Learn. Lead. Inspire.
At the beginning of 2024 we transferred all of our course provision over to our social enterprise Wellness Walks - we've left this information here - at the bottom of the page is a link to book a course via Wellness Walks
We'll help you gain a qualification to take people out into the great outdoors.
Mountain Services deliver the official Mountain Training Lowland Leader qualification.
The Lowland Leader scheme is designed for people who want to lead groups in lowland countryside and woodland in summer conditions. The majority of the UK and Ireland is made up of this type of terrain so you'll never be short of places to go walking. This award is a wonderful opportunity to gain the leadership skills required to feel confident taking people out walking.
We've tried to put all the information you might need about the course here in one place...but if you've done your homework and are ready to book a place on a course then simply use this link to jump straight to booking:
The Lowland Leader training course aims to develop the technical skills, judgements and areas of knowledge deemed necessary to ensure an individual is safe to do so.
There are six key stages to gaining the Lowland Leader qualification:
- First you must register for the award with Mountain Training - we can assist you with this process. You must be 17+ years old & have a genuine interest in low level walking and the supervision of groups.
- Attend a Lowland Leader Training course - this is a 2-day course that'll focus on introducing you to the syllabus & training you in the key skills - leadership, planning, navigation & emergency procedures - but it'll also include some environmental knowledge, best practice tips & general "how to make it a great day out" tips. There's an example Training Course Program as a download further down this page.
- Consolidation. This is what makes a great Lowland Leader - during the period between training & assessment your expected to practice the skills from training & gain more experience - whilst the syllabus says another 10 days we really can't stress enough that the more days you have the easier assessment will be and the better leader you'll make!
- Attend a Lowland Leader Assessment course. This is a 2-day assessment course - but it's also another excellent learning opportunity - the more you've practiced the easier it'll be - but there shouldn't be any surprises - you'll just be given lots of opportunities to demonstrate that you understand the syllabus and scope of the qualification and that you can put the skills from the training course and your consolidation into practice. There's an example Assessment Course Program further down this page.
- This last one isn't strictly part of Lowland Leader - but we can't issue you a "pass" unless you have attended & completed a 16hr+ Outdoor First Aid course - happily that's a course we also offer - details below.
The majority of the UK and Ireland is made up of this kind of terrain - so the simple answer is "lots of places".
- Low level countryside and woodland in the UK and Ireland meeting the following criteria;
Walks must follow paths or tracks that are both marked on a map and clearly visible on the ground and
that do not require navigation across untracked areas. - Throughout the walk the group should generally be no more than 3km away from a key access point
such as a car park, lay-by or populated area. - Walks must use bridges or other recognised water crossing points.
- Any potential escape routes should also lie within the scope of the defined terrain.
Ok - so what's not included?
- Walks which cross open countryside where paths or tracks are not clearly visible.
- Walks which cross any hazardous terrain (e.g. cliffs, very steep slopes, water hazards etc.).
- Walks undertaken in winter conditions. This scheme does not provide training or assessment of the
skills required to cope with the hazards of winter conditions, particularly lying snow and ice. ‘Summer
conditions’ are defined by the conditions prevailing and not by the calendar.
This one is easy - it's an award that lets you take anyone out into Lowland country - if you're working with young people there will be extra requirements (but these apply to all qualifications) - but we use this qualification to take people from 12-80 out on walks.
What are some typical uses of the qualification?
- This is an exceptionally popular qualification for people who want to support Duke of Edinburgh award programs.
- The Lowland Leader qualification is the perfect compliment if you want to engage others in nature therapy or wellbeing walks
- Gaining the Lowland Leader qualification is a great way to know you've got provable skills to take peer & community groups out into nature safely.
Why are qualifications important?
In the rare & awful circumstance that something were to go wrong on a walk then the leaders competence could be called in to question. Qualifications together with relevant experience (both things the Lowland Leader scheme can give you) are the gold standard for proving that you are competent to do the thing you've set out to do.
It's often said "we don't know what we don't know". Many many moons ago I did my first qualification just to gain some personal skills - I've then spent the last two decades earning a living in the outdoors, having adventures and inspiring others - qualifications made that happen!
Below are links to various documents that should give you all the information we think you need to decide if Lowland Leader is for you - but as ever - if there's something you'd like to know that we've not covered then we're happy to have a chat - use the contact us button at the bottom of this page to get in touch.
Lowland Leader Course Dates
The button below will take you to Wellness Walks where you can book a place on a Lowland Leader Course
Not quite right?
If you think this is the course for you - but the date or location are wrong - then drop us a line & we can discuss putting on a course to meet your requirements.