Over ninety five people attended the Mountain Leader Training conference held this weekend at Plas y Brenin

The biannual conference is an opportunity for outdoor professionals and volunteers to exchange ideas and discuss current issues. Many Mountain Leader Training (MLT) board members also attended, providing them with a chance to discuss MLT's awards with those using and delivering them.

Alan Pritchard, a Snowdonia National Park Authority Warden, opened the conference with a talk about his work. Alan grew up on Snowdonia, is a former shepherd and Mountain Leader Award holder. This places him in the perfect position to educate mountain users from a variety of perspectives. Alan was full of praise for the BMC's recent Green Guide to the Uplands. This is available for free from our online shop or as a download.  

The central theme of the conference was the role of the Technical Advisor. Many Mountaineering Instructors and Guides act in such a capacity for climbing walls, activity providers and education authorities. Work can range from designing staff training to advising on equipment.

Discussing the various topics in and around this field of work were Shelley Thomas of Hill Dickinson, a law firm based in Liverpool with a lot of expertise in outdoor work, and Marcus Bailie, Head of the Inspection Service.

Other workshops during the day included disability awareness in climbing and walking, coaching in mountaineering, teaching leading on climbing walls and ways to teach GPS use.

Andy Say of Mountain Leader Training England said, ‘Considering the glorious weather in the mountains, the fact that no-one was heard grumbling about being at the Conference was a testament to the high quality of the staff, and the relevance of the material presented – lots of learning done and lots of heated debate indulged in!’

The conference was hosted by Plas y Brenin, who provided several highly experienced staff members to lead and assist on sessions.

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