Overview
- Leadership & Decision Making – responsbilities of the leader & leadership styles in the outdoors.
- Navigation – map & compass work, and selecting appropriate strategies.
- Access and the environment – our responsibilities and instilling respect for the mountain environment, as well as enthusing and inspiring groups.
- Hazards and emergency procedures – managing groups in tricky and steep ground, environmental hazards such as animals, weather, water hazards and managing incidents.
- Equipment – selecting suitable personal and group kit for walking and camping.
- Expedition skills – camping kit and packing, food selection, cooking, and general campcraft.
- Weather – sources for weather forecasts, understanding impact on groups and planning.
- Background knowledge – having a general knowledge of hill walking and the wider mountain landscape, clubs, bodies, information sources etc.
The Mountain Leader scheme is the highest qualification for leading hikes in the mountains of the UK & Ireland. For those who love hill walking, it’s a great way to improve your skills; and if you want to share your passion for the mountains with others, it’s incrdibly rewarding.
We’re experienced Mountain Leader Training providers that run fun, friendly and relaxed courses that enthuse and inspire. Our trainers are highly qualified, experienced, and actively engaged in the work that Mountain Leaders do. We’re unique in having our private Basecamp space in Llanberis, with great free tea/coffee for morning meetings and theory sessions; though the majority of the learning is practical in nature with Eryri | Snowdonia National Park providing a stunning backdrop.
Syllabus
The Mountain Leader Training covers the following main updated syllabus areas:
Gallery
Course Details
Before booking, you should ensure you meet the prerequisites set out by Mountain Training before the course;
- You must be registered on the scheme – details here
- You should have recorded a minimum of 20 Quality Mountain Days (ideally on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point (pre- or post-registration)
Essentially this means you should have 20 days of walking experience in the mountains. For more info about how Mountain Training define a QMD, check out our blog post – What is a Quality Mountain Day?
What if I don’t have all the prerequisites yet?
All our course programs are flexible to adapt to the group, weather and environment and we'll involve you in the decisions just like you'd be making as a Mountain Leader. We're unique in having a private space in Llanberis where we can deliver some of the theoretical aspects, either prolonging heading out the door on an improving forecast, or retreating early on a deteriorating forecast to warm up with a tea/coffee.
Expedition - we try not to move this due to the headache of re-arranging accommodation, though in extreme weather we may need to be flexible for safety reasons though this is rare. We recommend booking accommodation for the first 4 nights of your course (5 if travelling up the evening before). Any changes to the planned scheduling of the expedition is not taken lightly and will be discussed as a group decision to co-ordinate logistics.
Day 1
Navigation Day
- Course Start - we'll meet at Basecamp at 08:30 for introductions, discussion of your experience, aims & aspirations.
- Scheme Introduction - stages of the award, Mountain Training, scope of the scheme and course outline.
- Leader and Group Kit - equipment considerations for group members and leaders.
- Travel to Venue - we’ll organise lift-shares to reduce impact and ease parking. There’s walking right from our door-step; though we may drive up to 30 mins to escape poor weather.
- Navigation and Leadership - focus on personal navigation skills, map and compass work, planning legs, strategy, relocation and contours. Top tips for leading groups and varying management styles.
- Environmental Knowledge - covered throughout the day, flora, fauna, history, myths and geology.
- Return to Basecamp - return to Basecamp for around 16:00, grab a well-earned brew and review the day.
- Evening session - access legislation, environmental impact and mountain stewardship.
Day 2
Mountain Journey
- Morning Briefing - we'll meet at Basecamp at 08:30 for weather forecasts and plan for the day.
- Mountain Journey -macro nav, route selection, party management, coaching walking skills.
- Managing Steep Ground - route choice, risk assessment, briefings, mitigating falls.
- Return to Basecamp - return to Basecamp for around 16:00, grab a well-earned brew and review the day.
- Evening Session - ropework introduction.
Day 3
Steep Ground and Mountain Hazards
- Morning Brief - we'll meet at Basecamp at 08:30 for weather brief and plan the day as a group.
- Steep Ground Management - we'll consider the scope of the award in respect to scrambling, and look at techniques for developing clients skills and managing safety in steep terrain without the use of a rope.
- Emergency Procedures - prevention, mountain rescue, managing incidents and moving casualties.
- Return to Basecamp - return to Basecamp for around 16:00, grab a well-earned brew and review the day.
- Evening session - expedition equipment packing, route planning, wild camp legislation and considerations.
Day 4
Ropework Day
- Morning Brief - we'll meet at Basecamp at 08:30 for weather brief and plan the day as a group.
- Scope of the Award - role of the Mountain Leader, use of the rope, legal considerations, group paperwork and legislation.
- Ropework - knots, anchor selection, belay systems, personal security, context of use in ascent and descent.
- Return to Basecamp - return to Basecamp for around 16:00, grab a well-earned brew and review the day.
- Evening Session - mountain and weather hazards, prevention and management.
Day 5
Overnight Expedition
- Morning Brief - we'll meet at Basecamp at 09:30 for weather brief, kit check and depart.
- Expedition - putting it all together, navigation, group management and leadership practice.
- Map Scales - a look at different maps and scales, their relative merits and macro navigation.
- Wildcamp - pitch camp for around 17:00 and grab a well-earned brew.
- Camp craft - look at tents, stoves, water management, instructing camp craft to groups and cooking management.
- Evening Break - a little free time to relax and enjoy the scenery or nap.
- Night Navigation - a short circuit in the local area looking at night navigation strategies, techniques and opportunities to practice legs.
Day 6
Expedition End
- Break camp - pack kit, check camp area and depart.
- Expedition - further opportunities to practice navigation and party management. Relocation techniques for when it does go wrong.
- Water Hazards - river crossing avoidance, understanding flow and hazards, route choice, risk assessment, briefing groups and tactics for crossing. Change out of wet kit!
- Return to Basecamp - return to Basecamp for around 13:00, hand in kit, grab a well-earned brew and review the week.
- What Next? - your instructor will discuss a personal Action plan and we'll email you some post course resources to help you on your Mountain Leader journey.
- Course Finish - usually we’ll wrap up the course by around 15:00.
The Mountain Leader scheme is the highest qualification for people who want to lead groups in the mountains, hills and moorlands of the UK and Ireland in summer conditions. The award is the first that Mountain Training created back in 1963! You can see where the award fits within the other Mountain Training walking qualification pathways in this image.
Mountain Training define the scope of the award as follows;
“A qualified Mountain Leader can lead others in mountain, hill and moorland environments. Qualification holders are able to manage groups safely during this activity.”
The Mountain Leader is recognised by the Health and Safety executive and the Adventure Activities Licensing Service as the appropriate qualification for those leading walking groups in the UK mountains areas shown in the picture below.
It’s a highly regarded and respected qualification across the outdoor industry with many companies using the ML as a benchmark for leadership and group management competency in combination with other skills to deliver peripheral activities even outside of mountain walking. It’s the first qualification I recommend folk who are interested in becoming outdoor instructors pursue, as there’s a wide range of varied work that can be done with the award. For those passionate about the outdoors, there’s few better jobs than working as a Mountain Leader.
FAQs
General FAQs
For more generalised questions please visit our FAQs page or for questions specifically relating to the Mountain Leader Training course see below.
Mountain Leader Training FAQs
We plan to head out on an overnight expedition over the final 2 days of the course. We try not to move the exped around so it's easier to plan your accommodation in advance.
We may need to be flexible to avoid potentially extreme weather. We recommend booking accommodation for the first 4 nights of your course (5 if travelling up the evening before). Any changes to the planned scheduling of the expedition will be discussed, and taken as a group decision to help coordinate logistics for everyone on the course.
Unfortunately we don't accept under-18s for Mountain Leader Training as Mountain Training specify that you must be over 18 to register for the scheme. If you're keen and motivated for a career in the outdoors consider booking some general training with us and we can help develop you
You must be registered with Mountain Training for the Mountain Leader scheme.
- Firstly you'll need to Register an Account with Mountain Training (if you haven't already done so) and then Log In to your account.
- In the top left corner click on Register to register for the individual schemes.
- Click on Scheme and select Mountain Leader.
- Select Board - essentially it doesn’t matter which board but being based in Wales I’d pick Wales (Mountain Training Cymru) as they’re who we’re a registered provider.
- Purchase Membership or Link Existing Membership, to the British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Scotland, or Mountaineering Ireland.
- Then Pay for the registration. Registration is currently £65 (Jan 2024).
If you're only a little short, and are planning on gaining some more experience prior to the training we will be happy to take a booking if you can outline a plan to have the required experience by the start of the course.
Mountain Training set their prerequisites for good reason, having a good base of experience and understanding on which to build the knowledge and skills is vital. Research has shown that candidates who arrive at Training courses with less than the minimum prerequisites are more likely to defer or fail assessment than other candidates.
If you'd like some more input and coaching to work toward the prerequisites consider booking some private instruction, Get in Touch.
Check out our blog post - What is a Quality Mountain Day? where we break down how Mountain Training define a QMD.
Check out our blog post - How to Become a Mountain Leader to find out more about the stages of the Mountain Training scheme.
