Thoughts please

[mr pitt]

Hello all, I've been thinking for quite a while now about getting some outdoor pursuit type qualifications and was wondering if anyone knows which ones are best to get, which are "useless" etc. Looked into various navigation, hill/mountain leader types but it seems to be a biy "boggy", all info will be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

[Graeme]

Depends what you want to instruct really.
The route for walking goes if I remember correctly, summ ML, then winter ML.
If you want instruct climbing I think it's single pitch instructor and then mountain instructors award, mic, international mic, mountain guide.
Check here http://www.mltuk.org/
If you want to do mountain biking or canoeing I've no idea.

[IainR]

Go straight for your summer ML.

Excellent course, do the training and you'll learn loads.

I've just passed and loved my courses, had a great time, learnt far more than I thought I would.

ML is basically a test of navigation, some rope work, then general hill competence. One thing if you are fit the assessment is much easier as you have so much time to do your nav work.

Phill george (google him) in llanberis is an excellent course provider and one of the cheapist around, but no residential.

[XRunner]

ML is basically a test of navigation, some rope work, then general hill competence.

Roping* is banned in fell races.

* Roping - getting somebody else to run a fell race using your name.