Training Website
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 £340

Our Mountain Leader Training course is set over 6 consecutive days based in North Wales and are non-residential. Covering all aspects of the syllabus as set out in the handbook. The course will be delivered by a passionate and professional instructor who are very experienced in delivering the mountain leader scheme. Course Programme

Course Program

DayMorningDaytimeEvening
1Start 9am
Introductions.		Mountain navigation and teaching
techniques.		DLOG
2Mountain WeatherMountain journey and
party management
including leader kit		Environmental Issues
3Legal ResponsibilitiesMountain journey on steep ground and party
management		Ropes &knots
4Mountain journey to
apply the skills from
days 1 to 3		Mountain journey to
apply the skills from
days 1 to 3		Expedition Skills
5Expedition PrepMountain journeyNight Navigation
6Mountain journeyWater hazards
emergency procedurew		Debrief and action
plan finish by 17:00.

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.
  • ersonal hill/mountain clothing sufficient for 6 days
  • A small day rucksack 20-40 litre
  • Watch (with a digital stopwatch) not just a phone
  • A compass (Silva type 4 or similar)
  • Maps - 1:25000 map of Snowdonia Explorer OL!& & 1:50000 OS (ideally laminated )
  • Large expedition rucksack 60 - 70 litres
  • Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, stove & fuel, expedition food for two days and one night
  • Climbing Helmet
  • A 30m 8 or 9mm thick climbing rope
N.B. A full kit list will be provided when you book your course.

Consolidation

The period between training and assessment varies in length for each person and is an opportunity to develop your skills, paying attention to any weaknesses identified during the training course. You can use the excuse ‘I’m preparing for assessment’ to have as many mountain adventures as you like, so get out there and explore this beautiful country of ours!

ASSESSMENT COURSE DETAILS

Assessment Course Details

Course Fee £340

Our Mountain Leader Assessment course is set over 5 consecutive days based in North Wales and are non-residential. Covering all aspects of the syllabus as set out in the handbook. The course will be delivered by a passionate and professional instructor who are very experienced in delivering the mountain leader scheme.

Prerequisites for Assessment

To successfully complete your assessment you will need to provide evidence of the following:
  1. A minimum of 40 quality days (the more the better); and
  2. An in date 16 hour first aid course.

Course Programme

DayMorningAfternoonEvening
1Start 9am IntroductionsMountain navigation and teaching techniquesReview of assessment tasks
2Security on steep groundLeader equipmentExpedition planning
3Expedition preparationExpedition skills, mountain journey and party managementWild camp & night navigation
4Emergency proceduresExpedition skills, mountain journey and party managementWild camp & night navigation
5Mountain journeyDebrief and departureFinish no later than 16:00

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 Mountain Leader.

Assessment Tasks

There will also be a few assessment tasks to complete prior to the course which will be reviewed during the course.

Dates & Availability

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Contact Details