The Mountain Training Lowland Leader walking leadership award is a formal qualification offered by Mountain Training (the UK & Ireland’s official awarding body for outdoor leadership) that trains and assess people in the skills, judgment and experience needed to lead organised walking groups safely lowland terrain.
What is the Lowland Leader Award (LL)?
• A leadership award for those who want to lead groups on day walks in lowland countryside and woodland in summer conditions (e.g. footpaths and gentle trails).
• It involves both training and assessment and is suitable for teachers, volunteer walkingleaders, Duke of Edinburgh supervisors, Ramblers, Scout leaders, and outdoor enthusiasts who want to take groups out safely and confidently.
What is Lowland Leader terrain?
• It certifies the candidate to plan and lead groups on day walks in lowland terrain (fields, woods, gentle paths) in summer conditions.
Scope of the qualification
A Lowland Leader can lead walks where:
• Routes follow paths or tracks shown on a map and visible on the ground.
• Groups stay generally within about 3 km of an access point like a car park or village.
• There are no hazardous features (steep slopes, cliffs, serious water crossings).
• Navigation and planning are needed, but terrain is non-mountainous.
What you will learn on the Lowland Leader Pathway:
The training and assessment covers:
Course Syllabus
• Leadership skills and group management
• Walking skills
• Planning a walk
• Basic map and route-finding skills
• Equipment
• Hazards and emergency procedures
• Environmental awareness, conservation, access and land ownership
Detailed guidance notes on the syllabus are available in the Lowland Leader Scheme Candidate Handbook
Training and assessment
There are two stages:
1. Training course
To get started on the Lowland Leader qualification you need to meet the following prerequisites:
• You must be at least 17 years old
• You should have an interest in leading groups in lowland countryside
If the above applies to you, here’s what to do next:
1. Create an account on the Mountain Training Candidate Management System or log in if you already have one on the Mountain Training website.
2. Register for the Lowland Leader scheme (this costs £69 – payable to Mountain Training)
3. 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 10 varied walks in lowland terrain where the use of a map is required (ideally these will be recorded on DLOG) which can have taken place at any point (pre or post registration)
2. Assessment course
• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must have attended a Lowland Leader training course (or have been granted exemption)
• You must be familiar with the syllabus
• You must have logged a minimum of 20 walks in lowland countryside in different types of terrain (woodland, coastal, farmland etc, recorded in you DLOG)
• You must have physically attended and completed (i.e. not online) a first aid course which involved at least two full days or sixteen hours of instruction and included an element of assessment
Who provides Lowland Leaders Qualifications?
Mountain Water Expeditions provides training and assessment courses for the Mountain Training Lowland Leader Award. (Mountain Training also has a list of other providers). If you feel this award maybe suitable for your needs, please head to our website:
Lowland Leader Training:
Lowland Leader Assessment: