Mountain Leader training course

Mountain Training

Mountain Leader training course “To inspire, enable and develop people in walking, climbing and mountaineering through the provision of nationally and internationally recognised skills training and leadership qualifications.”

Climb365 has been a registered Mountain Leader training course provider of Mountain Training courses since 2006.

We provide the Mountain Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor and is a Course Director for the Rock Climbing Development Instructor training and assessment courses which Esther Foster is the Provider.

In addition, Stuart works as one of a small team of regional moderators, quality-assuring and providing advice and support to other providers of Mountain Training courses.

Whilst moderating, Stuart meets a vast number of experienced providers and course directors, sharing up to date information and best practice.  Our courses reflect this level of experience, being rich in content, current best practice and are professionally delivered.

I just wanted to email to say thank you for a great ML assessment in October. Although I was so nervous on the first day, all of the team made such an effort to foster a more informal, safe and friendly environment which really helped me to ease into the week and perform at my best. After the nerves of day one, I really enjoyed the other four days which I think is unusual for an assessment! Although it was an assessment, I also felt like I still learned lots from the other candidates and assessors.
 
Big thanks and I hope you have a good winter season!
Anna
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course
Mountain Leader training course

I did my ML training with Stu and Bryan at Climb365 and I couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Their knowledge and rapport with candidates was top class even when the weather was grim. I felt happy to be out and learning really useful skills.

Paul Tierney (Record Wainwright holder)

Dear Stuart
Just a quick email to thank you very much for the Mountain Leader course this week. I thought the course was really excellent. Very well run in an enthusiastic, friendly and inclusive way. We covered a lot of ground (literally) in the week, and it was a great training course for the Mountain Leader Assessment. It was very thorough, including Night Nav and a 2-day Expedition, and it was all great fun, despite challenging weather conditions. Thanks all to the team: Paul, Bryan, Mark and yourself.

Steve

I undertook ML Training and Assessment last summer and autumn with Stu at Climb365, the whole experience was highly educational, professional and more importantly, enjoyable! Stu has a wealth of knowledge and experience far beyond the reaches of the general scope and remit of an ML. This adds great depth and interest to the courses he runs.

I have no doubt if you were booking Climb365 for an activity or experience, that Stu would apply the same level of high quality guiding and instruction to your chosen activity.

Pete

Mountain Leader training course

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’ll never look back.

Mountain Training registration

You must be registered with Mountain Training to do this course. You must create an account with Mountain Training and register on the scheme. The best way to do this is on the Mountain Training website. Sometimes candidates don’t realise that they need to create an account and also register on the chosen scheme.

This video clip runs through all the steps to being registered.

To register and attend the Mountain Leader training course you must have a minimum of 20 Quality Mountain Days logged in your DLOG.

What is a Quality Mountain Day (QMD)?

A ‘Quality Mountain Day’ for the Mountain Leader should take place in mountainous terrain in the UK or Ireland. The quality element lies in such things as the conditions experienced both overhead and underfoot, the exploration of new areas, the terrain covered, the skills deployed and the physical and mental challenge. The experience of a quality day should contribute to knowledge, personal development and associated skill acquisition.

All the following criteria should be fulfilled:

• The individual takes part in the planning and leadership

• An unfamiliar locality is explored.

• A mountain is ascended.

• Navigation skills are required.

• Knowledge is increased and relevant skills practised.

• Judgement and decision making is required.

• Five hours or more journey time.

These criteria mean that days as a course member under instruction, a member of a group practising skills, or days spent repeating familiar routes are very unlikely to meet the requirements of a quality day

Helpful Mountain Leader links

Mountain Leader frequently asked questions

Mountain Leader handbook

Skills checklist

Support for people with additional needs

Mountain Training is committed to ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to attend our courses.

Leadership qualifications are equally open to all who can demonstrate their competency outlined in the scheme syllabus.

Please follow this link to read more info: https://www.mountain-training.org/help/resources/support-for-people-with-additional-needs

Why do your Mountain Leader training with Climb365?

We base our courses in the heart of the Lake District fells and aim to spend as much time as possible in the mountains rather than in a classroom.
Our courses are very practically based with an emphasis on learning through experience and consolidating skills acquired.

We do a 3-day, 2-night expedition.  A lot of providers only do one-night wild camp. We have found that investing our time in your course and doing two nights camping expedition enables you to learn vastly more.  The feedback from candidates is always how beneficial this has been for them.

To enable as much time as possible in the mountains we offer all our courses non-residentially. This means we get out quicker and spend more time consolidating and practising the skills learned.

All courses are based in and around the village of Ambleside and we would encourage candidates to find accommodation in or near to Ambleside.  We find most will meet up for a meal and drink in the evening to share ideas, lessons learned from the day.

Course Info

All our staff are highly qualified (Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors or Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors ) and have many years’ experience of running Mountain Leader courses as well as working with a wide variety of groups, clients and young people in the outdoors.

The course will cover the Mountain Leader training course syllabus of the Mountain Training scheme and is a Mountain Training recognized and approved.

We run our Mountain Leader training course with a 3-day 2-night expedition to include 2-night navigation exercises. We believe this gives more scope for learning and consolidation than a shorter expedition would allow.

There will be practical, discussion-based or lecture sessions on the first two evenings.

The courses will start at 9.00 a.m on the first day and finish at tea time (around 4 pm) on the last day.

We do have a friendly dog on our courses called “fly”, if you do not like dog’s please let us know and we won’t bring him along.

Mountain Leader training course

Programme

Day 1

Meet at 9.00 am at Wilf’s cafe Staveley. After this initial day, we will be based in the central fells.
Group introductions and course welcome.
We aim to be in the mountains as soon as possible.
Day 1 is an introduction to navigation focusing on contour interpretation.
We also look at what you should carry as a group leader on the hill and party management.
Evening lecture: mountain weather

Day 2

Security on steep ground.
We look at route choice over steep ground, party management, emergency rope use and group leadership skills.
Evening lecture: access and conservation

Day 3

a.m. River crossing
p.m. Expedition preparation: tents, stoves, food, clothing, route planning with emergency escape routes.
Packing our sacks ready for the 3-day expedition.
Although a 2-day expedition is all that is required by Mountain Training we believe a 3-day expedition gives you a much better experience and allows more skill consolidation.

Day 4

3 day 2 night expedition using 1:25000, 1:50000 & 1:40000 maps
Day and night navigation.
We aim to cover: use of compass and bearings, timing and pacing to estimate distance covered, contour interpretation, navigation techniques, poor/night visibility navigation, camp craft, first aid emergency scenarios, group leadership, steep ground route choice, and party management.

Day 5

Day and night navigation on the expedition.

Day 6

Return from the expedition to arrive back by lunchtime for brunch.
Individual debriefs and assessment preparation plan.

Notes

The course will finish at about 4 pm.

2024

Mon 9th to Sat 14th Dec – 1 space available

2025

Mon 17th to Sat 22nd March

Mon 28th April to Sat 3rd May

Mon  21st to Sat 26th July

Mon 29th Sept to Sat 4th Oct

Mon 10th to Sat 15th Nov

Mon 8th to Sat 13th Dec

If you have a group of 4 people or more we can put on an assessment anytime for you, just get in touch.

The total course price:

£445 for the 6-day course.

Course notes

Please click on the links below:

Mountain Leader training course notes

Mountain Leader training kit list

Mountain Leader candidate handbook

Mountain Leader meeting info

We will meet at Wilf’s Cafe at 9 am, please aim to arrive early so we can start the course at 9 am. We will have time for a brew during the introduction of the course.
This is the default meeting venue unless we message you directly.

Climb365 makes every effort to minimize our environmental impact.
Please follow this link to the Liftshare scheme if you can utilize this for our courses or future travel.

Also we will set up a What’s App group for the course you are attending and please get in touch with each other should you be able to share lifts to the beginning of the course.

BMC Lift share scheme

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