Becoming a Mountain Leader

With the opportunity of leading groups for a friend's company from 2017 on, I have decided to follow the BMC Mountain Leader Award scheme, eventually becoming a certified and well trained Mountain Leader. The prerequisites for the ML award are much higher than what I need for my friend's company, but I want to gain as much knowledge and as many skills as possible to safely lead his groups through the hills.

I will persue the route to the ML award but may throw in the Hill & Moorland Leader (HML) as an intermediate qualification. This will give me some idea about how such an assessment works and where I am in developing my skills.

General HML Information
General ML Information
Mountain Leader FAQ ( What is a QMD etc.)


Books I've worked through

Hillwalking : The Official Handbook of the Mountain Training Walking Schemes
Mountaincraft and Leadership
Ultimate Navigation Manual
Weather for Hillwalkers and Climbers



STATUS September 2016

• Skill up navigation 
• NNAS Silver Award
• NNAS Gold training: (Oct 10/11)
• optional: NNAS Gold Award
• Outdoor First Aid Certificate
• Obtain D1 license
• Do 20+ Quality Mountain Days (24/20)
• Mountain Leader Training course (prerequisite: 20+ QMDs)
• Do another 40+ Quality Mountain Days (0/40)
• Hill & Moorland or Mountain Leader Assessment 

UPDATE September 2016

Bus license done!!! Yeah!!! So I'm ready now to lead my first tours as a guide in 2017. South Devon in May and North Wales in September.

UPDATE August 2016

And even more QMDs on another trip to the Lake District. I have all the pre-reqs for taking the course now, but lack the money at the moment. Very likely do it some time in 2017. All efforts on the D1 license now!

UPDATE June 2016

Some more QMDs in the Lake District and even more coming up in Scotland in July, so that I'm ready for the training, yeah!!!
Looking at booking the D1 practical training now and doing my CPC theory module this month.

UPDATE October 14 2015

NNAS Gold training done and therefore "skill up navigation" completed. Will practice whenever I can, mostly navigating to contours and reading the terrain. Eventually, will give the assessment a go. Done the course with http://www.grahamuneymountaineering.co.uk/ and it was simply superb. Very good instruction, learnt a few new skills and most of all had good fun.

Also D1 theory done.


UPDATE June 29 2015

Four more QMDs. This time in the Lake District
Misty Mountains Part 1: Days 1-2
Misty Mountains Part 2: Days 3-4


UPDATE May 25 2015

Two more QMDs in Scotland
A Reunion, A Fell-Run And Two Munros
Who is Mr Vane?


UPDATE May 5 2015

More QMDs
Scrambling in the Rain
Eastern Carneddau Circuit


UPDATE April 12 2015
Outdoor First Aid qualification: done!
Peak District Trip Number 3: Outdoor First Aid Course

Did the course with Will4Adventure and it was brilliant!!! Small group, a lot of information and knowledge and a number of scenarios. Lots of valuable discussions about potential incidents and what to do or not to do and about why things are done the way they're done. Great instruction without the pressure of assesment.
Can only recommend this course, plus there's early bird discounts when booking :).


UPDATE April 4 2015

Another nice QMD
Peak District - Edale circular walk


UPDATE March 2015

NNAS Silver Award gained
Second day of Silver Award training

Did my course with Peak Navigation Courses. Very thorough instruction and a good starting point for some basic navigation skills, namely taking bearings, back bearings,contour features and general compass use.