History

History

Women in Mountain Training Conference Series

Based on the success of and feedback from the Women in Mountain Training conference in November, Mountain Training are excited to announce a series of online webinars to bring the content to a wider audience. Presenters from the conference have adapted their material to deliver in an online...
28/03/2023 15:21:39

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Positive Steps Outdoors

A new social enterprise (profit with a social purpose), we connect people to majestic upland, moorland and forested environments, and each other, helping communities and individuals manage life’s pressures, build sustainable networks, strengthen future resilience and deepen their affinity...
24/03/2023 12:30:18

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End of temporary scheme adaptations with immediate effect

In March 2020, temporary scheme adaptations were introduced across all national Mountain Training organisations, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of these adjustments was to maintain the quality and standard of training and assessment courses, whilst reducing the exposure of candidates...
23/03/2023 16:11:45

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End of winter 2022-2023

On behalf of Mountain Training Scotland and Mountain Training UK and Ireland, we would like to thank all our providers and those who've staffed winter courses for all your hard work this season. In often tough conditions you showed commitment and unstinting professionalism in ensuring the provision...
22/03/2023 16:15:33

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Mountain Training Association strategy 2023-2028

The initial concept for a members’ association for Mountain Training candidates was put forward in 2001 by John Cousins (Chief Executive Officer for Mountain Training United Kingdom and Ireland) with a proposed remit to: Keep candidates informed about Mountain Training developments Create a...
02/03/2023 11:52:48

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Mentoring programme 2023

We are delighted to be offering another opportunity for our members to have mentoring support from a volunteer MTA Mentor! MTA's Mentoring programme is designed to offer members additional one to one support after attending a training course, to help with the journey to assessment. It is...
23/02/2023 13:04:00

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A qualified couple - International Mountain Leader

Gwen : I’m a detective in Avon and Somerset Police, on the Major Crime Investigation Team (Murder Squad), and I’m currently on a career break. I originally took a three year sabbatical to go through the International Mountain Leader qualification and do some travelling. Andy had retired...
14/02/2023 12:12:24

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Contribute to The Professional Mountaineer magazine

The Professional Mountaineer is the magazine written by members of the UK and Ireland for members and proudly produced by the four associations: British Association of Mountain Guides, British Association of International Mountain Leaders, Association of Mountaineering Instructors and Mountain...
10/02/2023 10:31:39

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Upcoming Met Office Weather Workshops

As we are entering our fifth year of collaboration work with the Met Office delivering specialist weather workshops to members around the UK, it's time for an update. These sessions have been carefully designed to support the syllabi of Mountain Training's qualifications as well as to enhance the...
26/01/2023 10:01:21

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Bouldering qualification survey

Indoor bouldering has seen an explosion in activity over the last decade, with many dedicated bouldering centres being built all over the country. To support this activity, in 2018 Mountain Training published guidance for the safe supervision of bouldering in consultation with the Association of...
17/01/2023 16:34:15

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Lessons for us from the recent stand up paddleboard tragedy

The accident : At about 09:00 on 30 October 2021, a group of nine stand up paddleboarders, two leaders and seven clients, on a commercial river tour from Haverfordwest to Burton Ferry, Wales, descended Haverfordwest Town Weir. Four of the group became trapped at the weir by the hydraulic towback...
03/01/2023 16:18:36

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Now is the time to ThinkWINTER

As the weather turns colder, and with more snow forecast to fall over the next few weeks, mountain safety organisations are coming together to encourage people to #ThinkWINTER and ensure that those heading for Scotland’s winter hills and mountains can easily access the right information and...
08/12/2022 14:19:11

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NNAS - Mountain Training England partnership

As leading training organisations in the outdoors, both Mountain Training England and the NNAS share many key aims, most notably in enabling people to become more confident in hill and navigation skills. Recognising this, Mountain Training England and the NNAS have agreed to enter a partnership to...
02/12/2022 15:46:33

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MTA Volunteer Awards 2022 Winners

At the 2022 Mountain Training Association (MTA) Autumn Conference at the Field Studies Council's Blencathra Centre the winners of the first ever volunteer awards were announced: celebrating members' achievements, those who have gone above and beyond, shown initiative and dedication, and made a...
30/11/2022 16:46:30

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Women’s Social Media group driving change at Mountain Training

A Facebook group for women connected to Mountain Training qualifications is credited with influencing Mountain Training’s gender equality strategy and steering the content for the successful Women in Mountain Training Conference, held for the first time in October 2022. The Women in Mountain...
10/11/2022 11:36:08

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Winter Mountain Leader scheme update

Since its introduction in 1965, the Winter Mountain Leader scheme has achieved recognition across the UK and the Republic of Ireland as the qualification for leading others and providing basic skills instruction to parties on mountainous country under winter conditions. The scheme is operated on...
09/11/2022 14:18:02

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Rock Climbing 3rd edition available now

The latest edition of our popular Rock Climbing book is now available to buy! Just as the friction begins to improve and it's time to start climbing in more than a vest, we're pleased to have in stock the third edition of Rock Climbing by Libby Peter. After a comprehensive review of all the words,...
21/09/2022 17:09:04

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Climb LBG Indoor Climbing Assistant success

Provider Graeme Hill travelled to Guernsey to deliver an Indoor Climbing Assistant course to a group of neuro diverse people who volunteer for Climb @climblbg, a charity which offers climbing to those that would not otherwise be able to access it, due to financial, physical or aspirational...
21/09/2022 15:43:24

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Steve and Chris Wheatcroft – father and son Mountain Leaders

Father and son Steve and Chris Wheatcroft have recently qualified as Mountain Leaders, doing the training and passing the assessment together in July 2022, thereby becoming the first father and son team to do so. Steve is the Group Treasurer for the BBC and lives near London and Chris is a doctor...
17/08/2022 11:48:12

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Four adventure sports launch shared activity delivery recommendations

As the four awarding bodies for caving, mountain biking, mountaineering and paddlesport British Caving, British Cycling, British Canoeing and Mountain Training are delighted to announce the establishment of shared guidance for activity delivery. Referred to as the ‘qualifications...
24/06/2022 09:24:03

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Walking schemes review - syllabus amends

For the last three years, we have been conducting a review of our walking qualifications in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders. As with all our scheme reviews, the aim was to identify whether the qualifications continue to be fit for purpose and meet the needs of the end users. We are...
17/06/2022 16:33:22

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Mountain Training England Disability Training Fund

Image Credit: C Grimes/ Experience Community Explaining the fund The intention of this fund is to provide financial support to people with disabilities, who are experiencing hardship, and who live in England to attend any Mountain Training course. Applications to the Disability Training Fund...
30/05/2022 16:03:18

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Women in Mountain Training Conference - Event Information

Mountain Training is holding the first ever Women in Mountain Training conference. The conference is part of our Gender Equality Strategy to develop women in adventure activity leadership and is aimed at women at any stage of the Mountain Training pathway, from first time registrants through to...
30/05/2022 12:13:42

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Members Survey Results

WINNER of the Trailhead 65 Bronze Berghaus rucksack from the survey prize draw is John Lyster from Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Congratulations John! Mountain Training Association has recently conducted a survey of our members, with the survey open between the 23rd February and the 10th April,...
13/05/2022 15:50:52

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Women in Mountain Training Conference - delivery team recruitment

Mountain training is hosting its first Women in Mountain Training conference on 15-16 October at Plas y Brenin, North Wales. To offer development to women engaging with Mountain Training qualifications at all levels. To provide an opportunity for women to develop knowledge networks. To share the...
30/03/2022 13:34:43

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Women in Mountain Training Conference - Save the Date

We’re planning three whole conference sessions: Inspiring women and girls in adventure activities Working in adventurous activities throughout the female lifecycle Panel session: ‘Challenging sexism’ And the following optional workshops: Knowing when you’re ready for...
30/03/2022 09:26:12

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MTUKI Director recruitment 2022

Mountain Training United Kingdom & Ireland (MTUKI) is recruiting for an Honorary Treasurer & a Director. Both opportunities are voluntary and non-executive. This is an opportunity for people with suitable skills and experience to take up two key leadership roles. Closing date for...
15/03/2022 14:56:26

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Mountain Training England Skills and Training Fund

Explaining the Fund This fund supports people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who face barriers to participation and are therefore significantly under-represented and less engaged with all Mountain Training qualifications, and skills courses. Empowering more independent walkers and climbers...
14/03/2022 13:57:30

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New Camping Leader qualification

a supervisory camping qualification that does not require a walking leadership qualification as a prerequisite ideal for those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, the President’s Award and Ten Tors training among other things using an online learning platform to deliver the training...
01/03/2022 10:21:46

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Calling all MTA experts

Here at the Mountain Training Association (MTA) we are looking to use our social media platforms to profile the expertise and calibre of our members as part of a larger publicity campaign to raise the profile of Mountain Training’s association and its members to other organisations involved...
18/02/2022 13:52:46

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Equity Diversity Inclusion - Mountain Trainings next steps

As the instigators of the Your Movement Matters research project, we’re pleased to be sharing the results and thinking about our next steps. Today, 25th January, all Mountain Training staff based at Siabod Cottage are attending a day of equity, diversity and inclusion training. We are...
24/01/2022 16:00:58

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Your movement matters - the results

Group announce commitments following ‘Your Movement Matters’ report into participation in outdoor pursuits and related indoor activities Barriers to participation among diverse groups include costs, a lack of role models and access to facilities and environments Eight of the UK’s...
24/01/2022 13:49:07

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New Avalanche e-learning launched to improve mountain safety

A new online avalanche awareness training initiative has been launched by The Snow and Avalanche Foundation of Scotland (SAFOS), with development support from member organisations Mountain Training Scotland and Glenmore Lodge. Aimed at individuals making critical decisions in the winter mountains,...
20/01/2022 13:54:38

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ThinkWINTER 2021-22

Make sure you have the right info for your adventures Mountaineering experts are teaming up to ensure that people heading for Scotland’s winter hills and mountains can have easy access to the right information and advice.Although we live in the information age, it can sometimes feel like the...
02/12/2021 16:07:05

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Temporary Adaptations - Winter Mountain Leader

An update from George McEwan, Mountain Training Scotland Executive Officer Whilst the snowfall from Storm Arwen still covers many of the Scottish mountains, we head into this winter against a background of climate change (and a resultant impact on weather and winter conditions), but we also still...
01/12/2021 15:09:23

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Supporting English charities to deliver courses

Mountain Training England is committed to improving the diversity of leadership and participation in our activities by educating our workforce and improving pathways. One of the ways we seek to do this is by supporting voluntary, charitable organisations becoming skills scheme providers, especially...
11/08/2021 11:23:47

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Rhiane Fatinikun

Mountain Training is excited to announce that Rhiane Fatinikun, founder of Black Girls Hike, is now an official Mountain Training ambassador! After being inspired by a train journey through the Peak District, Rhiane founded Black Girls Hike to challenge stereotypes and the lack of representation...
26/05/2021 14:12:51

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Your movement matters - the survey

Survey now live! Eight of the UK’s leading walking, climbing and outdoor leisure organisations have joined forces for a ground-breaking research project examining the demographics of people who go walking and climbing. The project is called Your movement matters and it’s all about...
28/04/2021 08:48:43

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Your movement matters - research launch

Your movement matters is a walking and climbing research project designed to provide information to support the development and implementation of evidence-based diversity and inclusion strategies. Walking and climbing are activities enjoyed by people of all abilities across the UK and Ireland, in...
18/03/2021 09:11:51

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International Women’s Day 2021

2021 Update This International Women’s Day we’d like to reflect on the last five and a half years of our Women in Mountain Training initiative. Women in Mountain Training was created in October 2015 out of a desire for our leaders, instructors and coaches to better represent the people...
05/03/2021 15:15:30

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SAIS user survey

The University of Stirling in collaboration with the Scottish Avalanche Information service has launched a research project and survey. The aim of the survey is to gain better understanding of how published avalanche reports and the avalanche service is used and understood by climbers, hillwalkers,...
03/03/2021 15:41:31

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Mountain Training England signs Sporting Equals Charter

The Sporting Equals Charter involves three elements: 1. Capture We will capture ethnicity data about our candidates to establish a baseline and measure change over time. This work has already begun and will be supported by our current research project which is investigating the demographics of...
09/02/2021 10:38:01

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Whats on in lockdown

27th January: Emma Twyford's Secrets! 3rd February: Engaging young people into the outdoors with Rehna Yaseen 9th February: Climbing for all Sheffield. An Inclusive Climbing Club with Robin Whittaker 17th February: Climbing, Walking and Careers Opportunities with James McHaffie Full details and...
22/01/2021 15:32:16

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ThinkWINTER 2020-21

Mountaineering Scotland and a group of partner organisations including Mountain Training have launched the 2020 #ThinkWINTER campaign this week to encourage and help people to be safer in the outdoors and the mountains this winter. This summer saw a noticeable increase in the number of people...
10/12/2020 16:01:08

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Winter Mountain Leader Season 2020-2021

This week sees the first of this winter season’s significant snowfall on the hills and mountains in Scotland. Winter makes it first ‘proper’ appearance against a background of climate change and the resultant impact on weather and winter conditions, but now we also have a pandemic...
04/11/2020 10:29:26

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Demographics Research Tender

At Mountain Training we have access to reliable statistics with regards to the demographics of our qualification holders and skills scheme participants. We do not have access to comparable data for participation in the various activities broken down by discipline e.g. winter walking, summer...
28/10/2020 14:13:38

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We support residential outdoor education

The importance of residential outdoor education to the lives of millions of children, young people and adults cannot be underestimated. Without it, schools, children and communities will permanently lose important, formative educational experiences. Outdoor education centres across the UK are...
06/10/2020 16:54:56

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Hill walking and climbing coronavirus update - 3 August

In relation to hill walking, climbing and mountaineering there are now some areas where the guidance in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland is very similar: No national restrictions – avoid public transport if possible. If you do have to use public transport,...
03/08/2020 14:34:02

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Hill walking and climbing coronavirus update - 13 July

A number of updates from the Scottish, Welsh, Irish and UK governments have led to some changes to our summary of activity table. This guidance is not designed to replace the advice being given by each government and has been simplified to provide a snapshot of the situation in each country. For...
13/07/2020 16:01:40

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Course providers operating in Wales

The recent statement from the Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has been widely welcomed by many in the tourism and leisure sectors. It has provided Mountain Training with significant room within which delivery of many schemes can now recommence in Wales. A summary of the relevant relaxations...
13/07/2020 15:11:28

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Course providers operating in Scotland

The Scottish First Minister confirmed on 9 July, 2020 that Scotland is able to enter Phase 3 of the route map through and out of the pandemic. This is possible due to the low prevalence of the virus in Scotland, however it was stressed that the danger has not gone away. As a result, significant...
13/07/2020 14:34:17

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Hill walking and climbing Coronavirus update

Whatever stage you’re at on your Mountain Training journey, the last few months have likely involved lots of frustration and occasionally some confusion. The good news is, it’s now possible to get out and gain some much-needed fresh air and adventure. As restrictions ease at different...
07/07/2020 16:01:37

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Mountain Training course delivery in Northern Ireland

The UK government recently relaxed lockdown restrictions to allow unrestricted travel and permit groups of up to 10 people from different households to meet in Northern Ireland, (see, Northern Ireland for further guidance. There is no limit on the distance travelled in Northern Ireland. Travel to...
30/06/2020 13:43:36

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Mountain Training course delivery in Republic of Ireland

The Irish government has further relaxed lockdown restrictions to allow larger groups to gather and the complete lifting of travel restrictions on the island of Ireland as of 29th July 2020. As a result we are recommending groups of up 15 people from different households can meet outside. More...
30/06/2020 10:33:04

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Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter movement is important to many of our candidates and we want you to know it’s important to us too. Here are the facts: In the last 10 years, 453 people (2.7%) who have gained one or more of our qualifications are recorded as being from a non-White background, compared to...
17/06/2020 12:11:21

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Course providers operating in England

The UK government recently relaxed lockdown restrictions in England to allow groups of people from different households to meet. Further guidance was released on Monday 1st June, which stated the following; If you are a personal trainer/coach you can now work with clients outdoors, providing you...
05/06/2020 09:41:10

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National Mountain Training organisations Covid-19 framework for decision making

The national Mountain Training organisations, collectively referred to as Mountain Training, are working hard to plan for a return to course and MTA workshop delivery in a climate of uncertainty and evolving guidance which currently varies across the UK and Ireland. To help steer us through this...
12/05/2020 16:33:50

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Impact of COVID-19 on the professional mountaineering community

An independent report by Calum Muskett, a British Mountain Guide, has forecast a loss of earnings to members of the four associations of £58.8million from the 14th March to the 14th August 2020 due to COVID-19. Calum surveyed members of the Mountain Training Association, Association of...
06/04/2020 09:28:21

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Outdoor recreation leaders back Prime Minister

A group of 35 leading national outdoor activity, tourism, nature, health and rescue organisations, has come together to back the Prime Minister’s call for the public to behave responsibly while exercising outside. In a joint statement, the group offers support to the Government and advises...
23/03/2020 11:39:43

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Coronavirus and Mountain Training

During these unprecedented times as we all do our bit to try to suppress the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic, we all face many challenges. As a network of Mountain Training organisations we have advised our providers to cancel upcoming training and assessment courses and this will be reviewed...
18/03/2020 14:41:12

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Winter Skills Third Edition

The third edition of this invaluable resource for all winter walkers, mountaineers and climbers has been fully revised and updated for 2020. The book has already sold 20,000 copies and the latest version is bursting with essential information about winter skills and techniques for walkers,...
13/03/2020 15:19:50

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Mountain Training - official partner of Mountains for the Mind

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...
20/12/2019 14:44:22

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#ThinkWINTER in the mountains

Mountaineering organisations have teamed up to help those who love to walk, climb or ski get the best out of Scotland’s mountains this winter.The ThinkWINTER campaign understands the great attraction and challenges of winter in the Scottish Mountains and aims to inspire and encourage people...
03/12/2019 16:56:47

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Summary of the November 2019 MTUKI business meeting

Eleven representatives from mountaineering councils and national Mountain Training organisations met for their third meeting of 2019. They were supported by ten advisers and three members of MTUKI’s Executive Board. This was the first meeting under the organisation’s revised title of...
26/11/2019 12:57:28

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Mountain Training UK Meeting Summary June 2019

Eleven representatives from the mountaineering councils and national Mountain Training organisations met for their second meeting of 2019. They were supported by nine advisers and four members of MTUKI’s Executive Board. Notable decisions and actions are as follows: It was agreed in support...
08/07/2019 10:13:19

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Auto-Belays: How not to muck it up

My first encounter with an auto belay was at Number 1 Parachute Training School, Brize Norton as I exited a mock up of a Hercules. It was terrifying! There was a brief stomach churning moment of freefall before the device took action and I still remember it to this day. Auto belays are pretty...
13/06/2019 10:27:19

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Six Coaching Pitfalls and how to avoid them

Something that I have noticed over the years of running coach and instructor assessments, is that the candidates are normally good at making plans that seem to make logical sense, but as soon as they try and implement those plans with real people, things go downhill pretty quickly. So what goes...
12/06/2019 11:54:55

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Summary of the March 2019 MTUK business meeting

Twelve representatives from mountaineering councils and national Mountain Training organisations met for their first meeting of 2019. They were supported by ten advisers and five members of MTUK’s Executive Board. Notable decisions and actions are as follows: It was acknowledged that...
12/04/2019 16:17:12

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Mountaineering Instructor qualifications renamed

The highest level rock and ice climbing qualifications issued by Mountain Training UK are being renamed to better reflect their role. The two qualifications will now be called: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor – formerly Mountaineering Instructor Award (MIA) Winter Mountaineering and...
09/04/2019 10:58:09

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Pioneers to the end

The first and only woman to hold the Mountaineering Instructor Advanced Certificate (MIAC), Barbara Roscoe, has died at the age of 82. Barbara was a key player in the early years of Mountain Training, joining the Mountain Leadership Training Board as a board member in 1966 which later became...
08/04/2019 12:15:05

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Mountaineering Instructor Certificate courses update

The current unseasonably warm weather continues to have an impact on the extremely limited winter conditions and therefore the planned provision of Mountaineering Instructor Certificate courses. The weather outlook for next week, whilst becoming stormier and colder, is not currently expected to...
27/02/2019 13:31:07

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Winter Mountain Leader courses update

The current unseasonably warm weather, and the resulting impact on the extremely limited winter conditions, continues to affect the planned provision of Winter Mountain Leader courses. The weather outlook for next week, whilst becoming stormier and colder, is not expected to appreciably alter the...
27/02/2019 13:27:47

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Supporting candidates with a disability

We understand that every individual is unique and we love to see a really diverse range of people gaining skills and being given the opportunity to learn, lead and inspire others. Did you know that many of our providers have made reasonable adjustments on a training or assessment course to enable a...
20/11/2018 09:17:18

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Coaching & Teaching event

MTA and AMI have teamed up to bring you a weekend of “all things coaching” focusing on the processes of coaching and helping you to understand coaching concepts and when to use them. Know when and how to apply coaching skills regardless of activity or level and integrate them when...
19/10/2018 11:55:34

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Extreme Sports Expo 2019

We are very excited to be supporting a new event which seeks to engage and inspire climbers all over the UK. Held at the NEC, Birmingham on the 22nd and 23rd June 2019, Extreme Sports Expo is the only UK event to unite all of the extreme sports audiences under one roof. The Climbing Zone at Extreme...
01/10/2018 16:04:35

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MTE Quality Assurance comes out on top

In a recent audit Mountain Training England were able to provide OfQual with Substantial Assurance that we are doing an excellent job in the delivery of our quality assurance processes. OfQual’s General Conditions of Recognition guarantee the industry standard for academic and vocational...
20/09/2018 11:25:15

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DLOG tidy up – Scottish climbing

Our DLOG database is self-populating which means we have you wonderful people to thank for how much it’s grown over the past four and a half years. There are currently 715,582 trad climbing entries, 196,727 sport climbing entries and 41,951 winter climbing entries from a total 2.28 million...
17/07/2018 16:40:37

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Mountain Training UK 2018 AGM and business meeting

This year’s AGM was held on Saturday 23 June 2018 at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre in Northern Ireland. Ten representatives from the mountaineering councils and national Mountain Training organisations (the Members*) met for their second meeting of 2018. They were supported by eight...
02/07/2018 14:48:14

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BMC AGM 2018

As you may be aware the British Mountaineering Council will hold its Annual General Meeting on 16th June 2018. We would like all of our candidates who are BMC members to: be aware of the relevance and importance of this event to Mountain Training, and get involved. The BMC is being challenged to...
22/05/2018 15:18:11

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New climbing schemes update

Since the relaunch of our exising climbing qualifications on 2nd April we've had a chance to pause and start planning the next two phases of implementation. Here's a brief update to bring you up to speed. Rock Skills will involve four personal skills courses designed to develop rock climbing...
20/04/2018 16:31:40

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Winter 2017-18 Round Up

It's easy to forget now the sun's come out in most places, that after last winter we were wishing for a colder, snowier and more stable winter season this year. Two out of three ain’t bad! This winter has been one of the coldest on record across the UK and Ireland, with a great deal more snow...
20/04/2018 16:21:13

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Climbing qualifications relaunch

Recognising the evolving landscape of climbing, nearly three years ago we embarked on a review of our climbing qualifications to determine whether they were fit to serve the needs of the outdoor sector into the 2020s and beyond. After a thorough review, we have revised and renamed seven of our...
28/03/2018 14:50:54

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International Womens Day 2018

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”. We know that everyone who holds our qualifications is involved in transforming people’s lives in both rural and urban environments and today is an...
08/03/2018 09:36:51

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Mountain Training Board of Ireland

Mountaineering Ireland has established a new mountain training body to oversee all schemes of training in the island of Ireland, known as the Mountain Training Board of Ireland.This new body is a sub-committee of Mountaineering Ireland and reports to the Mountaineering Ireland Board. It has taken...
23/01/2018 16:47:55

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MTS support for new BAA app

Today (18th December 2017) George McEwan, the Executive Officer of Mountain Training Scotland (part of the Mountain Training network) handed over a cheque for £1500 to Mark Diggins, Coordinator of the Scottish Avalanche Information Service. The money is to support the development of a new...
18/12/2017 16:21:39

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Updated registration fees for 2018

Mountain Training is always looking for ways to remove barriers to participation in our schemes and is pleased to announce that from 1st January 2018, people under the age of 25 who are registering on a skills scheme will do so at a reduced rate. Currently, the reduced rate is only available to...
01/12/2017 14:50:31

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BMC Youth climbing series belay volunteers

To add an extra element of safety to the Youth Climbing Series (YCS) the BMC would like an experienced sport climber and instructor to offer a 15 minute competition belay workshop to the lead climbing belayers at each of the YCS competitions, preferably someone who lives within an hour of the...
22/11/2017 15:01:25

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MTUK Adventuremark Accreditation

Adventuremark is a non-statutory safety scheme devised by the Adventure Activity Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) for providers of adventurous activities that are outside the scope of the Adventure Activity Licensing regulations. Adventuremark allows providers to demonstrate to their customers...
15/11/2017 11:19:36

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What’s in a name

As part of the climbing awards review we have considered the naming of our schemes. Our qualitative (discussion based) and quantitative (individual and organisation surveys) research revealed a desire for “Greater understanding of the awards, their remit and functions… In particular,...
23/10/2017 12:34:39

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Climbing Awards Review update - Oct 2017

On Saturday 14th October, Mountain Training UK held its third and final council meeting of the year, this time at Plas y Brenin in North Wales. It was very well attended by representatives from all of the national Mountain Training organisations as well as other members, advisers and contributors...
18/10/2017 14:30:39

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Bangor University and Mountain Training PhD

In spring 2016, Mountain Training staff and Bangor University lecturers agreed to support a PhD research project on the generic Mountain Training qualification pathway (registration, training, consolidation and assessment). Walking and now climbing qualification reviews are well established...
12/07/2017 12:00:20

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MIA Preparation Research

Please note, when this research had taken place this award was called Mountaineering Instructors Award (MIA). Amendments have been made to this page to reflect the new name. In December 2016 we (Mountain Training) wanted to learn more about candidates' preparation for Mountaineering and Climbing...
07/07/2017 11:58:35

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All-board news - June 2017

Last Saturday (24th June) at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre in Northern Ireland, all six of the Mountain Training organisations of the UK and Ireland met for the second of three meetings this year. The meeting was well attended and here is a quick update on some notable events... Mountain...
26/06/2017 15:23:45

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Keswick Mountain Festival

Keswick Mountain Festival has become one of the UK’s leading festivals for outdoor enthusiasts, with everything from triathlons and mountain marathons to festival camping, live music and the festival village. This year, Mountain Training will be part of the BMC & Lowe Alpine Skills Camp...
22/05/2017 13:26:46

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Hill Skills Filming

Our Hill & Mountain Skills courses are proving really popular with new and improving walkers and they have the potential to appeal to an even wider audience. So we’re going to make two short films, one for each scheme, starting with filming for Hill Skills on 3rd and 4th May 2017. Filming...
27/04/2017 16:19:03

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Climbing Awards Review - Update

June 2017 Since completing the research phase of this review we have spent a great deal of time considering the results. Here is a brief overview of the process so far and an outline of key milestones yet to come. This was approved at the MTUK board meeting in October 2015 and outlined a plan...
10/04/2017 09:39:55

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Winter 2016-17 Round Up

Winter in the UK this season can be summarised as follows: it started late, finished early and there are mixed feelings about what happened in between. One thing is for sure, Mountain Training’s winter is over. It has been characterised by a rather diminished and often patchy snowpack, with...
07/04/2017 10:12:21

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Winter Mountain Leader courses cancelled

For those involved in the Winter Mountain Leader scheme – candidates, providers and their staff, this winter season 2017 has been an endlessly challenging one, and not in a good way!This season to date has been characterised by a rather diminished and often patchy snowpack, with frequent...
23/03/2017 09:45:11

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International Womens Day

This International Women's Day (8th March) we'd like to celebrate some of the women who have gained our qualifications. Each of them has their own story to tell and wanted to share them with you. Click on a face to read more about each of them. Mountain...
08/03/2017 09:19:16

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Observations on winter conditions

Published on Friday 24th February 2017 Marginal conditions in the mountains this winter have led to uncertainty and difficult decision-making when planning journeys – whether heading for the Munros or for climbing trips. Because of this Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor...
24/02/2017 14:17:05

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Skills for the Hills

An ever-growing number of Scots are escaping to the hills to enjoy a variety of mountain adventures each year. With spring just around the corner, over thirty of Scotland’s leading outdoor organisations will be joining forces this March for the biggest event of its kind, aiming to equip all...
06/02/2017 10:59:51

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AMI Safety Seminar AMI - AGM Weekend 2017

Having had my chosen workshop cancelled just a couple of days earlier it was with some reluctance I went along to the dry sounding Safety Seminar. However when I saw that the Silver Fox that is Steve Howe was presenting it I was somewhat re-assured! Steve gave us a brief outline of the current...
31/01/2017 11:45:53

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Registration fee increases for 2017

As part of our committment to reviewing registration fees on an annual basis in line with inflation, the fee for registering for all 'entry level' qualifications will increase by £2 for 2017 (an increase of less than 5%) to £44 . So if you're thinking about embarking on one of our schemes...
22/12/2016 10:15:08

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MIA mentoring pilot

“Mentoring allows us to accurately evaluate our skills, to see our blind spots and to determine a plan for improvement. And isn’t that a worthy goal for both our professional and our personal endeavors?” Ron Culberson, Huffington Post blog article You may or may not know that...
24/11/2016 15:39:54

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Security Breach FAQs

On the evening of Saturday 12th November, someone gained unauthorised access to the website of our candidate management system via the admin account of a TahDah staff member. The database, which sits behind the website, was not accessed. The unauthorised person(s) replaced the log in page so that...
23/11/2016 12:00:00

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Security breach

On the evening of Saturday 12th November, an unauthorised person gained access to our candidate management system via an administrator’s account. They blocked access to the system, replacing the homepage so that no one could log in and sent an email to our ‘All candidates’ list...
14/11/2016 16:08:06

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Winter ML Interim Review 2016

All awards are reviewed every three years as follows: first three year period – ‘root and branch’ review to ensure award ‘fit for purpose’; three years after this - ‘light’ review to ‘tweak’ syllabus, guidance notes etc as required based on...
17/10/2016 15:46:54

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WCS 2016 Report

This year’s Women’s Climbing Symposium was bigger than ever, with over 400 women and girls taking part in practical workshops and listening to inspirational speakers in Europe’s biggest indoor bouldering venue. The symposium, now in its sixth year, was excellently organised by...
13/10/2016 14:59:11

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World Mental Health Day

As signatories of the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation Mountain Training is committed to making mental health a commonly understood matter and helping those in need. The positive impact that walking and climbing can have on a person’s mental health is well known within our...
10/10/2016 16:25:35

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Joint Statement from outdoor NGBs

We recognise that when people engage in the outdoors and adventure activities they often do so across a number of different sports. In many cases it is the environment in which they take part that is the motivation and drive to participate, and which inspires life changing habits and personal...
30/08/2016 11:51:09

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BMC & MCofS rebrand

The two representative bodies for walkers, climbers and mountaineers in England, Scotland and Wales have both decided to change their names. The BMC, which covers England and Wales, will become Climb Britain , whilst the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) will become Mountaineering Scotland...
25/07/2016 10:28:01

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BMC Equity Symposium

The BMC's Equity Symposium is to be held at YHA Llanberis from Friday 30th September to Sunday 2nd October 2016. This year’s symposium aims to give outdoor activity providers an in depth understanding of the barriers faced by black, asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities when getting...
19/07/2016 13:14:27

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WomenOutdoors Week

Have you got a Mountain Training qualification? Would you be prepared to have an aspiring female instructor observe you for a day? Or are you working your way through a scheme and in need of some new ideas? The aim of #WomenOutdoors week is to boost female participation in outdoor activities and in...
20/06/2016 14:51:17

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Climbing Awards Review – June 2016 update

June 2016 We are currently in the middle of a review of our climbing awards which aims to identify whether they are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the end users. Since the winter round of national Mountain Training board meetings, which culminated in the Mountain Training UK meeting at...
17/06/2016 10:27:44

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Climbing Coach Symposium 2016

The BMC’s Climbing Coach Symposium is all about helping you to coach more effectively. So whether you’re an aspiring, newly qualified or experienced climbing coach, if you want to improve your coaching skills, you need this event in your life. What’s more, you can team it up with...
08/06/2016 11:45:40

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Keswick Mountain Festival 2016

It's festival season and we've teamed up with the BMC and Lowe Alpine to bring you a tipi full of talks, tips, treats and tipples at Keswick Mountain Festival. For those of you who've never been, Keswick Mountain Festival is a great celebration of the outdoors in the heart of the Lake District....
10/05/2016 16:26:12

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Womens Climbing Symposium

Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 Women’s Climbing Symposium (WCS) which takes place on Saturday 8th October at Manchester’s newest climbing venue, The Depot. Since its inception in 2011, the WCS is now a firm feature of the climbing events calendar, touring to a different venue each...
22/04/2016 14:55:07

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Winter 2015-16 Round Up

At the time of writing the avalanche forecast for four of the six Scottish regions covered by the SAIS is ‘considerable’, so winter is definitely not over yet. However, Mountain Training winter courses have come to an end which gives us an opportunity to look back at the 2015-16 season....
07/04/2016 16:55:26

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Training students for winter mountains

While wintertime accidents in Scotland’s mountains have once more led to ill-thought-out calls to restrict access to the mountains in winter, a partnership project between the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and charity St John Scotland has been taking a more positive and practical...
11/03/2016 16:31:18

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Climbing Awards Survey

You are invited to ‘have your say’ on the climbing coaching awards that are administered by Mountain Training. The survey will be available online from the 7th March to 11th April - please take as long as you require to decide whether to take part. Aim : To conduct a comprehensive...
07/03/2016 09:45:31

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Correction to Remote Supervision booklet

In our Remote Supervision booklet recently published by Mountain Training England we stated that the Dartmoor Walla Brook tragedy occurred during the 2007 Ten Tors event. This was incorrect. We acknowledge that the incident actually occurred during a practice some weeks before the event and...
02/03/2016 16:14:47

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LLAMFF 2016

Friday 4 March - Sunday 6 March Last March saw the Llanberis Mountain Film Festival (LLAMFF) relaunch with huge success, selling nearly 1,000 tickets. Over 40 different films were shown at three local venues over three fantastic festival evenings, and all facilitated by an energetic team of local...
23/02/2016 10:14:53

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Register this month

Have fun, go exploring, be close to nature, learn something, have an adventure, challenge yourself, develop a sense of self worth, get fit and healthy; there are so many reasons to pursue a Mountain Training qualification or skills course. If you've been thinking about registering for one of our...
19/11/2015 15:02:40

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Womens Climbing Symposium 2015

What an uplifting event! This year 300 women attended the Women’s Climbing Symposium (that’s more than ever), the line-up of speakers was exceptional and varied, the coaching was of a really high quality and the atmosphere was encouraging and positive. Can we book for next year yet? ...
20/10/2015 12:05:43

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Real3Peaks Challenge

Saturday's results... Ben Nevis 13 Volunteers, 153kg Scafell Pike39 Volunteers, 155.5kg Snowdon36 Volunteers, 205kg What an astounding day, organised by three members of the Mountian Training Association and joined by 88 people who came out on Saturday 10th October to support the Real3Peaks...
20/10/2015 11:57:29

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A geological and geomorphological tour

No Vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end. A geological and geomorphological tour of Holyrood Park, Edinburgh On Wednesday 26th August 2015 ten members (and one dog) went on a Geological and Geomorphological tour of Holyrood Park led by member Alistair McGowan, Hills of Hame We began by...
21/09/2015 12:23:53

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CMS v3

We have been preparing to launch a new version of our Candidate Management System (CMS) for a while now and we are pleased to announce that it will be launched on Thursday 17th September (tomorrow). Your username and password have not changed, but you will need to verify your email address the...
15/09/2015 11:57:13

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The Good News about OfQual

Written by Cath Luke, MTE Responsible Officer to Ofqual28/9/15 MTE is an Awarding Organisation recognised by OfQual with four qualifications currently regulated.OfQual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Mountain Training England’s qualifications existed for...
14/09/2015 16:06:08

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Everest - The Movie

Earlier this week five lucky Mountain Training Association members attended the IMAX preview of Universal's new film, Everest , in London. The film is based on the true story of a storm on the mountain in 1996 which ended in eight fatalities. The story has already been told in two contrasting...
09/09/2015 10:59:09

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Sneak peak at the new system

Our Candidate Management System (CMS) is getting a new look later this month so we thought we'd give you a sneak peak at what it will look like. We hope you like the clean design and new features such as being able to search for routes to add a DLOG entry and use a map to find your nearest course....
06/08/2015 14:51:46

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Celebrate the Ramblers 50th

To mark its 50th year, Ramblers Scotland is encouraging everyone across Scotland to put on their walking shoes and get outdoors this August to discover the fun of walking and enjoy all that Scotland has to offer. Running from 1 to 3 August 2015, Get Outdoors Weekend aims to help everyone across...
24/07/2015 16:39:58

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Good Practice Safety Management

The Mountain Training Association is hosting its first ever good practice and safety management conference on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November at the conference facilities Lancaster University. It is open to all MTA members and we may be joined by members of AMI, BAIML or BMG. Participants...
08/07/2015 14:36:25

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MTUK Update

Last month the movers and shakers at Mountain Training got together at Tollymore in Northern Ireland for the second MTUK board meeting of the year. It was an historic occasion, not least because Rachael Hinchliffe took over as Chair of MTUK (the first female Chair the board has ever had) but also...
03/07/2015 15:03:31

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Disability Awareness Symposium

Earlier this year, Mountain Training partnered up with the Bendrigg Trust for a climbing disability awareness symposium for technical advisors. The event was well attended by a variety of people with a broad range of knowledge and experience. The group looked at tackling the barriers to...
30/04/2015 10:57:02

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Help Sherpas Help Nepal

The earthquake in Nepal on Saturday (25th April) has had a profound impact on the mountain communities in and around Kathmandu. As you can see from the correspondance below, the team at Sherpa Adventure Gear are at the heart of relief efforts in some of the more remote areas and anything you can do...
29/04/2015 10:09:38

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Winter 2014-15 Round-Up

It feels a lot like spring in many parts of the UK (and like summer in others!) but in the Scottish Highlands and the Pyrenees, our winter season has only just come to an end. It’s been a successful season with many new award holders and no major incidents or accidents. The weather in...
14/04/2015 10:44:49

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Lowland Leader - the scheme so far

The Lowland Leader scheme was launched in April 2014 and has had a very successful first 11 months. It was designed for people who are new to outdoor leadership or those with plenty of experience leading groups in lowland terrain who want or need formal recognition of their competence. The...
23/03/2015 16:05:39

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Hill & Mountain Skills - the scheme so far

Mountain Training created the Hill & Mountain Skills scheme to educate the public about safety in the hills and mountains. Through structured training the courses aim to teach people important skills such as how to plan a day out, navigate safely and avoid obvious hazards, all in the context of...
27/02/2015 15:13:08

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Incidents and near misses

Written by John Cousins 27/1/15 This 2014 report is the first time we have produced a summary of incidents in the hope that all our users are reminded of key safety messages for themselves, the groups they lead and the training that they provide. In our view some of these incidents will make...
28/01/2015 14:51:16

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Coaching Scheme Vacancy and Handbook

After a full first year of courses we've created a new version of the Coaching Scheme handbook. The syllabus hasn't changed, we've just added some top tips and changed the presentation to make the information easier to digest. Mountain Training UK is currently inviting applications from suitable...
22/01/2015 16:19:09

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Channel 4 Weather Documentary

We've been contacted by TV production company Raw TV who are making a documentary about the human element of the winter weather for Channel 4. In a nutshell, they want your videos of the weather and of you explaining how it impacts on your work or everday life. More details can be found below or...
19/01/2015 16:18:18

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LLAMFF

After a few years dormancy, the much-lauded Llanberis Mountain Film Festival will make a dramatic return in 2015 and you could be a part of the magic! LLAMFF are keen for some local volunteers to assist in checking tickets and directing people to seating for talks and films – volunteers will...
16/01/2015 16:44:57

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Leader of the Year - Winner

After a week of intense voting, we are proud to announce that the winner of our Leader of the Year award, sponsored by Sherpa Adventure Gear, is: Fida received the highest number of votes and an amazing Facebook response. A huge congratulations to Fida and thank you to everyone who voted in the...
16/12/2014 17:08:20

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Christmas Book Offers

To celebrate the festive season we've got some great offers on books... This is a major reference book for every walker as well as for those who wish to lead groups in the British hills. Its functional design with easy reference colour coded pages, striking illustrations that complement the text...
11/12/2014 12:47:02

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Leader of the Year

Voting has now closed. The following people have either been awarded Leader of the Month or they were given a special mention and all you have to do is ‘like’ the nomination of the person you think should win. Cameron is a 19 year old modern apprentice with the City of Edinburgh...
09/12/2014 08:53:49

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Leader of the Month - November

After convening our panel of experts we are proud to announce... For almost 10 years Darren has been involved in delivering and inspiring young teenagers and adults in various adventurous activities. Darren has been volunteering for the Air Training Corps for the past 10 years and constantly gives...
03/12/2014 13:10:36

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Mark Diggins is new IFMGA Director

Congratulations to British Mountain Guide Mark Diggins who has just been elected by the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA) to become a Director. There are twenty three Guide Associations around the world and for almost fifty years IFMGA Directors have been drawn...
24/11/2014 13:26:30

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Leader of the Month - October

After convening our panel of experts we are proud to announce... Fida has used his mountaineering skills and mountaineering qualifications for delivering Duke of Edinburgh in the Borough of Rochdale for over 10 years with a very high success rate. Rochdale has a high percentage of people from...
18/11/2014 14:02:29

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The mountains and the military

To mark Remembrance Day and as part of the First World War centenary commemorations, Mountain Training is compiling a list of interesting places in the hills which hold some military significance. The aim is to create a useful resource for people who enjoy learning a little history while walking in...
11/11/2014 16:40:39

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MTA Autumn Conference 2014

Over 100 members and 20 workshop providers took part in the Mountain Training Association (MTA) Conference this weekend at Plas y Brenin, the National Mountain Sports Centre in North Wales. The conference was aimed at supporting and developing professionalism and participants attended workshops on...
10/11/2014 16:18:40

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Not quite a mass trespass

Mountain Training celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday 16th October with a well-attended walk up Kinder Scout. Rab Carrington, Chair of Mountain Training England and founder of outdoor clothing company Rab, led the walk from Edale on a gloriously sunny afternoon. He was joined by...
21/10/2014 16:30:13

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The Military and Mountain Training

Adventurous Training in the military can lead to civilian qualifications which will stay with you for the rest of your life. There are some simple steps you need to follow in order to make this work, which is why we've designed the following infographics in association with the Joint Service...
08/10/2014 15:25:36

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Leader of the Month - September

After convening our panel of experts we are proud to announce... I'd like to nominate Will Kilner for Leader of the Month. Will is a work colleague and friend of mine who this summer, particularly August and early September, mentored me through my SPA assessment. We climbed as often as our...
07/10/2014 09:24:07

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Mountain Training - The Movie

As our 50th year draws to a close we’re making a short film to showcase what Mountain Training is all about. That means you, your adventures, your mishaps, your achievements and the people who’ve benefited from your hard work. In order to make this a reality we need your video clips ....
02/10/2014 13:51:45

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The Real3Peaks Challenge

This year's date for the ‘Real3Peaks Challenge: Cleanse & Conserve' is Saturday 4th October In 2013, Mountain Training Association member Rich Pyne was working on Ben Nevis and was shocked by the amounts of rubbish he found - posting about this on social media he soon heard back from...
29/09/2014 15:33:56

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Join us to celebrate our 50th

To help celebrate our 50th anniversary, Mountain Training England would like to invite candidates, providers, course directors and board members (past and present) to join Chairman Rab Carrington and Treasurer Barry Lynn on a walk up Kinder Scout on 16th October. As a summit with its own...
29/09/2014 13:32:21

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Sherpa Club Lecture Series

Sherpa Adventure Gear athletes Neil Gresham and Kenton Cool are giving a series of lectures at mountaineering clubs across the country this autumn. Tickets are very reasonable (between £6-£9.50 depending on the club) and proceeds will be split between the mountaineering club and Sherpa's...
15/09/2014 15:43:22

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Leader of the Month - August

August was a busy month, with lots of outdoor action and expeditions a plenty. After convening our panel of experts we are proud to announce... Stephen has been an integral member of Durham Scouts for many years. He tirelessly and selflessly donates almost every second of his spare time to...
10/09/2014 15:11:56

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Hill Walking Third Edition

The third edition of Hill Walking is available to buy now, at the bargain price of just £15* (including postage and packaging within the UK) . This increasingly popular book, which has already sold 50,000 copies, is an essential reference tool for all hill walkers and includes guidance on...
28/08/2014 14:21:34

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DLOG Revamp

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to give us feedback over the past nine months, we have been listening and we're about to make some changes. Here's an insight into what's coming at the start of September... (changes apply to walking, winter walking, scrambling and international...
21/08/2014 14:56:00

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Enjoy the mountains with your children

A positive mountain experience for young people can change the way they view the world and set them up for life. Plus they’ll probably remember it forever. The true benefits of exploring the hills and mountains go much deeper than an appreciation for the environment and improved fitness...
08/08/2014 15:19:19

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Leaders of the Month - July

We are pleased to announce that July's Leaders of the Month are... This month we've decided to recognise three Leaders of the Month, and the many more who went before them, at Ogwen Cottage in North Wales. The centre closed this month after 50 years as one of Birmingham City Council's residential...
31/07/2014 13:41:19

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John Ellis Roberts

John Ellis Roberts, former Chair of Mountain Training Cymru and retired Guide, was killed yesterday after a tragic accident on Dinas Cromlech in North Wales. Carlo Forte, the current Chair of Mountain Training Cymru, shares his thoughts on the passionate Welshman... John was a familiar face to...
18/07/2014 13:45:25

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Leader of the Month - June

After convening our panel of experts we can now announce... Not only has he inspired me personally to climb more and more and to improve my climbing, he has also inspired many other climbers. Not only does he know all about climbing techniques, rope work and safety, he also has the people skills to...
08/07/2014 16:30:30

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BMC Coaching Symposium

BMC Ambassador Shauna Coxsey will be joining a team of coaches presenting at this year's BMC Coaching Symposium. Join us on September 13 & 14 to learn a host of new skills and take your coaching to the next level! It's more than two years since the the BMC’s last coaching symposium and...
10/06/2014 13:41:46

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Leader of the Month - May

May saw the most nominations of any month so far and competition was fierce. After convening our panel of experts we are proud to announce... Mike is a very inspirational instructor. He has M.S. but despite all his difficulties, he never stops trying. He has been a climbing instructor for a local...
09/06/2014 11:01:22

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Leader of the Month - April

After convening our panel of experts we can now announce... My meeting with Calum happened by chance, as an acquaintance of a mutual good friend of ours meant we had stumbled upon each other in Snowdonia. A series of events led to Calum eventually accompanying me on several QMDs in preparation for...
14/05/2014 11:25:00

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Challenge Events Good Practice

Spring marks the beginning of the main season for 'Challenge Events' and there are many to choose from: the National Three Peaks, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the Welsh 3000s etc. As stakeholders in the preservation of our natural landscape, anyone involved in running these events has a...
25/04/2014 11:20:21

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Mountain Training in Ireland

Sport NI and Mountaineering Ireland have been working with Mountain Training UK on a proposed new structure that could lead to the creation of a single body to oversee and administer training in mountain related activities on the island of Ireland . Read the current proposals on the Mountaineering...
16/04/2014 13:18:07

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Recruiting Two New Elected Directors

We are currently recruiting for two posts: These posts are non-salaried (out of pocket expenses will be paid) The role of Mountain Training UK is to coordinate the combined global objectives of the Home Nation Mountain Training Boards. It's areas of work include: Coordination of the global...
11/04/2014 16:14:50

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Our Winter is Over

It has been, without doubt, a unique and challenging season in Scotland with an unprecedented (in our lifetimes) snow depth and almost constant gale force to storm force winds. After months of what has felt like near incessant storms and rainfall, this winter is on track to be the wettest since...
07/04/2014 09:52:44

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Leader of the Month - March

Nominations in March started off a little slow and then finished with a mad rush at the end of the month! After convening our panel of experts we can now announce... I specialise as a communicator for the Deaf, and after taking a deaf child away on a residential week in the Lake District, found...
03/04/2014 10:12:27

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NEW Walking Awards Go Live

This week Mountain Training is launching a new ‘pathway’ of walking leadership awards. The increased range of nationally accredited awards combined with clear descriptive names will create greater opportunities for leaders of walking groups. The Lowland Leader is a new entry level...
03/04/2014 09:17:18

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Hill & Mountain Skills Goes Live

Today (March 31st) Mountain Training have launched the nationally accredited Hill & Mountain Skills Scheme, which has added two new courses aimed at novice and improving hill walkers. Coordinated by Mountain Training, through its network of approved course Providers, the courses aim to equip...
31/03/2014 11:02:31

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Launch Week

They're finally here! A new award, a new module, a renamed award and a skills scheme, all 'going live' in one week. The plan for the week of all things new is as follows: Registrations for each of the above schemes will be open from Monday 31st March , but we thought trying to tell the world...
27/03/2014 11:46:04

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Two Years of CMS

On this day, two years ago, our Candidate Management System was born! This new digital system has opened up a load of new features for you, our candidates, and to celebrate our 2nd birthday we thought we'd help you make the most of CMS. You have control over your record so keep your personal...
20/03/2014 16:51:41

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BME Equity Symposium

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is holding a symposium ( 28 - 30 March ) at YHA Haworth, near Keighley, West Yorkshire, to celebrate and support black and minority ethnic (BME) adventure in the great outdoors. The weekend symposium in the heart of Bronte country aims to provide...
20/03/2014 09:47:04

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Leader of the Month - February

February saw some strong nominations for Leader of the Month and after convening our panel of experts we can now announce... For over 20 years Susan has been a voluntary leader inspiring others; mainly young people, to get involved in outdoor activity. Based in Liverpool she began her 'Leadership...
10/03/2014 16:48:29

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Walking without a leg to stand on

What’s your earliest memory of being in ‘the outdoors’? Have you always loved it? My parents took me hill walking in Scotland and the Lake District from a young age. I hated it! But as I grew older I really began to appreciate the sense of freedom of being in the outdoors and the...
26/02/2014 09:32:15

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Welsh Minister visits Gogarth

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) will today (20 February) highlight the benefits of extending and simplifying access laws to the coast and countryside throughout Wales when it welcomes John Griffiths AM, Minister for Culture & Sport for the Welsh Government, to the prime climbing and...
19/02/2014 16:48:39

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Lowland Leader Providers

The launch of the Lowland Leader award on 1st April is a very exciting development for Mountain Training. We have approved a large number of providers and some have already been inducted onto the new scheme. At the same time we’re also launching the Hill & Mountain Skills scheme, our...
11/02/2014 11:33:23

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Leader of the Month - January

We had a great response to the launch of our new campaign last month so thanks for all of your nominations. If you didn't nominate someone, there's always February! Cameron uses his awards on a project called Wildcats (for children from North Edingburgh). He inspires every single one of them with...
05/02/2014 14:46:04

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Changing Careers Interview

Earlier this month we spoke to Sian Sykes about her new life, living and working outdoors in North Wales (the interview can be found on the BMC website). Here, in the follow up interview, we find out about the challenges involved in leaving a successful career for a world of unknowns... I was...
31/01/2014 09:29:04

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Winter CPD at Glenmore Lodge

This year started with a great Mountain Training Association event at Glenmore Lodge. Celebrating winter skills, the weekend was really well attended by Association members who grabbed the opportunity to learn more about the Scottish winter environment. The weather wasn't...
29/01/2014 14:48:58

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Provider Inductions

Last week Mountain Training staff worked alongside over 120 enthusiastic tutors for the new Hill & Mountain Skills Scheme. Some slightly suspect weather didn’t stop our new intake as they dissected the syllabus and completed a ‘Train the Trainer’ style day aimed at structuring...
20/01/2014 15:08:02

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Mountain Training Goes Paperless

Our New Year’s resolution is to send out as little paperwork as possible. It’s not the most exciting New Year’s resolution ever but it makes sense and it’s sustainable. Registration for all of our schemes is now done through our Candidate Management System, an online...
07/01/2014 15:19:23

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MTS Hill and Mountain Skills Providers

Hill & Mountain Skills courses will be live in April 2014, and Mountain Training Scotland is now on the lookout for the first intake of suitable Providers to run the courses. Providers will be dedicated leaders with a wealth of experience and enthusiasm who are keen to engage with this new...
27/11/2013 14:58:50

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MTUK Board Meeting Summary

The Lowland Leader scheme has been approved and will be launched on 30th March 2014. Staff are now working hard to create all the information needed by the public, new candidates and potential providers. The Walking Group Leader award will get a name change to “Hill and Moorland...
18/10/2013 10:37:18

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A round up of the Real3Peaks Big Clean Up

The Real3Peaks challenge was instigated by Mountain Leader and Mountain Training Association member Richard Pyne after taking a group walking on Ben Nevis and realising just how much rubbish was about. He chose the 3 most popular peaks in the UK; Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon following a...
15/10/2013 16:10:42

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Winter ML Review The Final Outcome

The Winter ML review is complete and the outcomes are public. Just in time for this coming season. All Mountain Training awards are reviewed periodically (around every four years) to ensure that they are still fit for purpose and are addressing the current needs of the user groups. Due to a variety...
09/10/2013 11:26:59

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The Coaching Award Scheme Goes Live

The Coaching Award Scheme has been carefully designed to be fit for our sport, benchmarked against many other sports for quality and content, with pilot courses run through the previous twelve months. These met with huge acclaim, with Jamie Holding (a British Mountain Guide and coach of the North...
02/10/2013 10:15:48

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Coaching Scheme Providers

The Coaching Management Working Group set out to select 19 providers to meet the predicted demand across Britain. 45 high quality applications were received by Mountain Training UK by the deadline of 9th September. The process of selection has involved the Coaching Management Group's Screening...
19/09/2013 12:03:56

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The Real 3 Peaks Challenge

Initiated by Mountain Training Association member Richard Pyne and fully supported by the Mountain Training Association(MTA), the project will see teams of volunteers climbing to the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, clearing as much as they can from the summit areas and from the...
16/09/2013 11:27:31

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Mountain Leader Summer Award Updates

Many months of discussion have resulted in some important changes to the Mountain Leader Award. These changes are part of a wholesale review of all the walking awards as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Mountain Leader scheme. The following updates to the ML Summer Training and Assessment...
29/07/2013 17:10:24

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Coaching Development Pilot

This intensive two day training programme picks up where the level 1 “Coaching Foundations” course leaves off, and focuses on the coaches ability to develop the skills of their individual climbers over a longer period. The first day looks at the changes that occur as climbers progress...
26/07/2013 11:17:55

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Coaching Development Officer

There have huge leaps forward in the recognition of the value of coaching in climbing in recent years. From the popular range of FUNdamentals courses to Coaching Symposia and pilot coach education courses there have been many exciting developments thanks to both technical and management groups of...
16/07/2013 13:49:28

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Job Opportunity

Mountaineering Ireland is seeking to recruit a suitably qualified and highly motivated individual to fill the role of Training Officer. The Training Officer's primary role is to deliver upon the training objectives of Mountaineering Ireland. The Training Officer will implement Mountaineering...
12/06/2013 10:37:39

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Glenmore Lodge MTA weekend

Firstly the weather was good! Secondly, with winter still clutching areas of the mountains the Midges weren’t flourishing and above all Nigel Williams and the staff at Glenmore lodge ran a well organised and informative weekend. Keith Miller's Environmental day in the Cairngorms looked at...
10/06/2013 13:46:45

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Everest 60th Anniversary

Just three weeks away, 29 May 2013 will be a crucial day for climbing's Olympic bid and could be another historic milestone in climbing's history. The International Federation of Sport Climbing(IFSC) is the force behind the bid to get climbing into the Olympics and the British Mountaineering...
09/05/2013 16:05:53

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Focusing on Avalanche Education

Safety on the mountains was top of the agenda at a special seminar held at thesportscotland national training centre Glenmore Lodge on April 20. Organised by the Snow and Avalanche Foundation for Scotland (SAFOS) with assistance from the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service, attendees...
30/04/2013 16:55:07

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Winter Developments

We’re making plans for winter 2014 before this one is even over! With freezing levels predicted to stay below the summits for a while in Scotland at least it looks like winter will last into May. This means there has been six months of sustained snowy opportunities for all those who enjoy...
22/04/2013 14:27:41

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