The Summer Mountain Leader Training is the first official step on the journey to becoming a qualified mountain leader and being able to introduce and share the amazing mountains of Scotland, Wales and England with others.
The 6 day course will cover leadership skills in the mountains like managing a group around the hazards the mountains present, steep ground, water hazards as well as dealing with emergencies that could occur. Personal skills like navigation, movement on broken terrain and campcraft will also be developed.
Before attending a course candidates need to register with Mountain Training for the Summer Mountain Leader Award. More information on the award and to register click here.
Summer Mountain Leader Training Programme
During the 6 days we will cover all the main elements of the Summer Mountain Leader Training syllabus, below is an example programme that will change dependant on weather and group needs.
Day 1 – Introductions, Skills and Qualities of a Mountain Leader, The Mountain Leader Scheme and the other Qualifications, Weather – Part 1. Introduction to Navigation and Environmental Knowledge, Access and Conservation
Day 2 – Leadership and Group Management, Navigation, Environmental Knowledge, Introduction to ML Ropework.
Day 3 – Weather – Part 2, Emergency Procedures, Legal Liabilities, Lifts and Carries, Common Medical Issues, Ropework session and Water Hazards.
Day 4 – Weather – Part 3, Steep ground journey looking at leadership, group management, scope of the award and ropework, Expedition Preparation
Day 5 – expedition, 2 day 1 night wild camping expedition with poor visibility navigation (possibly night navigation).
Day 6 –Return form expedition, degunge, course and individual debriefs, course ends at 5pm.
NB. Leadership, Navigation and Environmental Awareness will be part of every day
NB. Programme can change to suit weather,
Accommodation
Badaguish – Lodges and Wigwams, a wilde variate of accommodation options just outside Aviemore.
Aviemore Youth Hostel – Well located and with a range of dorm rooms and private rooms.
Old Bridge Inn Bunkhouse – Bunkhouse in Aviemore attached to a pub!
Newtonmore Hostel – A small hotel in Newtonmore close to the shops.
Oakwood Caravan and Camping Park – A campsite on the edge of Aviemore but with in walking distance of the the shops, restaurants and pub.
Glenmore Campsite – Campsite next to Loch Morlich
There are also many Hotels, B&B’s and AirBnB’s in and around Aviemore, Kingussie and Newtonmore, in fact too many to list here!
Summer Mountain Leader Training Dates
28th April to 3rd May – Aviemore
31st May to 2 June & 7th to 9th June – Aviemore (Split Weekend)
30th June to 5th July – Aviemore
9th to 14th September – Aviemore
Price and Ratios
Cost – £375 per person non residential
Ratio 1:6
Summer ML Training - Pre Course Requirements
This is a course designed to develop leadership and other group management skills so you should have experience of mountain and hill walking. Mountain Training ask candidates to have 20 Quality Mountain Days logged before attending a course, we will cover and discuss what a Quality Mountain Day (QMD) is during the course (or if you would like before hand!), however the best way to think about it before the training is that you have spent 20 days walking in the mountains of Scotland, Wales and England, like having had 20 days out walking doing Munros in the Scottish Highlands.
If you have any questions about this please just get in touch.
Kit List and Equipment
You will need to provide your own hill walking clothing and equipment, any specific group kit and technical equipment we will provide. Once you have booked on the course you will be able to access a detailed kit list from the client resource page on this website as well as the Summer Mountain Leader specific resource page.