Mountain Water Expeditions provides training and assessment courses for the Mountain Training Hill and Moorland Leader Award.
Course details
- Course: Hill & Moorland Leader Training
- Location: Llangollen area or Peak District
- Cost: £270.00 per person
- Duration: 3 days
- Ratio: 1:6
Who is the Hill & Moorland Leader for?
This award scheme has been designed for people who wish to lead groups on day walks in Hill and Moorland countryside type terrain in summer conditions, this may venture away from obvious paths but won’t encounter mountain hazards like steep rocky ground. Commonly used in terrain that presents an intermediate level of challenge, for example Dartmoor, the Peak District, North York Moors, Pentland Hills.
It is a nationally recognised award scheme that opens up a natural pathway to other awards and qualifications for leading and working with others in the outdoors, such as the Mountain Leader qualifications.
To get started on the Hill and Moorland Leader qualification you need to meet the following prerequisites:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You should have at least a year’s worth of hill walking experience
- You should have an interest in leading groups in the hills
- You must be a member (club or individual) of a mountaineering council (BMC, Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland). Find out why this is required
If the above applies to you, here's what to do next
Create your account
Create an account on the Mountain Training Candidate Management System or log in if you already have one on the Mountain Training website. > Click Here
Register
You must create an account on our system and register for the Hill and Moorland Leader qualification (cost: £69) – payable to Mountain Training)
Email Mountain Water Expeditions who will then draw you onto the course date you require and send across the relevant booking email.
Before the course starting date for your Lowland Leader training course, make sure you have recorded a minimum of 20 quality hill days (ideally these will be recorded on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point pre- or post-registration
What is a quality hill day?
Mountain Training quality hill day.
How we deliver the course
The Hill & Moorland training course is primarily practical, giving candidates hands-on experience in real walking environments, while also incorporating a number of essential theory-based sessions. A strong focus is placed on navigation and effective group management, ensuring leaders can plan and deliver walks that are both safe and enjoyable.
Navigation, in particular, forms a significant part of the assessment process and is commonly the area where candidates find the greatest challenge.
Course Syllabus:
- Leader responsibilities
- Leadership and decision making
- Planning and weather
- Hazards and emergency procedures
- Equipment
- Walking skills
- Navigation
- Teaching and learning skills
- Access, conservation and the environment
- Background knowledge
Detailed guidance notes on the syllabus are available in the Hill & Moorland Leader Scheme Candidate Handbook.
Hill and Moorland Leader Training Three-Day Practical Training Course
An intensive three-day course developing the leadership, navigation, decision-making and group management skills required to lead safely and confidently in hill and moorland terrain. Practical learning is supported by focused theory sessions to prepare you for assessment.
Day 1 – Leadership, Equipment & Navigation
We begin with a course introduction and an overview of assessment expectations. You’ll explore leadership responsibilities, and review both individual and group equipment, suitability, safety and common issues.
We then head out locally to practise navigation skills in context, focusing on:
- Accurate map and compass work
- Route choice and terrain interpretation
- Dynamic risk assessment
- Hazard identification and management
- Adapting leadership styles to different groups
In the evening, a weather theory session covers systems and forecast interpretation. You’ll then plan a hill day for a notional group, considering conditions, objectives and contingencies.
Day 2 – Weather in Practice, Group Management & Night Navigation
Using current forecasts, we assess how weather affects route choice and decision-making before heading onto the hill.
Navigation skills are consolidated and refined, while group management takes centre stage:
- Managing pace and cohesion
- Effective positioning and supervision
- Decision-making in changing conditions
- Continuous dynamic risk assessment
In the evening, we undertake a dedicated night navigation session. Darkness is essential. In midsummer this may mean finishing in the early hours; at most other times we aim to be off the hill before 23:00 hours.
Day 3 – Leading in Practice & Next Steps
You’ll bring everything together by leading a flowing walk, demonstrating your ability to:
- Navigate efficiently and confidently
- Manage hazards appropriately
- Lead and communicate clearly
- Share environmental knowledge
- Respond effectively when things go wrong
During the course, you will also be encouraged to deliver a short talk (maximum five minutes) while out on the hill. This should relate to the local environment such as ecology, geology, history or cover a relevant hill skill. Short presentations of this type are commonly required during Hill and Moorland Leader assessment and at all higher award levels.
We also cover incident management and assessment standards.
The course concludes with individual feedback and a clear personal action plan, outlining your readiness for assessment and how to prepare. We will finish no later than 17:00 hours.
Course Meeting Places
Full joining instructions, including the precise meeting point, will be provided upon booking. Our courses usually run from one of the following locations:
– Llangollen
– Peak District – Hope
| Trip Dates | Course/Activity | Location | Price | Dates TBC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th May 2026 Monday 20th to Wednesday 22nd July 2026 | Hill & Moorland Leader Training | Llangollen, North West Wales | From £270.00 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.
What we include in our course
The price of the course includes;
- Instruction and coaching from highly experienced and helpful coaches
- A single point of contact at Mountain Water Expeditions to provide you with consistent support throughout your experience.
- Pre course information pack with lots of helpful advice, kit lists etc
What we do not include
- Accommodation. This is a non-residential course
- Transport to and from the starting point
- Personal kit and accident insurance
- Items of personal walking kit
- Food or drink
Fitness Level
For a Hill and Moorland Leader training course, you require sufficient fitness to be able to spend three full days walking in Hill and Moorland terrain and have some spare energy to cope with any emergencies within the group if needed.
Staffing
Mountain Water Expeditions will provide an experienced Lowland Leader course director.
For further information or to book a place on this Mountain Training Lowland Leader training course please email info@mountain-water.co.uk
Contact Us
Send us a message with anything you want to know or ask about Mountain Water Expeditions, and we’ll get back to you right away.