Mountain Leader Training

Learn to confidently lead in the spectacular mountains, hills and moorlands of the UK and Ireland, with this nationally recognised Mountain Leader training course. Developed by awarding body Mountain Training and delivered by RAW’s skilled trainers, this six day course takes place Eryri (Snowdonia) in small, personalised groups. On completion, you’ll be ready to apply your learning to the Mountain Leader Assessment and become a qualified Mountain 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 mountain 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
How to navigate and understand the use of scales and symbols on commonly used maps, as well as route finding skills in a variety of terrains, and in poor visibility/darkness
Expedition skills, including selecting, packing and carrying group equipment, camping food and and selecting and organising a camp area
Emergency procedures and how to recognise and manage common mountain walking hazards
Rights of way, how to identify access land and the importance of environmental awareness and conservation

Mountain 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 Leader qualification 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 Mountain 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 six 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 Mountain Leader Assessment. If you’re inspired to do more, we can help you continue your journey with other leadership qualifications, including Lowland, Hill & Moorland and Camping Leader.

Fantastic experience from joining instructions through to delivering the six day course. The RAW team of Helen and Dan were fantastic, full of knowledge and encouragement on what is a very tough weeks training. This is my second course with RAW and on both occasions they've made it a very enjoyable and knowledgeable experience, they will be at the top of my list when I look at booking the next stages in my training, can't recommend them enough.

Mike

Who’s it for?

Mountain Leader training is for anyone who wants to take groups into the mountains for single or multi-day hikes. Mountain Leaders operate the length and breadth of the country with all sorts of groups; from Scouts/Guides and schoolchildren to outdoor instructors and OAPs. The qualification is what you make it, and there are countless opportunities for passionate Mountain Leaders.

Prerequisites for Mountain Leader

You must have a genuine interest in leading groups in the mountains
You should have at least a year’s worth of mountain walking experience
You must be at least 18 years old
You must have recorded a minimum of 20 quality mountain 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 Mountain 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

Mountain Leader training is £420 per person for the six day course, including a two day expedition with an overnight camp and an instructor ratio of 1:6. General 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 mountain day'?

To join the course, you need to have recorded a minimum of 20 Quality Mountain 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 Mountain Day, the following criteria should be met:

Takes place in mountainous terrain in the UK or Ireland
The individual takes part in the planning and leadership
An unfamiliar locality is explored
A mountain is ascended
Navigation skills are required
Knowledge is increased and relevant skills practised
Judgement and decision making is required
The day involves a minimum of five 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 Mountain 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 Mountain 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 Mountain Leader?

Once you’ve passed your Mountain Leader Assessment, you’ll be qualified to lead others on day walks in mountain 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.

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.