What is the Mountain leader qualification?
The Mountain Leader Qualification stands as a hallmark of outdoor leadership. It signifies not just technical skills but also a commitment to fostering safe, knowledgeable leaders. It's a testament to the values of collaboration, excellence, and an enduring passion for the mountains. A mountain leader is trained in all aspects of technical mountain skills along with leadership in hazardous mountain environment, Click here to read more about the ML award and registration with Mountain Training.
What is Mountain Training?
Mountain Training is the collection of awarding bodies for skills courses and qualifications in walking, climbing and mountaineering in the UK and Ireland. They are responsible for the Mountain Leader qualification, but there are many approved providers that are regulated to deliver the qualification.
Mountain training history
In 1960 John Frederick Wolfenden chaired an influential report on sport. The report highlighted the value of adventure activities and also a need to ‘develop higher standards of competence’ in those organising them. In response the British Mountain Council (BMC) and what was then the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) created the Mountain Leader Training Board (MLTB) and the Mountain Leader Qualification, which was established to ensure safety and competence, in responsibly guiding groups in mountainous terrain. The Mountain Training is also responsible for over 20 different outdoor qualifications.
Are you ready?
Do you have experience of mountain walking in Britain or Ireland?
Do you have a passion for the Mountains?
Have you logged 20 quality mountain days or preferably more to register for the ML training?
Once you have completed the training, spend a long time in the consolidation phase, and after logging at least 40 QMDs and 8 nights wild camping, you can then book your Mountain Leader assessment.
Quality Mountain Day (QMD)?
A QMD is a mountain day that has pushed you, and given you an opportunity to learn or practise or improve your skills.
What is the consolidation phase?
The secret to passing your Mountain Leader Assessment is the consolidation phase. The time you put in before the assessment, which is why 40 QMD’s is not enough, by aiming to do 50-80 Quality Mountain Day’s, you are more likely to iron out any issues and remove any self doubt.
Use the consolidation phase to test all ML related skills. in all manner of conditions, when you miss your target point or get lost or make a mistake, you’re learning.
Write about your learning, enter into your DLOG and gain vital experience whenever possible, it isn't just about ticking off QMDs. It's about mastering the art of reading the weather, deciphering the lay of the land, and feeling confident in all conditions, under pressure.
As mentioned the longer the period of consolidation and the greater the number of QMD’s, the higher the chances of success and the more likely you are to enjoy the assessment.
My recommendations for ML preparation:
Spend time route planning
Get your OS, Harvey and other maps out and assess the route on different maps, familiarise yourself with the 5D's (Distance, Duration, Direction, Detail and Dangers) and the 3 x What's (What will I see on the way, What will I see when I get there and What will I see if I go too far). This helps establish good habits and thorough planning before setting off making it much harder to go of course and helps re-establish your position if you do get lost.
Explore, go off the beaten track and get lost
Get off your chosen route in poor weather and difficult terrain, you begin to build greater confidence in your ability to estimate your current position. Use methods taught in the ML training i.e. base lines, aiming off, catching feature, escape azimuth, resection, etc.
Test your equipment and clothing
Pack and re-pack, test your cook set, how much food do you personally need, erect your tent in bad weather, know how long it takes to pack your tent and your gear. This is all absolutely essential for the assessment, the assessors are watching to see how efficient you are throughout the week not only on the expedition phase.
Why 40 QMD's is not enough?
40 QMD's is a minimum and a recommendation by Mountain Training. Often people doing the ML have done many QMD's in the past in the UK and Overseas, enter these in your DLOG, get into the habit of writing about your experience and get out and do more recent quality mountain days, test your skills on these days. By increasing your QMD's, you dial in your skills, identify and improve your weaknesses, and learn from your mistakes.
Note: Overseas QMD's will not qualify towards your 40 QMD's, although they are still part of your learning and worth entering the details into the DLOG, to demonstrate relevant experience.
Go orienteering and/or navigate using contour only maps
Print contour only maps of your intended route. By doing this you will learn to read the contours, rather than relying on map features to route find, or establish your position on the map. There are many orienteering clubs in and around the UK, or alternatively there are many workshops on MTA.
Recruit a friend to test your route finding skills
In all weather, day and night. Get a friend to recreate the training phase, select an attack point on the map and ask them to check against a GPS device, to establish how accurate your are at locating a specific point on the map using contours only and various maps, scales 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:40,000, again in all weather conditions, day and night.
Get out in poor weather
Using a map in strong winds and heavy rain is a skill in itself, wet soggy maps aren't much use. Do you have the right section of map ready and in a convenient location on your person. You will be under a significant amount of pressure, leading a group in poor weather conditions, over difficult terrain or at night, doing this regularly before hand can help identify inefficiencies. By getting these little things dialled in for the assessment, means you can enjoy the assessment.
Enjoy yourself and continue to learn
The assessment is a chance to demonstrate your knowledge and experience. The assessment is another opportunity to learn from your instructor, peers and improve further.
What’s the assessment like?
You will be given a written home paper, to be completed before the start of the assessment. This paper includes questions that relate to all aspects of the mountain leader qualification including flora and fauna, geology, geomorphology, nature, bird life, animal life, mountainous terrain, features etc etc.
Expect long days because there is plenty to cover over the course of the assessment week.
Be prepared to demonstrate your rope work.
Learn interesting geology, flora and fauna, animal, bird life facts that you can bring into conversation, further demonstrating your knowledge, interest and passions for the mountains.
You will be expected to lead the group throughout the week, so be consistent and accurate with your navigation, using 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps.
The three day expedition with two nights wild camping will demonstrate your competency in the outdoors and mountain environment.
You are expected to lead the group to target points so be accurate with your pacing, especially on the night navigation exercise which can be over two nights.
The assessment is intense and challenging, but at the same time it is ultimately an enjoyable and rewarding experience that you will never forgot.