Looking for skills to support your casual countryside walking? Read on...
Want to go straight to the mountains? Scroll down to Mountain Leader...
HILL AND MOUNTAIN SKILLS
You can take Hill and Mountain Skill courses from as young as 12. They aim to equip you with basic knowledge and safety skills, increasing your confidence to participate in more hill and mountain walking in your own time.
The Hill Skills course is your key to getting started in countryside walking. There is no experience of hill walking required to attend a Hill Skills course because the content of the course is aimed at beginners. If you do have some experience of hill walking but aren’t confident about planning walks, navigating and understanding the equipment required, then the Hill Skills course is an ideal way to learn.
The Mountain Skills course is an ideal choice for walkers interested in transferring their walking skills to steep, remote or more mountainous terrain. Ideally, participants will have some basic hill walking experience and have a reasonable level of fitness. Courses are run in the higher mountain areas of the UK and Ireland
LOWLAND LEADER
To begin leading groups, you can earn the Lowland Leader qualification. It is designed for people who wish to lead groups on day walks in lowland countryside and woodland in summer conditions. The majority of the UK and Ireland is made up of this type of terrain so you'll never be short of places to go walking. You can begin this from the age of 17.
The leadership opportunities for Lowland Leaders are varied and far reaching, from the South West Coast Path to the Great Glen Way; walking in lowland areas can be no less spectacular than walking high up in the mountains. And with campaigns such as Britain on Foot and Walking for Health proving really popular, there’s never been a better time to be a walking leader.
HILL AND MOORLAND LEADER or WALKING GROUP LEADER
This qualification 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 Duke of Edinburgh's 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.
Prerequisties for this are:
EXPEDITION SKILLS:
Some training programs will include expedition skills in the program for Mountain Leader or other qualifications. The Expedition Skills is ideal for those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and/or Ten Tors training (among other things) because the skills covered apply to expeditions using commercial campsites as well as wild camping. It's an opportunity to increase your skills where you will be trained and assessed to lead groups on multi day camping expeditions. The flexibility of the module makes it useful for Lowland Leaders, Hill and Moorland Leaders and Mountain Leaders in terrain and conditions within the scope of their respective leadership award.
Prerequisites are:
MOUNTAIN LEADER:
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 (unless you’re checking your group’s still there!).
Mountain Leaders operate the length and breadth of the country with all sorts of groups of people; from scouts and schoolchildren to outdoor instructors and OAPs. The qualification is what you make it and there are countless opportunities for passionate Mountain Leaders.
Prerequisites to be a Mountain Leader are:
WINTER MOUNTAIN LEADER
If you want to lead groups of hill walkers in winter conditions, you can earn a Winter Mountain Leader qualification. This award builds on the skills learnt through the Mountain Leader scheme to prepare you for the complexities associated with taking people out walking in winter conditions in the UK.
You will learn how to safely lead and provide basic skills instruction to parties on hill walks within the UK under winter conditions.
Prerequisties Are:
You have reached the top....
INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN LEADER
If you want to lead groups all over the world, you may want to follow the International Mountain Leader scheme. It builds on the skills you will have learnt as a Mountain Leader, and includes all sorts of additional information and training about leading outside the UK. This Qualification will take you around the globe and to the highest peaks.
You will need to successfully complete your Mountain Leader award, then record mountain days. An example of requirements to begin the International Mountain Leader scheme is:
*Please remember that this is general information. We keep it as up to date as possible, but it's important you do your own research and know all the risks before heading out into the Wilds. If you are an expert in your sport and/or would like to become a contributor for Work the Wilds, please drop us an email at info@workthewilds.com or Contact Us
