At the start of 2020 we’re proud to announce that we are now an official partner of Mountains for the Mind, a campaign that promotes the benefits of being outside.

Many studies have shown that doing physical activity can improve mental health and we believe in the power of walking, climbing and mountaineering to connect people to the mountains and other people. This is the essence of the Mountains for the Mind campaign and the reason we wanted to offer our support and promote it to our candidates. We also want to promote access to skills training to existing members of the Mountains for the Mind community.

We know that our qualifications and skills courses can be part of a life changing journey for people, supporting them to become independent or enabling them to lead others. The sense of self-worth and increased confidence that comes with learning new skills and using them for real in the mountains can be very empowering.

Mountains for the Mind echoes our own values by encouraging people to get out into the mountains, to do it safely and to share their experiences with others. Our aim in supporting the campaign is to help raise awareness amongst our qualification holders and to promote access to skills training, whether that’s the monthly events organised by Black Dog Outdoors or our Hill & Mountain Skills courses which are delivered by approved providers across the UK.

Find out more about Mountain Training

Get involved

If you like the idea of exploring the mountains but you're not very confident or you'd like some training first, our Hill Skills and Mountain Skills courses are a great place to start. Learn how to plan a day out, navigate, how to minimise your impact on the hill, how to respond to any hazards you encounter and what to do in an emergency.

Find a Hill Skills or Mountain Skills course.



Mountains for the Mind is a campaign that was created by Trail Magazine in 2019, with supporting website and Facebook group – join the Facebook group now to connect with other mountain lovers.



Mountains for the Mind have partnered with Black Dog Outdoors to offer led walks with qualified Mountain Leaders and mental health first aiders so that people can enjoy the mountains safely. Members of the Mountain Training Association can volunteer as walk leaders by contacting Andy Higson at Black Dog Outdoors: info@blackdogoutdoors.co.uk

Get help

If you require professional mental health support, or are concerned about the mental health of somebody else, please visit our resources page for info about how to get help.

If you are having thoughts of suicide then please contact either the Samaritans immediately by dialling the freephone number 116 123 or, for young people, contact the Papyrus Hopeline on 0800 068 4141.