Mountaineering and climbing: kit, costs and safety
Typical UK prices, the membership rule behind leader awards, and the law on adventure activities for under-18s.
In this guide
- What you need first: Nothing. Read this before you book.
- What's next: You've reached the end of both tracks.
The hills don't care how fit you are. Good habits do the heavy lifting.
Typical UK prices
- A coached coasteering session or an outdoor intro climb: £55 to £150 per person.
- Leader and instructor training plus assessment: £450 to £1,000.
- An outdoor coach: £40 to £70 an hour.
Membership
Most Mountain Training leader, instructor and coach awards ask you to be a member of a mountaineering council (the BMC, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland) before you register. Registration is £69 for most awards, and £103 for Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and Performance Coach.
The law for under-18s
In England, Wales and Scotland, anyone who sells adventure activities to under-18s must hold a licence from the Adventure Activities Licensing scheme. That covers climbing, abseiling and scrambling outdoors (not on purpose-built walls or towers) and trekking in remote moorland or terrain over 600m. Schools teaching their own pupils, voluntary clubs with their own members, and young people with a parent or guardian don't need one.
Source: Adventure activities licensing, HSE; Adventure activities licence, GOV.UK; Mountain Leader, Mountain Training; How to call out Mountain Rescue, Mountain Rescue England and Wales; and Scottish Mountain Rescue, 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.
