As long time members of Mountaineering Ireland we know a lot about club training. The Mountain Skills (MS) syllabus provides club members with a great basis in mountain training. Not only is the MS the starting point to the Mountain Leader program but it also encourages participants to be more active and involved with club hikes. While Mountain Skills are personal skills, participants who complete the courses are more confident and more likely to begin to lead club hikes. We would recommend participants take both MS1 and MS2 however experienced club members should get in touch with us to discuss their requirements.
Mountain Skills 1: Course includes map-reading and simple navigation techniques, recognition of natural features, distance measurement and timing of walks. Mountain hazards are also covered, as is personal equipment such as correct clothing and emergency equipment. Please follow the link to the full syllabus here
Mountain Skills 2: Course builds on MS1. It covers the use of a compass, route planning and the preparation of route cards, night navigation, scrambling, mountain rescue and emergency procedures. Please follow the link to the full syllabus here
Mountain Skills 1 and Mountain Skills 2 are generally run over two day periods and comprise a mixture of indoor informal lectures/discussions and outdoor practical sessions. The ratio for MS1 and MS2 is one instructor to six candidates.
Club Leader Workshop: Finding Club Leaders can be a difficult thing for any hiking club’s committee. But increasing the leader pool in your club will certainly improve this. The Club Leader Workshop is one day long and comprise of a mixture of indoor and outdoor practical’s. Club members need to have some experience before starting this course.
These Courses are private, based in the Wicklow or the Dublin mountains and must be pre booked.
We can organise mid week courses to suit your requirements.
Mountaineering Ireland Training Grants.
A Mountaineering Ireland (MI) Training Grants may be available for your course. The grant supports participation in MI training schemes (Lowland Leader, Mountain Skills, Walking Group Leader, Mountain Leader), among others. Please contact Mountaineering Ireland for further details.