Hill and Moorland Leader Training

Learn to navigate off the beaten track in the wild places of the UK and Ireland, with this nationally recognised Hill and Moorland Leader training course. Developed by awarding body Mountain Training and delivered by RAW’s skilled trainers, this three day course takes place in Eryri (Snowdonia) in small, personalised groups. On completion, you’ll be ready to apply your learning to the Hill & Moorland Leader Assessment and become a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader.

In small groups of just 6 people, you’ll learn:

Essential leadership and group management skills to help you fulfil your responsibilities as a leader on hill & moorland walks
Walking skills to help your groups move safely and efficiently, and how to adapt walks to different levels
Reliable sources of weather information and how to use them to successfully plan routes, activity and equipment
The art of mapwork and route finding skills, in a variety of conditions and terrain, including off paths and in darkness!
Emergency procedures and how to recognise and manage common hill and moorland walking hazards
Rights of way, how to identify access land and the importance of environmental awareness and conservation

Hill & Moorland Leader with RAW Adventures

RAW Adventures is proud to be an accredited Mountain Training provider with over 40 years’ leading and teaching experience. We’ve all been through the Mountain Training process ourselves, and are 100% committed to your success!

We keep our training groups small (1 trainer to every 6 participants), enabling us to provide a safe, personalised experience that gives you the best chance of excelling in the Hill & Moorland Leader Assessment and gaining your final qualification. Small groups also allow for a sociable experience and - combined with plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful places you’ll be learning in and the in-depth local knowledge of your trainer - your three days with us will be fun as well as educational.

After your course your trainer will provide feedback on your performance and recommend areas to focus on prior to the Hill & Moorland Leader Assessment. If you’re inspired to do more, we can help you continue your journey with other leadership qualifications, including Lowland, Mountain and Camping Leader.

Fabulous course delivered expertly by Helen and Dan, it was fun and interactive, ample opportunity to ask questions and consolidate learnings. They had a wonderful way of teaching which flowed through the day covering all aspects of the syllabus which we then reviewed the following day. Would highly recommend RAW Adventures.

Jan

Who’s it for?

Hill & Moorland Leader training is for anyone who wants to lead groups in the UK and Ireland’s beautiful and unpredictable hill and moorland areas. Operating in terrain that is generally more remote than that used by Lowland Leaders, and not as steep or rocky as ground covered by Mountain Leaders, Hill and Moorland training is ideal for Duke of Edinburgh leaders, Scout/Guide leaders and volunteer staff, and opens up a natural pathway for anyone wishing to lead and work with others in the outdoors.

Prerequisites for Hill & Moorland Leader

You must have a genuine interest in leading groups in the hills
You should have at least a year’s worth of hill walking experience
You must be at least 18 years old
You must have recorded a minimum of 20 quality hill days
You must be a member (club or individual) of a mountaineering council (BMC, Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland)

As the awarding body, Mountain Training requests all candidates register for the Hill and Moorland Leader scheme before beginning training: the current cost of registration is £65. If you’re not already registered, the RAW team will guide you through the registration process after you’ve booked.

If you’re not sure whether your experience is sufficient, get in touch and we’ll be happy to guide you.

Book Now

Hill & Moorland Leader training is £245 per person for the three day course, with an instructor ratio of 1:6. Overnight accommodation is not included, but we will provide you with recommended overnight options.

If you would like us to send an invoice to your organisation for this course, please enter the discount code MT2025INVOICE during the checkout process. This will reduce the cost to zero when booking and generate an invoice to be sent to the email address you booked with for you to pass on to your school/organisation.

Ask a question

FAQs

What is a 'quality hill day'?

To join the course, you need to have recorded a minimum of 20 Quality Hill Days (ideally these will be recorded on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point pre- or post-registration.

To be considered a Quality Hill Day, the following criteria should be met:

Takes place in hill and moorland terrain in the UK or Ireland
The individual takes part in the planning and leadership
An unfamiliar locality is explored
Navigation skills are required
Knowledge is increased and relevant skills practised
Judgement and decision making is required
The day involves a minimum of four hours’ journey time

If you’re not sure if you have enough Quality Days, or need more information before signing up, contact the RAW Team.

What is DLOG?

Everyone who signs up for a Mountain Training scheme gets access to a personal DLOG, a digital logbook designed to record your activity experience within Mountain Training’s programmes. Once you’ve signed up, you can access DLOG at any time by logging into your Mountain Training account. Instructions on how to use DLOG will be sent to you when you sign up.

Why do I have to register with Mountain Training and a Mountaineering Council?

Mountain Training is the awarding body for Hill & Moorland Leader training and each one-off registration fee provides access to their nationally recognised qualification. When you register, you'll also get life-time access to Mountain Training’s candidate handbooks, a full record of your training and assessment history on their industry-leading candidate management system, as well as access to a digital logbook for recording your experiences. You do not have to pay any recurring fees to keep your registration or qualification active.

Candidates registering for the Hill & Moorland Leader qualification are also required (by Mountain Training) to be a member of either the British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland. These are the representative bodies for hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively.

What will I be able to do as a Hill & Moorland Leader?

Once you’ve passed your Hill & Moorland Leader Assessment, you’ll be qualified to lead others on day walks in hill and moorland environments and manage groups safely during this activity. Qualification opens up a natural pathway for anyone wishing to lead and work with others in the outdoors.

How long does it take to get qualified?

We recommend all but the most experienced candidates allow a minimum of six months between training and assessment. There is currently no time limit on the validity of a training course, so you can complete the qualification in your own time.

Still have questions? Get in touch with our team.

What an incredible team! Definitely recommend booking with RAW Adventures. The team were lovely and so welcoming. Definitely will not forget the experience.