The Mountain Leader award: take groups into wild mountains
Mountain Training's Mountain Leader award qualifies you to lead groups in the mountains of the UK and Ireland, including over steep, rocky ground.
In this guide
- What it is: The award for leading groups in wild mountain terrain in the UK and Ireland.
- What you need first: You must be 18, have a year of mountain walking behind you and be a member of the BMC, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland.
- What you'll learn: Planning and leading journeys in wild mountain terrain, and making the right decisions there.
- How long it takes: 6 days of training (including a 2-day expedition with a camp) and 5 days of assessment (including a 3-day expedition with two camps). Mountain Training says the average time from training to passing is 3.3 years.
- Cost: Registration is £69. A typical UK course costs £450 to £1,000, with Mountain Leader training and assessment at the top of that range.
- What's next: Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (walking track)
Big hills, real weather and a group trusting you to bring them home. The Mountain Leader award is the classic UK walking qualification, and it takes years of genuine mountain days to earn.
What you need
- Before training: 20 quality mountain days.
- Before assessment: 40 quality mountain days in at least three regions of the UK or Ireland, and at least 8 nights of camping, including 4 nights of wild camping, and a current first aid certificate from an in-person course of at least two full days (16 hours) with an assessment.
Log your days on DLOG, Mountain Training's digital logbook.
Where it leads
Mountain Training also offers the Winter Mountain Leader and International Mountain Leader awards. The Mountain Leader is also the entry ticket for the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award.
Source: Mountain Leader, Mountain Training, and How to call out Mountain Rescue, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, checked October 2026.
Governing body: British Mountaineering Council (BMC) for England and Wales. Leader and instructor awards come from Mountain Training, and coasteering standards come from the National Coasteering Charter, so these are the official places to find out more.
Typical prices, checked October 2026. The club or coach sets and bills the price.
The club map lists some of the UK clubs for this sport. It is a starting point, so check with the club before you travel. To have a coach found for you, use the enquiry form.
