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Course Title: |
Hill and Mountain Skills 2 |
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Course Dates: |
13th - 15th Feb, 24th - 26th April, 17th - 19th July, 18th - 20th Sept, 30th Oct - 1st Nov 2009 |
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Cost: |
£160 |
Who Is This Course For?
When we are expanding our experience, we are often unsure of our ability, our knowledge and our navigation techniques. What if something happens? What if things start to go wrong? This course, which follows on from our Hill and Mountain Skills 1 weekend, provides you with the final pieces of the jigsaw in terms of skills and techniques. Having completed the two weekends, you should have an understanding of your ability and more importantly, of your limitations with regard to planning and undertaking journeys in the hills and mountains of Ireland and the UK.
This course is for those with previous experience of planning and undertaking hillwalking journeys in the hills and mountains of Ireland. You may have a reasonable level of navigation ability, but may be unsure of the finer points, dealing with emergencies, of moving on steep ground. This course will cover areas such as these and provide pointers for further development in the future. You may have previously completed Hill and Mountain Skills 1
This course, along with Hill and Mountain Skills 1, forms a logical progression, covering all the skills required to develop independance as a walker in the hills and mountains of Ireland and the UK.
We have developed a syllabus, which will be covered over the course of the 2 weekends. We have also developed a useful logbook, which you may choose to use if you wish to pregress to any of the governing body leadership schemes. If you would like to see the syllabus, please click here. If you would like to download a sample logbook page, click here.
TO BOOK THIS COURSE, PLEASE CLICK HERE
Course Aims
- To develop a comprehensive level of understanding and independence
- To apply newly learned skills on hill and mountain terrain
- To provide an individually tailored learning experience with nationally qualified coaches and instructors
Skills Covered
As this course is a follow on from the Hillwalking Skills Weekend, we will further develop and refine the skills that were first introduced at that stage. When the staff meet the group and discuss aspirations and previous experience, they will decide on a more accurate structure for the weekend. This will ensure that all participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills at a pace that suits them. It will also bring course participants into the planning process, looking at the current weather and what is forecast for later in the course.
Areas generally covered include:
- Refinement of navigation techniques, including pacing and timing, feature recognition,
- compass work, poor visibility navigation,
- dealing with emergencies,
- personal movement on steep ground and
- route planning.
Outline Programme
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FRIDAY |
Arrive (7.30 – 8.00 p.m.), course outline, stores |
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SATURDAY |
Full day on the hill, looking at navigation techniques and skill development. Return to Centre at 5.00 p.m. Evening Session: Poor visibility navigation |
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SUNDAY |
Personal movement on steep ground and dealing with emergencies. Return to Tollymore at 4.00 p.m. for review and pointers for further development in the future.
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These are some of the essential skills required to develop reasonable level of independence for hillwalking and mountaineering. All of these areas will be covered in a practical way during the course, giving you the opportunity to learn from the staff and other course participants alike.
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 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. Waterproofs, walking boots and rucksacks may be borrowed from our extensive stores. We advise you not to rush out and buy kit for the course, but use it as a chance to find out what would best suit your needs. You should bring the following:
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Walking boots |
Gaiters |
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Waterproof jacket |
Waterproof trousers |
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Arm outdoor wear (fleece is ideal) |
Hat |
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Gloves or mitts |
1:25000 Map of the Mournes area |
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Compass (Silvia type 4 or similar) |
Headtorch, plus spare battery |
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Day rucksack |
Waterproof rucksack liner (bin liner is ideal) |
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Small first aid kit |
Water bottle |
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Vacuum flask |
Personal medication |
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Notebook |
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?
Having completed this course, you should feel confident and independent with regard to planning hillwalking journeys on hill and gentle mountain terrain. You may decide to develop your skills further, a should look at courses such as Mountaineering Skills, which look in more depth at steep ground, fine navigation and journeying in more complicated terrain. You may wish to try your hand at rockclimbing (See our Climbing Courses section) or expend your experience even further and travel to Scotland or Wales. Contact us to discus any of these options.
You may choose to join a hillwalking or rambling club, or join the governing body for hillwalkers, climbers and mountaineers – the Mountaineering Council of Ireland (MCI).
A full list of clubs is available from the MCI.
Useful Books
Recommended by and available from Tollymore
Hillwalking by Steve Long (published by 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