Mountaineering Instructor Award Training

Who Is This Course For?
This course is for all who have an interest instructing rockclimbing and mountaineering skills in summer conditions in the UK and Ireland.  Prior to attending the training course, you must register with Mountain Leader Training UK (contact details at end of section), you need to submit a comprehensive logbook outlining previous experience, including evidence of leading multi pitch routes at VS or above, leading others in the hills and mountains of the UK and Ireland and you must hold the Mountain Leader Award.

Course Aims
The aims of this course are:

• To provide training in all elements of the Mountaineering Instructor 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 Mountaineering Instructor Award syllabus, including: personal skills, instructing all aspects of mountaineering in summer conditions (including hillwalking, rockclimbing and scrambling), training and assessing skills, group leadership and management, dealing with incidents, the role of the technical expert, structure of mountain leader training etc.

Outline Programme

The programme is 9 days long and includes all areas of the syllabus.  The exact structure of the programme is available from Tollymore Mountain Centre on request.

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 climbing kit, but Tollymore Mountain Centre will provide all ropes.  You can also borrow equipment from our extensive stores. You should bring the following:  Rock boots, warm outdoor wear (fleece is ideal) and rainwear, helmet, rack, slings, hat, gloves or mitts, 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 2008.  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 Mountaineering Instructor Award Assessment, or work towards other leadership qualifications such as the Winter Mountain Leader Awards.

Useful Books
Recommended by and available from Tollymore

Rockclimbing by Libby Peter, published by the MLTUK

Mourne guidebook, published by the MCI

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 UK
Siabod Cottage,
Capel Curig,
Gwynedd,
Wales
LL24 0ET
Tel: 01690 720272