Walking Group Leader (WGL) Award Training

Who Is This Course For?
This course is for all who have an interest leading others in hill and moorland terrain in summer conditions in the UK and Ireland.  Prior to attending the training course, you must register with Mountain Leader Training NI (contact details at end of section), you need to submit a logbook outlining previous experience, including evidence of 15 hillwalking days in appropriate terrain.

Course Aims
The aims of this course are:

• To provide training in all elements of the Walking Group Leader Award syllabus
• To provide a structured training programme, with nationally accredited instructors
• To provide advice for future development

 
Skills Covered
Skills covered will include areas of the Walking Group Leader Award syllabus, including: personal skills, group leadership and management, dealing with incidents, the role of the Walking Group Leader, structure of mountain leader training etc.

Outline Programme

The programme is 3 days long and includes all areas of the syllabus.

It is important to note that the above outline programme is a guide.  Times may vary due to weather conditions or other reasons.

Our Staff
The instructor(s) who will work with you are all highly experienced and qualified.  Tollymore prides itself in the knowledge and experience that its full time and part time staff bring to its courses.  Our staff are all keen hillwalkers and mountaineers and know the Mournes and further afield very well.  You may well have met them in the hills in the past or will bump into them in the future on days when they are not working!  All are obliged to attend annual staff updates and training courses

What do I need to bring?
The following list is a suggestion of what you should bring.  You should bring your own personal hillwalking kit.  You can also borrow equipment from our extensive stores. The following list is a suggestion of what you should bring.  Waterproofs, walking boots and rucksacks may be borrowed from our extensive stores.  We advise you to bring the equipment that you would bring with you on a club or group hillwalk, and use this course as a chance to find out what would best suit your needs. You should bring the following:  Walking boots, gaiters, waterproof jacket, waterproof trousers, arm outdoor wear (fleece is ideal), hat, gloves or mitts, 1:25000 Map of the Mourne area, compass (Silva type 4 or similar), headtorch, plus spare battery, day rucksack, waterproof rucksack liner (bin liner is ideal), small first aid kit, water bottle, vacuum flask, personal medication, notebook and pen

Tollymore Information
Tollymore Mountain Centre, on the edge of the Mournes, is Northern Ireland’s National Centre for Mountaineering and Canoeing Activities.  It is funded and managed by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland as a National Centre. The Centre is an attractive, purpose-built facility of log construction with accommodation for 30 people in 2, 4 and 6 berth bedrooms.  Quilts, pillows and bed linen are all provided.  The Centre is well appointed with toilets, showers, modern kitchen, lecture room, workshop and drying room.  Outside there is ample parking space, a ropes course and a floodlit granite-climbing wall.  A modern indoor climbing wall is open year round.  The centre is ideally situated on the edge of the Mournes, with quick and easy access to the hills.
The Central Council for Physical Recreation opened Tollymore Mountain Centre in 1969.  In 1974, it passed to the newly established Sports Council for Northern Ireland Trust.  In 1995, Tollymore achieved the management standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000 for the quality systems it operates.   However, as part of Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the development of the National Centre, Tollymore will be undergoing a major redevelopment, commencing in 2007.  The facilities will be improved and expanded, to ensure that Tollymore remains as an example of best practice in the provision of mountaineering, hillwalking, climbing and canoeing courses in Northern Ireland.

Accommodation
Accommodation is included in your course fee.  Accommodation is in comfortable dormitories, and you will have full use of all Tollymore Mountain Centre facilities, including drying room, lounge and access to a wide range of instructional and inspirational videos and books for any spare time. Tollymore has a number of comfortable meeting rooms, where the instructors will meet the group prior to the start of the course each day.  We will also meet here over a cup of tea or coffee for reviewing the course on Sunday afternoon.

Catering
Your course is fully catered, so all you will need to bring some additional snack food.

What next?
You may decide to work towards the Walking Group Leader Award Assessment, or look at other mountaineering courses such as Winter Mountaineering or Scrambling Skills.

Useful Books
Recommended by and available from Tollymore

Hillwalking by Steve Long, published by the MLTUK

Useful contacts:

Mountaineering Council of Ireland,

Sport HQ,

13 Joyce Way,

Parkwest Business Park,

Dublin 12.

Tel +353-1-6251115

Fax +353-1-6251116 

Email mci@eircom.net

Mountain Leader Training NI
Tollymore Mountain Centre,
Bryansford,
Newcastle
BT33 0PT
Tel:       028 4372 2158
Email:   admin@tollymore.com