Mountain Leader Award Assessment (Mountain Training Board Ireland)

Is this course for me?  

Before you book onto a Mountain Leader assessment, make sure you have done the following:

• You must have attended a Mountain Leader training course (or have been granted exemption)
• You must be familiar with the syllabus
• Gained broad personal hillwalking experience in a variety of the UK & Irelands mountain areas which must include at least 20 quality days. This experience should be gained post registration.
• Camp in two different non-roadside locations in the hills in winter. (Note: If appropriate, the camping days may also be counted towards fulfilling any of the other requirements, outlined above).
• Be an active member of a recognised mountaineering club in the UK or Ireland or an individual member of Mountaineering Ireland, the British Mountaineering Council or Mountaineering Scotland.
•  Organise a weekend hillwalking trip for a group (in consultation with an ML holder acceptable to the candidate’s ML Training Provider).
• Gain experience progressively of leading parties over varied routes in the UK & Ireland, which must include at least 6 days leadership experience. This is in addition to the personal experience and the group weekend outlined above.
• Spend a further 6 days assisting one or more Mountain Leader(s), or higher award holder, of which at least 2 days to be on an MTBI – recognised course.
• You must have physically attended and completed (i.e. not online) a first aid course which involved at least two full days or sixteen hours of instruction and included an element of assessment

The Mountain Leader assessment is 4 days long and includes a two night expedition.

Over the duration of the course candidates will be assessed on all aspects of the ML syllabus including a demonstration of the following:

• An ability to navigate accurately and safely over the UK & Irelands mountains in any type of weather and at night.
• An ability to safeguard others on steep ground.
• A knowledge of incident and accident procedures required of a group leader.
• An ability to use weather knowledge and forecasts.
• A knowledge of river crossing methods.
• An elementary knowledge of background subjects (such as mountaineering abroad, the mountain flora etc.).
• A knowledge of the role and responsibility of the mountain leader with regard to access and conservation issues in the mountains.
• An ability to camp efficiently and with minimum impact in the mountains.

This course assesses candidates on all aspects of the ML syllabus over 4 day.

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For this Mountain Leader Award Assessment please 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, appropriate map, compass Silva type 4 or similar, camp kit (sleeping bag, stove, cookware, etc) and spare clothes. It’s best to bring plenty of lighter layers and avoid cotton if possible as it offers little heat and takes ages to dry out if wet or sweaty.

Tollymore can supply most of the equipment you require for this course but as an aspirant ML it is assumed you will be fairly self-sufficient in terms of kit.

Tollymore will supply all ropes for this course and helmets where required.

In-course transport and assessment.

Please note this course is based at the Centre until the morning of Day 2 when the group will depart for their expedition. Students must be self-sufficient in terms organising their own food once they depart the Centre for the expedition.

Course fee includes packed lunch and evening meal on Day 1, breakfast on day 2.

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