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Do you know your MTUKI from your BAIML? Or your AMI from your BMG? As with all sports and outdoor pursuits, there are a ton of organisational initialisms in the world of mountaineering. It can get confusing. And to compound things, it’s not always immediately clear what each organisation is responsible for, either.

This can make it difficult when trying to work out what badges, courses and qualifications to pursue next. At RAW Adventures, we interact with (or are part of) many of these organisations and have a pretty good idea of what they do and how they differ.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to provide a quick guide to the key players in the UK (and Irish) mountaineering scenes.

Mountain Training UK and Ireland (MTUKI)

Mountain Training UK & Ireland is the awarding body when it comes to walking, mountaineering and climbing in – you guessed it – the UK and Ireland. It is responsible for managing qualification schemes and the accredited course providers, like RAW Adventures, who deliver them. It oversees the work of the Mountain Training Cymru, England, Scotland and Ireland regional bodies.

MTUKI currently offers six walking qualifications and an array of rock climbing and mountaineering qualifications. The walking qualifications include:

• • Camping Leader
• • Lowland Leader
• • Hill and Moorland Leader
• • Mountain Leader
• • Winter Mountain Leader
• • International Mountain Leader

You can use the Find a Course feature on the Mountain Training website to find a course close to you or book a course in a variety of UK locations through the RAW Adventures website.

MTUKI also offers its services to several other organisations on the list, including the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI), the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) and the British Mountain Guides (BMG).

Mountain Training Association (MTA)

The Mountain Training Association is a membership organisation for anyone who holds a MTUKI qualification award. It is operated by MTUKI and provides members with opportunities to develop their knowledge via a range of workshops, events and activities. Members also receive deals and discounts with select retailers, can access learning and business resources and participate in the association’s insurance schemes.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI)

Formed in 1990, the AMI represents the interests of mountaineering instructors who have completed the rigorous Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI), assessment and qualification process, as well as the even more technical winter equivalent (WMCI). This means AMI members are always proven mountaineers and understand the intricacies of teaching and imparting mountaineering and rock climbing skills and knowledge to those they are instructing.

The AMI acts as an accreditation body, so those seeking qualified mountain instructors can find them quickly, easily and confidently, while supporting instructors and trainee instructors. Trainee membership is available to anyone who has completed a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor training course. This enables instructors at the start of their careers to access AMI support and its civil liability scheme.

The AMI also supports AMI members with professional development by organising regular workshops, seminars and conferences.

British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML)

BAIML represents individuals who have completed Mountain Training’s International Mountain Leader (IML) award. It is a founding member of the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) and is also open to instructors from other nations who hold a UIMLA IML accreditation and are resident in the UK or Ireland.

UIMLA aims to represent the mountain leader profession internationally and standardise the IML qualification across nations, allowing its members to work around the world. Currently, BAIML has around 600 members, who are all listed on the organisation’s open registry, enabling you to check accreditations.

British Mountain Guides (BMG)

The BMG is the national association for British Mountain Guides who can lead in high mountain ranges. It has three distinct aims:

• • Train and assess Mountain Guides in all forms of climbing, mountaineering and ski mountaineering.
• • Set professional standards for services offered by BMG members.
• • Promote safety, enjoyment and good practice in climbing and mountaineering (BMG).

The organisation also belongs to the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA) – a body made up of 26 national Mountain Guide associations. BMG Guides distinguish themselves from International Mountain Leaders in the type of terrain they are qualified to lead in. In many countries, a BMG accreditation is necessary to lead groups on high-altitude peaks and the IML qualification is not sufficient. Essentially it is a high level mountaineering qualification, allowing the award holder to take their clients on far wilder adventures than those an IML could lead.

To become a BMG guide you must meet strict criteria and complete a three-year training process that ensures you have the skills required to lead groups in hazardous terrain.

British Mountaineering Council (BMC)

The BMC was established to “protect the future of hill walking, climbing and mountaineering so people can embrace adventure, both now and for generations to come” (BMC). It aims to support the communities that practise these activities and help encourage and inspire people to try them. At the same time, it is a strong campaigner for improved access to natural spaces, associating itself with causes like the right to roam.

BMC boasts more than 80,000 members. As well as helping support the BMC’s important work, members enjoy various benefits, including personal accident and combined liability insurance, access to BMC travel insurance, discounts with selected outdoor retailers and the organisation’s Summit magazine.

BMC promotes Mountain Training skills courses and qualifications and provides its own Training Essentials skills courses. These eight courses are a collaborative effort between the BMC and AMI. They are one-day events held over weekends and include the following courses:

• • Intro to navigation
• • Next steps navigation
• • Intro to scrambling (not using ropes)
• • Next steps scrambling
• • Intro to trad leading skills
• • Improving your trad leading skills
• • Intro to sport leading skills
• • Skills for traditional climbing on sea cliffs

Besides these courses, the BMC also organises lectures, workshops and other training opportunities for its members.

How does RAW Adventures fit in?

The RAW Adventures Team has interactions and associations with all these organisations in one way or another. For instance, we are an accredited Mountain Training UK & Ireland course provider, so we can deliver the skills training and assessments. All of the office team at RAW hold MTUKI awards and are committed members of the MTA. Additionally, Ross is a BAIML member, and Dan is a proud AMI member too!

To learn more about RAW Adventures training opportunities, discuss how you can begin your training or take the next steps in your professional development, don’t hesitate to contact our experienced team.