Mountain Water Expeditions delivers the Mountain Training Camping Leader assessment; a highly practical qualification suited to walking leaders and those supporting expedition-based programmes. It is particularly relevant for leaders involved in the expedition section of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Course details
- Course: Camping Leader Assessment
- Location: Merseyside
- Cost: £135.00 per person
- Duration: 8 Hours
- Ratio: 1:6
Who is the Camping Leader Assessment for?
The Camping Leader qualification is designed for individuals who want to supervise camping groups and actively develop participants’ campcraft skills. The focus is on building competence and confidence through the teaching of practical camping techniques, safe campsite management and effective supervision.
Qualified Camping Leaders can operate at a wide range of vehicle-accessible campsites, from basic sites with no facilities to fully serviced commercial campsites. Those who also hold a Mountain Training walking leadership qualification may extend their remit to include journeying and wild camping, where this falls within the scope of their walking leadership award.
This qualification is also well suited to those supporting programmes such as the Ten Tors Challenge, as well as other youth and expedition-based initiatives.
Getting started
To get started on the Camping Leader qualification you need to meet the following prerequisites:
– You must be at least 17 years old
– You must have some supervisory experience of overnight camping
– You must have a genuine interest in the supervision of groups
If the above applies to you, here’s what to do next:
- Create an account on the Mountain Training Candidate Management System or log in if you already have one.
Mountain Training Camping Leader
- Register for the Camping Leader scheme (this costs £69)
Training
There is no compulsory face-to-face training element within this scheme. Instead, Mountain Training provides an optional online learning programme designed to help you become familiar with the Camping Leader syllabus and required competencies before attending assessment. Access to the course (hosted on Teachable) is provided once you register on the scheme.
The online programme covers the full syllabus through a variety of engaging formats, including presentations, instructional videos and quizzes to support your learning. If you work through all sections thoroughly, it will take approximately four hours to complete. You can return to the material as often as you wish in preparation for your assessment.
The course also explains how the assessment will be delivered and offers practical guidance on how to consolidate your knowledge and develop your skills ahead of attending.
The Syllabus
Camping Leaders should be competent in the following key areas, all of which is covered in the online training course.
– Leadership and group management
– Planning and supervision
– Teaching and learning skills
– Camping equipment
– Camping food and cooking
Detailed information on each of the above topics can be found in the Camping Leader handbook and the onus is on you to be competent in all by the time you come to assessment.
Consolidation period
There is no prescribed consolidation period for the Camping Leader qualification, as the online training may be completed at any time before assessment. We strongly encourage all candidates to work through the online programme to gain a clear understanding of the syllabus and assessment expectations — even those with prior training or extensive camping experience.
Many candidates also benefit from additional practical experience, such as undertaking personal camping trips or supervising groups in a variety of campsite settings to broaden their skills and confidence.
There is no time limit on your registration or access to the online training resource, allowing you to progress through the qualification at a pace that suits your circumstances.
Assessment
Before you book onto a Camping Leader assessment course, make sure you have done the following:
– You must be at least 18 years old
– You must have personally undertaken and logged an absolute minimum of five overnight camps, ideally in a variety of contexts.
– You must have assisted with or overseen at least two group camps. If personal camping has only been undertaken when also supervising a group, then these two group camps can be part of the total submitted for personal camping i.e. some candidates may need to log only five overnight camps in total. Reflective comments must accompany the group supervision evidence.
– You must be familiar with the syllabus.
– You must be an experienced self-sufficient camper.
– You must have experience of the supervision of camping groups.
– You must have physically attended and completed (i.e. not online) a first aid course which involved at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and included an element of assessment
The Camping Leader assessment takes place over the course of a day or a number of sessions building up to a minimum eight hours contact time.
Assessments are run by one of our approved Mountain Water Expeditions Course Director.
| Dates | Course Type | Location | Price | Book now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 16th January 2027 | Camping Leader | Liverpool | £135.00 per person |  |
Working minimum is four course participants to run this course.
We are happy to run bespoke courses for groups at an agreed location & time. Please contact us to discuss your group needs further.
If you have any questions or require more information on our course costs and available dates, please contact us info@mountain-water.co.uk
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