Mountain Skills Assessment

Whilst attending Mountain Skills 1 & 2 is not a prerequisite for this assessment you must be registered on the MTBI Mountain Skills Scheme or MTUK Hill & Mountain Skills scheme prior to attendance.

First Aid

Prior to attendance on Mountain Skills Assessment candidates must hold a valid first aid qualification that must involve at least 16 hours of instruction and include an element of assessment.

Logged Experience (as per MTBI Syllabus)

At the start or prior to the Mountain Skills Assessment you must have:

• Completed an official Mountain Skills log book or D Log (CMS)

• Logged at least 14 walks OR at least 28 logged walks, if you have exempted yourself from Mountain Skills 1 & or 2 training

• At least 4 walks completed in the 2 months prior to assessment

• Walks in a variety of upland areas

• A current and valid First Aid Certificate

The Mountain Skills (MS) training course provides a general introduction to hillwalking in Ireland and the basics of mountain navigation. Offering a solid foundation for gaining personal mountaineering proficiency, Mountain Skills training teaches the necessary skills in mountain safety, navigation techniques, knowledge of hazards, and personal equipment, so that a person finishing the course may be in a position to safely, and competently, take to the hills. Mountain Skills training and assessment also provide foundation training for those who wish to progress to further leadership qualifications, such as the Mountain Leader (ML). Mountain Skills courses are available throughout Ireland.

The Mountain Skills Assessment (MSA) assess the skills needed to plan and undertake hillwalks in the UK and Ireland

You must be registered on the Mountain Skills scheme to attend this assessment.
MS Assessment is held over two days, and comprises both written and practical evaluation. Students will be observed demonstrating their skills associated with all aspects of the Mountain Skills syllabus, including a night navigation exercise. The MS scheme is not a certified qualification and Mountaineering Ireland does not produce certificates upon successful completion of the assessment but successful students will have this recorded on the candidate Management System (CMS).

The successful candidate is someone who is confident and able to navigate from one major feature to another, e.g. col / summit / large re-entrant / large spur / major slope changes. They should be able to do this competently in clear weather and in mist or at night. They should be able to plan their day, look after themselves, adhere to good practice with regard to access and environmental matters, deal with minor emergencies, know what to do and who to contact in case of emergencies of a more serious nature, and know their limits in terms of terrain encountered. As a candidate you will only be looking after yourself.

Students will be asked to complete a short written home paper prior to attending assessment.

This course is ideal for hillwalkers who wish to have their hillwalking skills formally assessed.

Bring any of your own personal hillwalking outdoor clothing and kit such as waterproof jacket and trousers, boots, fleece jacket, hat and gloves, flask, water bottle, Mourne map (1:25,000), and spare clothes.

Please ensure you bring along a device which will allow you to ‘stopwatch’ your time.

Tollymore can supply most of the equipment you require for this course but it is preferable to use your own where possible, particularly when coming for assessment, even if it’s just a chance for your instructor to comment on your kit and give advice.

The course fee includes full use of the centre equipment, in course transport, coaching, and packed lunch on both days.

• The course fee does not include accommodation until Covid restrictions permit, but does include packed lunch on both days.  There is an evening session on Saturday night, which commences at 8.00 p.m.  Course participants will need to arrange their own evening meal own Saturday.
• If you require catered accommodation, the cost will be an additional £56.50.  This includes accommodation on Saturday night, evening meal on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning. There is also a short instructional session on Saturday evening.

Course accommodation (when restrictions permit!) will be in shared twin ensuite rooms. If you would prefer not to share a room, single occupancy may be available for an additional charge.