Winter Mountain Leader Award Training

The Cairngorms offer some of the best and most reliable conditions for winter walking and climbing in the UK, regularly attracting walkers and climbers from across the globe. Conditions can on occasion be harsh and challenging and you can rely on our staff to safely take you into this environment and pass on to you the skills required to operate in these conditions. There are of course also many beautiful days in the Cairngorms offering fantastic views and opportunities to snap that special photo and moments to savour.

Our winter courses are based in beautiful pine chalets only 5 minutes from the mountains.

Who Is This Course For?
This course is for all who have an interest leading others in the hills and mountains in winter conditions in the UK and Ireland.  Prior to attending the training course, you must have completed the Summer ML, registered with Mountain Leader Training Scotland (contact details at end of section), and have completed 20 ‘quality winter days’

Course Aims
The aims of this course are

• To provide comprehensive training in all elements of the Winter Mountain Leader Award Syllabus
• To provide a structured course, with nationally accredited instructors
• To provide advice for future development

Skills Covered
Skills covered will include areas of the Winter Mountain Leader Award syllabus, including: personal skills, group leadership and management, dealing with incidents, movement on steep ground, emergency ropework skills, the role of the Winter Mountain Leader, mountain weather,  structure of MLT, snow evaluation and avalanche awareness etc

Outline Programme (for 6 day course)

This programme may vary, depending on prevailing weather conditions

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

What does the Course Fee Include?
A very good question! The price includes pick up to and from Inverness airport, all instruction, accommodation (check www.lodgesatbadaguish.org out to see the lodges that we use), equipment, if required and catering. Tollymore has full public liability insurance, but personal accident cover is not included.

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 brings 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! 

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, if necessary, borrow equipment from our extensive stores. The following list is a suggestion of what you should bring. 

Items marked with a * are available from Tollymore stores.

Tollymore Information
Tollymore Mountain Centre is Northern Ireland’s National Outdoor Training Centre. 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 a comfortable timber chalet, set in the forest below the Cairngorms. The chalets are well appointed with large dining and lounge areas. www.lodgesatbadaguish.org has details of the accommodation.

Catering.
Your course is fully catered from supper on arrival on day 1 through to breakfast before departure on day 7; you may wish to supplement your packed lunched with additional snack food.

Transport
Transport to Scotland is not included in your course fee, however a number of low cast airlines fly to Scotland from both Dublin and Belfast International airports. We will collect you from and leave you back to the airport.  Please contact us for recommended flights.
If required, we can transport heavy items to Scotland for you.

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

Useful Books
Recommended by and available from Tollymore

Hillwalking by Steve Long, published by the MLTUK

A Chance in a Million, by Bob Barton and Blyth Wright

Hostile Habitats, edited by Nick Kemp, published by MC of S

The Handbook of Climbing by Iain Peter and Allen Fyffe

Scotland’s Winter Mountains, by Martin Moran

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 Scotland

Glenmore,

Aviemore PH22 1QU

t: 01479 861248

f: 01479 861249

e: smltb@aol.com