Overview
This five day assessment course, taking in a three-day expedition with wild camping will test your leadership skills in the hills. Before attending the course candidates must either have completed the summer Mountain Leader training course or been granted exemption from training by Mountain Training.
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All of our courses are delivered by our small core team of Mountaineering Instructors (all of which are MCI’s or WMCI’s) who have lots of experience in delivering Mountain Leader courses as well as working delivering a range of activities to a variety of different clients. For us assessment courses are all about setting an atmosphere in which everyone feels welcome and able to perform at their best with the minimum of stress. We know assessments are a challenge – we’ve been there! So we work hard to ensure you get the best out of yourself when it matters, making the assessment experience as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.
Pre-requisites
To attend an assessment course you must have:
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You must have attended a Mountain Leader training course (or have been granted exemption)
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You must be familiar with the syllabus
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You must have logged a minimum of 40 Quality Mountain Days in three different regions of the UK and Ireland
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You must hold a current first aid certificate, minimum 16 hours and relevant to your work as a Mountain Leader
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You must have logged at least 8 nights camping, including at least 4 nights wild camping
For further information about the requirements of QMD’s please visit- http://www.mountain-training.org/walking/skills-and-awards/mountain-leader/ml-award-faqs
Course Location
2024 & 2025 Courses: South Lake District, meeting on day one at Stickle Ghyll in Langdale.
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2024 SPLIT COURSES: Our split assessment courses are run in the Peak District (Hathersage) for the first 2 days then one week later the final 3 days are run in the Lake District (Langdale).
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2025 SPLIT COURSES: Our split assessment courses are run in the Peak District (Hathersage) for the first 2 days then a couple of weeks later the final 3 days are run in Eryri (North Wales).
FAQ
If you have any questions about the Mountain Leader Scheme, Quality Mountain days, Logbooks etc. then please take a look at the Mountain leader FAQ's page on the Mountain Training Website:
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https://www.mountain-training.org/qualifications/walking/mountain-leader/mountain-leader-faqs
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If you have any questions about our courses then please don't hesitate to contact us.
Access to Courses
Mountain Training is committed to ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to attend its courses, as are we. If you have a particular need that requires extra assistance, please discuss it with Mountain Training or alternatively, you can contact us.
To find out more please visit: https://www.mountain-training.org/help/resources/support-for-people-with-additional-needs
On this course, we will choose the content of each day to make the best use of the prevailing weather and mountain conditions. As such it isn’t possible to provide a definitive programme, however, please view our sample itinerary below and use it as a rough guide:
Day 1, Intro’s & Mountain Journey
On the first day of your course, you’ll meet your course director and assessor/s and they’ll go through the format of the week with you and explain how the assessment process will work, as well as answering any questions you may have. Afterwards, you’ll head out onto the hill and go on a mountain journey where you’ll be given various navigation legs to lead as well as plenty of opportunity to share your mountain knowledge.
Day 2, Steep Ground
On this day you’ll go on a journey through a variety of steep ground and you’ll be given several opportunities to display your leadership and group management skills.
Day 3-5, Mountain Expedition
For the final three days of your assessment, you’ll take part in a mountain expedition, with two nights spent wild camping. During this you’ll get plenty of opportunity to display your leadership and navigation skills, as well as your mountain knowledge. If poor visibility isn’t experienced during the day, then you will also take part in a night navigation session or two.
At the end of your course, you’ll sit down with the course director and be given feedback on how you got on and your assessment result.
