10 Top Tips for Progressing from Mountain Leader to Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor

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10 Top Tips for Progressing from Mountain Leader to Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor

Congratulations! You’ve passed your assessment, and you’re now a Mountain Leader. That might be as far as you want to go with outdoor qualifications, and that’s fine – well done for getting this far. But on the other hand you might want to progress further and go for Winter Mountain Leader (winter ML), Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor Award (MCI), or International Mountain Leader (IML). We’ll be focusing on MCI here. It is a big step up, but here are some tips to make it easier.

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5 Really Cool Things To Look Out For In The Mountains

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5 Really Cool Things To Look Out For In The Mountains

When Anne asked me to write this post my first thought was "Great. I'd love to do this." This was quickly followed self-doubt; I'm no expert naturalist or photographer. I'm an aspirant Mountain Leader, and in my trips into the hills I've had plenty of enjoyment learning about the plants and animals I've seen. Four out of five of these things were seen in one weekend, so there's a lot out there if you keep your eyes open. All the photos were taken in the Lake District, three of them on one of Chris's suggested quality mountain days, and two on other walks preparing for Mountain Leader assessment.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Learn To Navigate Using Contours

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5 Reasons Why You Should Learn To Navigate Using Contours

The difference between OK navigation and excellent navigation lies in the ability to read and make sense of contours. Contours are those wiggly lines drawn on the map connecting points of equal height above sea level. “Contour” comes from the Italian word “contorno” meaning "to draw a line". In the UK we have one of the most accurate mapping systems in the world, and our maps use contours to show the shape of the ground in incredible detail.

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Everything You Need To Know About Ticks

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Everything You Need To Know About Ticks

Ticks have been recognised for their ability to transmit disease for hundreds of years. They are currently considered to be second only to mosquitoes as vectors of human and animal infectious diseases worldwide. They are blood-sucking parasitic arachnids, which means that they belong to the spider family. So what should we know about them and the effect they might have on us?

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What's The Future For Maps?

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What's The Future For Maps?

GUEST POST by KELVYN JAMES
Every week it seems there’s another story about hillwalkers needing to be rescued because they’re “navigationally challenged” (lost!). Navigation courses remain the most popular courses I offer. But navigation – like all skills – is evolving, so I thought I’d write a post on where I am with this nowadays.

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