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Mountain Leader assessment courses in the Lake District
The Mountain Leader qualification is a national qualification administered by Mountain Training which enables experienced mountain walkers to lead groups in the mountains, hills and moorlands of the United Kingdom and Ireland in summer conditions. Chris is approved by Mountain Training as a course provider for the Mountain Leader scheme. When you enquire about a course we will send you our detailed course notes.
Why book with us?
There are a huge number of Mountain Leader courses throughout Britain, so why should you book with us?
We present the course syllabus in a relaxed, fun atmosphere, with the emphasis on interactive learning to encourage you to ask questions and get the most out of your time with us.
We view the assessment course as an opportunity for extending your learning and competence.
We offer a 5% discount to all returning clients.
Our clients think we do a great job! Check out some of their comments towards the bottom of this page.
What are the pre-requisites for the Mountain Leader assessment course?
The period between training and assessment varies in length for each person and is an opportunity to develop your skills, paying particular attention to any weaknesses identified during the training course. There is no time limit.
Before you do your assessment you must
complete a Mountain Leader training course (or have been granted exemption)
be familiar with the syllabus
complete and log a minimum of 40 Quality Mountain Days in three different regions of the UK and Ireland
complete and log at least 8 nights camping, including at least 4 nights wild camping
have a current first aid certificate, minimum 16 hours and relevant to your work as a Mountain Leader
You can book your place before you have done the above, and we will ask you to have your DLOG ready for us to check three weeks before the start of the course.
What does the course cover
As a Mountain Leader, you need a wide range of skills and knowledge in order to operate effectively. Not only is it necessary to be able to perform each element in isolation, but it is also vital that you can combine several skills at any one time. For example, you may need to manage the group and navigate simultaneously. The Mountain Leader assessment is a five-day course and it includes a two night expedition, and the following areas will be assessed:
management & decision making: leader responsibilities, leadership & decision making, planning & weather, hazards & emergency procedures
technical competence: equipment, walking skills, navigation
expedition skills
teaching & learning skills
access, conservation & the environment
the walking environment
Detailed information on each of the above topics can be found in the Mountain Leader handbook (download it from the Mountain Leader page on the Mountain Training website).
Changes to our standard programme may be necessary to take account of the weather and other considerations, whilst still satisfying the spirit and detail of the scheme. A typical programme looks like this:
Day 1: Course introductions, mountain day, general mountain paper.
Start 9.30am, finish around 5.30pm.
Day 2: Steep ground day, mountain weather paper.
Start 9.00am, finish around 5.30pm.
Day 3: Expedition day one.
Start 9.00am
Day 4: Expedition day two.
Day 5: Expedition day three. Results, debriefs, feedback and action planning.
Finish around 12.00pm.
photo credit: dave mackie
When and where are the courses?
Check out the online calendar for availability on these courses.
November 18th-22nd 2024
April 7th-11th 2025
June 2nd-6th 2025
October 13th-17th 2025
If you have a group of 4 or more, we can often provide a bespoke course on a date to suit you.
Our Mountain Leader courses are mainly run in the mountains of the Langdale and Coniston areas of the Lake District, so bear this in mind if you are booking accommodation - Ambleside is a good place to base yourself. The expedition element of our assessment courses occasionally starts and finishes at Seathwaite in Borrowdale. Our choice of venue for each day varies with each course, depending on the weather conditions and the participants.
We can also provide courses in other parts of the country on request.
How much will it cost?
2024 price: £430
2025 price: £443
Course fees are non-residential (you arrange your own accommodation).
5% off to any returning client.
Booking information
When you have sent in your booking form and made your payment, please download the following documents:
Please see the Essential Information for Qualification Courses page for information about accommodation and transport.
What can I do to prepare?
We offer Masterclasses which provide a perfect refresher before assessment - check out the Masterclasses page for more information. The Contour Masterclass, Mountain Leader Steep Ground Masterclass and two-day Mountain Leader Masterclass are particularly good before a Mountain Leader assessment.
Please also see the Essential Information for Qualification Courses page for useful blog posts and resources.
What Do Our Clients Say About Us?
For older testimonials, please see the Testimonials Archive page.
As promised the whole week was a great learning experience, and we were given enough slack to be able to reflect on what we can improve on, and enough time without pressure to be able to check and double check on our relocations. The assessors were excellent - all were patient and supportive, and created calm out of a potentially stressful experience.
Mark Richards, April 2022
I had met both Chris and Jon before so I knew what to expect - demanding but super encouraging and ready to settle any nerves or remind you that they know you can do something if you look like you are doubting yourself. They have different styles, which is great as MLs all work differently and one might pick up on something that the other didn't. Both assess what people can do quickly and are keen to push people to do over and above what they think they can do, tailored to the individual of course. They also like to learn about you, your past experience and your aspirations and are keen to learn from everyone else as well as passing on their own knowledge. II did my training with Chris Ensoll after getting several recommendations. I also did a Contours Masterclass and a Steep Ground Masterclass with Chris, again because these came highly recommended. I wanted to do my assessment in Cumbria as it is where I live, play and will work, and had such a good experience previously I wanted to come back. While it meant Chris knew my strengths he also knew my weaknesses and I wanted to show that I had worked on these to get myself ready for assessment. I still have a lot to learn, and I really do need to work on being straight and strong, fluid and dynamic but I am trying! Thanks Chris for your patience when I had a wobble! Assessment is a stressful process but you do work hard at settling nerves and getting the best out of people. Now the dust has settled I actually feel like I'd like to go through it all again, which is testament to your methods, personality and humour!
Tina Codling, June 2022
Amazing pre-course information supplied, happy to answer any questions and a real good feel to the whole lead up process. Brilliant team to assist us with our assesment, Jon was a brilliant instructor and I believe there's still so much more to learn off this man. Chris was full of knowledge and I've learnt a great deal off these two men across a short space of time. Alex was also great to have around for the first 2 days, he put myself at ease and set me up well for the week ahead with easy conversation and shared knowledge.
Alex Fitzgerald, June 2022
The website showcased a philosophy to outdoor learning and leadership that I had not seen on other Mountain Training course websites, and it showed that you valued a 360 degree take on learning and development. One of the photos on the website gave the impression that you value the human and what is going on with them in their heads. Bobby was comforting and also interesting to see how dogs can be trained well and not of danger to wildlife - a harmonious way of sharing the land which helped to deepen the experience of a walk in the hills.
Tean Hewson, August 2022
I had a fantastic week. Chris is so knowledgeable and he uses this to push you out of your comfort zone and to make you better. I didn’t feel like I was on assessment - it felt like I was continuing to learn- like training round 2. It was testing without being gruelling - the right balance. I really enjoyed it. Simon was kind, friendly and knowledgeable. He made everyone feel relaxed and I liked the daily debriefs of how the day went- strengths and weaknesses. Thank you very much for a professional and well organised course! I only wish I had learned some of the things much earlier!!
Sophie Wright, August 2022
I have attended numerous training courses / assessments both in the military and business world, and this was by far the best course I have attended. Alongside the technical appraisal of skills, Chris and Si provided really valuable input to help support with leadership and management skills. Chris has 'lit the fire' for my Winter ML :-)
Ed Walker, August 2022
I have thoroughly enjoyed completing my training and assessment with Chris - it has been a challenging, enriching experience and I have learnt a lot. The training week, plus the additional support and information available via videos, mentoring etc, was excellent preparation for the assessment, which provided no surprises as a consequence.
Dave Mackie, October 2022
The assessment was challenging and felt like Chris and the team wanted to push everyone to show what they could do and improve, but in a very supportive and encouraging way. It never felt like a tick-box approach and Chris and team made us think practically and how we might use our skills in the real world. This was so valuable and I definitely felt like my skills were developed as well as being thoroughly assessed. Having done my training with Chris and had a brilliant experience, it was the obvious choice to continue through to my assessment.
Ian Brotherton, October 2022
Found course on Mountain training website, booked direct through your own website. This was easy to navigate and I received good communications to confirm booking and explaining the programme for the week. I was quite attracted by the mountain mentoring, and the approach that assessment is further learning. Following booking I found the blog posts on your website, really liked this and could see it being an appealing point for other candidates.
Alex Hackett-Evans, April 2023
I really like Chris’s philosophy that the point of an assessment is not just to test but an opportunity to improve. I spent a long time as a police firearm’s officer with that same philosophy. The goal is not to pass but to be the very best you can be.
Chris Unsworth, April 2023
All the assessors were brilliant - supportive and wanting to get the best from us. It was only reflecting at the end of each day that I realised how much more I'd learned each day. The dates fitted within school holidays (I'm a teacher), and I also liked the fact that there are plenty of master classes/refresher days to practise skills before the assessment (useful both in terms of practising skills and also meeting other people who were then on my assessment so we could meet up and practise skills like night nav and ropework before the assessment). I want to continue to do refresher/masterclass days in the future.
Sarah Sigsworth, April 2023
Super-enthusiastic, calm, positive, supportive and knowledgable sums up the instructors. Chris - you have inspired me to get back at it and do more stuff in the mountains. Al - thanks for all the ideas on the steep ground stuff.
Laurie Dickinson, August 2023
Heard lots of great things, booked with friends. Will definitely recommend. Thanks for a brilliant week!
Alex Bishop, September 2023
What a week! Thanks to Chris, Stu and Al for a wonderful week on the ML assessment. I learnt just as much as in training!
I enjoyed working with three different people with different personalities, coaching styles and backgrounds. That said, all three of you find the balance between a supportive, challenging and fun environment and I really think it helped me to show a true picture of my current abilities. You’ve got the skill to instil confidence over a few days not just by drilling hard numbers but by working with different brains and teaching in the most applicable way. Thanks for modelling leadership in action, it was an inspiring week!
Katherine Andrews, October 2023
Chris and Stuart are not the same and have different ways of engaging delegates, and the mixture of teaching styles enhanced the overall experience.
However, they are the same in the following sense: I regularly spend time learning from or working with people who are skilled and proficient at what they do. Both Chris and Stuart are not just skilled and proficient at what they do in the sense that they "know all about" the material and the skills needed in the mountains. They "are" the mountains. This is their world, not just the thing they know about. There's a difference. I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them in their world, where they are in their element.
Ian Woods, November 2023
I really appreciated the relaxed and yet thorough atmosphere. It felt like we were being well rounded as mountaineers rather than just having boxes ticked. Thanks to Chris and Al for making the week a success, despite challenging weather conditions at time.
Simon Theobald, April 2024
I was looking for a course in the Lakes, on comparing the information on websites yours just had a better feel, the ethos and the volume of quality information there to help, I got the impression that the idea was to train to a much higher standard but in a way that was fun so that it almost didn't feel like learning. It was like the idea was to train Mountain Leaders rather pass an assessment! Chris and Alex managed to create an environment that was testing, where we continued to learn but which was also great fun, one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling weeks of my life, the likes of which I didn't think I would experience again and I am still carrying around with me a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment, THANK YOU!
Andrew Johnson, June 2024
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