An introduction to the qualifications administered by Mountain Training for walking, climbing and mountaineering leaders, instructors and coaches.

Established in 1964, Mountain Training has grown and changed greatly over the years. There are now five training boards overseeing national and international walking, climbing and mountaineering award schemes.

• Mountain Training England
• Mountain Training Scotland
• Mountain Training Cymru
• Mountain Training Board Ireland
• Mountain Training UK & Ireland

1. Indoor Climbing Assistant

This scheme is designed for people who want to support qualified instructors with climbing sessions on artificial structures. People interested in this scheme might be parents, youth workers, young leaders or teachers and the focus is on assisting with core tasks within a session.

Find out more and download the handbook.

2. Climbing Wall Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to supervise climbers on purpose-built artificial climbing walls and boulders. The scheme does not include the skills and techniques required to teach lead climbing.

Find out more and download the handbook.

3. Climbing Wall Instructor Abseil module 

This qualification is an optional additional module for Climbing Wall Instructor, training and assessing candidates in the skills and techniques of supervising abseiling at climbing walls. 

4. Climbing Wall Development Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to teach lead climbing skills on indoor or outdoor artificial climbing walls and structures with fixed protection. It builds on the skills acquired in either the Climbing Wall Instructor or Rock Climbing Instructor schemes, one of which candidates must hold to access this scheme.

Find out more and download the handbook

5. Rock Climbing Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to supervise climbers on single pitch crags and climbing walls. Common activities undertaken by a Rock Climbing Instrcutor will be roped climbing and bouldering. The scheme does not include the skills and techniques required to teach lead climbing.

Find out more and download handbook

6. Rock Climbing Development Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to develop rock climbers including teaching lead climbing skills on natural crags. It builds on the skills acquired in either the Rock Climbing Instructor which candidates must hold to access this scheme.

Find out more and download the handbook

7. Foundation Coach 

This qualification is designed to enable coaches to be more effective in coaching the fundamental movement skills of climbing. Foundation Coaches will usually be concerned with the stimulating delivery of a single session to a group of individuals. They will often be assisting a Development Coach who will set the learning outcomes for the session, as part of a longer term progression, course, or scheme.

Find out more and download the coaching scheme handbook

WATCH: Foundation Coach: a Mountain Training qualification on BMC TV

8. Development Coach

This qualification supports the development of climbers over a series of sessions. Development Coaches will deliver 'Climber Centred Coaching’ . It is ideal for independent autonomous coaches who prepare for, and deliver, structured progression to climbers involved in regular participation, such as climbing clubs, schools and youth groups.
Often working with Foundation Coaches,  a Development Coach  will take a mentoring role, and lead in the review process to promote reflective coaching practice.

Find out more and download the coaching scheme handbook. 

WATCH: Development Coach: a Mountain Training qualification on BMC TV

9. Lowland Leader Award

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead groups ps on day walks in lowland countryside and woodland in summer conditions. The majority of Britain and Ireland is made up of this type of terrain so you'll never be short of places to go walking.

Find out more and download the handbook

WATCH: Learn, Lead, Inspire - In the Hills on BMC TV

10. Hill and Moorland Leader Award

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead groups in non-mountainous terrain known as upland, moor, fell and down. The Peak District, Dartmoor and the Pentland Hills are typical areas where award holders lead groups.

Find out more and download the handbook

11. Camping Leader

The Camping Leader provides taining and assessment in supervising camping groups. The flexibility of the qualification makes it useful for holders of the Lowland Leader and Hill and Moorland Leader Awards.

Find out more and download the handbook

12. Mountain Leader 

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead hill walking groups in summer conditions on routes not requiring the planned use of a rope. Established in 1964, this was the first scheme created.

Find out more and download the handbook

13. Winter Mountain Leader  

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead walking groups in winter conditions in the mountains. The use of crampons and axes is covered in the scheme. It builds on the Mountain Leader award, which candidates must hold to access this scheme.

Find out more and download the handbook

14. International Mountain Leader

This international qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to lead parties in mountain areas, including snow covered Nordic type terrain of the “middle” mountains. Via ferratas, glaciers and terrain requiring alpine techniques are excluded from the scheme. It builds on the skills acquired in the ML award, which candidates must hold to access the IML scheme. To operate outside the UK, award holders must be a member of a professional association called BAIML. The International Mountain Leader is an extensively used professional award.

Find out more and download the handbook

15. Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required for instructing mountaineering, including all aspects of summer rock climbing, including the coaching of lead climbing, and scrambling. It builds on the skills acquired in the Montain Leader scheme, which candidates must hold to access this scheme. This qualification is used extensively by lots of mountain professionals.

Find out more and download the handbook

16. Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required for instruction of mountaineering, both summer and winter, including snow, ice and rock climbing. It builds on the skills acquired in both the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and Winter Mountain Leader schemes, both of which candidates must hold to access this scheme. This qualification is used extensively by lots of mountain professionals.

Find out more and download the handbook

There is another qualification, not administered by Mountain Training:

17. IFMGA Mountain Guide

This international award trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to guide climbing (including the coaching of lead climbing) skiing and mountaineering on rock, snow and ice, and in alpine terrain. Within the UK it is administered to the standards set by British Mountain Guides (BMG) and the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). The Guide’s carnet is an extensively used professional award.

Find out more on the BMG website

Professional Associations

There are four professional associations in the UK for holders of the awards listed above. They run continual professional development workshops for their members to keep up to date with current good practice, and their websites provide useful information outlining the type of work their members undertake.

• Mountain Training Association 
  for trainee and qualified candidates across all schemes
• Association of Mountaineering Instructors 
  for trainee and qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors  
• British Association of International Mountain Leaders 
  for trainee and qualified International Mountain Leaders
• British Mountain Guides 
  for holders of the IFMGA Guides carnet.

Their websites include lists of members holding qualifications, so are a good place to start if you're looking for an instructor.

WATCH: BMC Travel Insurance built for the mountains

Rock Up Abroad with BMC Travel Insurance

Wherever the hot rock calls, make sure that you go prepared with our travel insurance before you head off.

You can get cover with a BMC Rock policy from just £56* for a week. 

BMC Travel Insurance comes in five policies: Travel, Trek, Rock, Alpine and Ski and High Altitude. 

*Policy details: £55.21 for 7 days European Rock policy, price for up to age 69.  

For full terms and conditions see our Evidence of Cover

Europe by Train

Seat61 has a plethora of information, ready-planned for you to make your train journeys to Europe plain sailing. We fully recommend checking out the routes available and booking in advance to get the best deals on cheaper tickets.

PLAN YOUR TRAVEL: Use public transport routes from Seat61 to help you plan your low-impact travels

« Back