Mountain Leader Training
The Mountain Leader training course is six days packed full of learning in breathtaking scenery as you learn the skills to prepare you for the best job in the world!
The Mountain Leader is the most established award in the Mountain Training course structure. Its remit allows the holder to lead mountain walks in summer conditions on any mountain walking terrain within the United Kingdom. It is specifically aimed at the British mountains where technical ground and the unpredictability of the weather make our beautiful mountains potentially dangerous and demand competent and confident leaders.
Who is it for ?
The Mountain Leader training course is for those who want to lead groups in the mountains! It is the highest summer walking leadership award.
Mountain Leader Training Course Overview
Over six days we look at all aspects of leading groups in the mountains. We look at navigation in some detail and include a night camping in a remote mountain location.
Beyond the Edge are one of the UKs most experienced providers of Mountain Training courses and they are both highly informative and run by hugely experienced trainers. Importantly in our opinion, they are also fun and run in a friendly manner. We take great pride in the very high percentage of individuals who return for further courses.
The Mountain Leader training course is a great opportunity to be brought up to date on current best practice, and swap ideas with other like-minded people and boost your confidence even if you don’t want to work in the outdoors. At the end of the course you will receive detailed feedback on any areas that you may need to improve on together with a detailed action plan and a realistic timetable to assessment.
We run the course in several different ways to try and match peoples availability. We split the course into two three day blocks to reduce the amount of time you might have to take off work. On these split date courses you need to attend all elements to complete the training.
Mountain Leader Training Course Format
The Mountain Leader training course is largely practical in nature and we are outside every day. We use the evenings that we are not under canvas to cover theoretical aspects and develop a personal action plan that will take you to assessment. We normally start each day at 9am and are having a cuppa back down in the valley by about 5pm.
We don’t specify exactly what we do each day as a good mountain professional matches the objectives for the day with the weather, the group and other factors. Discussing what we do on a day allows us to explore the important skills of planning and decision making which you will use every day you are leading in the mountains. We do have the expedition date as fixed though in order for you to book accommodation. When this is depends on which style (split or otherwise) of course you choose.
Over the 6 days, the course covers:
- Navigation techniques for good and bad weather and / or at night.
- Group management
- Expedition skills including expedition planning
- Managing hazards, including security on steep ground
- Access, conservation and wider environmental knowledge
- Emergency procedures
On a split date course, the first three days are spent in the Peak District and the second set of three days are in N Wales, with two days of expedition in Wales.
The camp is usually on the last night of the training (night five) so you don’t need accommodation (except a tent) for that night.
Detailed guidance notes on the syllabus are available here.
Course Details
- Location: Peak District & Eryri
- Cost: £435 per person
- Duration: 6 days
- Ratio: 1:6
- Level: Instructor
More Information
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Course Dates
All courses are six days long.
Split date courses:
Sat 3 May – Mon 5 May 2025 (Peak District) & Sat 24 May – Mon 26 May (Eryri)
Sat 12 July – Mon14 July 2025 (Peak District) & Fri 25 – Sun27 July (Eryri)
Sat 4 Oct – Mon 6 Oct 2025 (Peak District) & Fri 17 – Sun 19 Oct (Eyryi)
Fri 17 Oct – Sun 19 Oct 2025 (Peak District) & Fri 7 – Sun 9 Nov (Eyryi)
Fri 10 Apr – Sun 12 Apr 2026 (Peak District) & Sat 25 – Mon 27 Apr (Eyryi)
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
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Meeting Point
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Equipment Required
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Recommended Reading
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Fitness Level
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Eligibility
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Accommodation Options
FAQs
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