A Mountain Training qualification could take you to wild places, both at home and abroad. Seven people reveal how their qualifications have helped them walk on the wild side of life.

Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis: Nick Cannon Jones

It all came together a couple of years ago on a winter mountaineering course. The clients were keen and had aspirations to climb in the Alps. We worked our way through basic skills, to gully climbing and mountaineering rope work on steeper ground. On the final day of the course the weather was perfect and we headed up to Ben Nevis with the plan of doing Ledge Route. I had it in the back of my mind that Tower Ridge would be a fantastic day out for us all and could not help myself from looking up at it longingly as we walked in.

I bumped into a friend who was another experienced mountaineering instructor and when I mentioned I was considering Tower Ridge for the day he said "go for it." The ascent was perfect. It brought together all the skills, experience and judgement I'd gained through doing the awards. Deciding when to rope up, when to pitch, when to get out ice axes and crampons. Looking after the clients round the Eastern traverse and through the iconic Tower Gap. For the four hours of our ascent I was thoroughly absorbed in the process and loving every minute of it. To top it off, we kept our sunglasses on for the entire day! It was a privilege to work in that environment on a classic route on the UK's highest mountain. We virtually had the mountain to ourselves and the views over the west coast of Scotland were, as always, stunning.

The Mountaineering Instructor Certificate is ideal preparation for taking people mountaineering in the winter. The UK has some extraordinary landscapes which, when covered in snow and ice, present an attractive and serious challenge for anyone planning to explore them.

The Old Man of Hoy: John Cousins

Back in 1993 I climbed the Old Man of Hoy twice in one day. I had been hired by two lovely clients who wanted to climb the classic 1966 route first done by Chris Bonington, Rusty Bailie and Tom Patey. Unfortunately the date they chose was also the day of my first wedding anniversary so the deal I struck was that I could bring my wife along on the trip and once I’d led my two clients up the route in the morning then my wife and I could climb it in the afternoon! It was a beautiful late May day and there was therefore plenty of daylight for two ascents plus by my second ascent I had learnt where all the Fulmars were and could keep well out of their way (they have a very effective projectile vomiting defence mechanism that’s worth avoiding). We had a little driftwood fire on the beach at Rackwick Bay at the end of our outing and toasted our success with a little whiskey and a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean from our little island.

The Mountaineering Instructor Award takes you through a whole range of mountaineering skills including teaching multi-pitch rock climbing. Experience of climbing multi-pitch routes at Very Severe or above, at venues across the UK, is a great excuse to explore places like the Old Man of Hoy.

Lundy: Mark Walker

Home to some immaculate multi-pitch climbing on granite sea cliffs, working on the island of Lundy is what dreams are made of for many Mountaineering Instructor Award holders. It’s pretty committing, but that’s part of the appeal of sea cliff climbing. There’s a route where you belay from a real cannon, and the whole experience feels like a proper holiday because the weather’s generally pretty good. Getting to Lundy normally involves travelling by boat, and there are some really cool places to stay; a lighthouse, a castle, a Victorian mansion, a bunkhouse and of course, a campsite. Lundy sits in the Bristol Channel, about 12 miles off the coast of north Devon and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Routes range from Diff to E7.

Similarly to the Old Man of Hoy, taking people climbing on Lundy is a great use of Mountaineering Instructor Award skills and is a pretty unique place to work.

Swaziland, Costa Rica, Nicaragua: Dan Taylor

Initially I found out about Mountain Training awards after reading about how to become a freelance expedition leader. Getting paid to take groups of motivated young people to exciting destinations around the world? Yes please! So I did my Mountain Leader training and built up my log book which is a great excuse to get weekends in the mountains planned and before I knew it I was on assessment in Snowdonia. The assessment itself is a great adventure meeting new people, learning new skills and doing a mini expedition!

From there I got hired by an expedition company called World Challenge and have so far been to Swaziland, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I've never planned to do expedition leading full time but love doing a trip a year and earning extra money which is a great kit fund if nothing else! I initially, selfishly, wanted to lead expeditions to explore more countries and was surprised by how much I enjoyed seeing the lives of young people literally transformed during the 2-4 weeks away. You always learn so much on each expedition, new specialist skills related to different environments such as jungle, high altitude, rivers and coast. Mountain Leader training is an excellent grounding for this and there is always more to learn plus the expedition company lays on specialist training as well as part of the benefits package.

In terms of next steps, I find Mountain Training and expedition leading a bit like a Russian doll - you keep finding new layers and opportunities. Partly this results from meeting so many inspiring people during the training and events and you pick up new ideas all the time. I'm currently working towards my Winter and International Mountain Leader awards and am loving exploring new environments and learning related skills in Scotland and Europe. I've signed a contract to lead a trip to Mexico and Belize this summer and am confident 2015 will bring new skills, destinations and friends in the outdoor world!

Many expedition companies based in the UK see the Mountain Leader award as the benchmark for their expedition leaders, although the award is intended for use in the UK and Ireland.

Cuillin Ridge, Isle of Skye: Scott Kirkhope

The Cuillin Ridge on Skye is a magical place. There is nowhere else like it in the United Kingdom. Working on the ridge can be one of the most rewarding parts of my job, in fine weather the sides of the ridge plunge down to sea level highlighting the contrast between the two in a way only the west coast of Scotland can do. The sun reflects off the blue water of Coruisk and the views to the Outer Hebrides cannot be beaten. The sight of golden eagles soaring overhead just adds to the sense of wilderness. On a bad weather day, when the clag is down, it takes all of your concentration to find your way round. It can feel like a very lonely and overwhelming place but that's what helps to make it feel so wild. Whether you're watching the sun set from your bivvy or trying to find your way along this complex ridge in the cloud it feels untouched and unique.

The skills and experience gained by completing the Mountaineering Instructor Award are well suited to leading people on the Cuillin Ridge in the summer, whereas in the winter, the Mountaineering Instructor Certificate would be more appropriate. Some of the peaks on the ridge can be tackled individually, for which most Mountain Leaders would be appropriately experienced.

North Uist, Outer Hebrides: Bryn Williams

Back in 1999 I ran a navigation refresher course on North Uist. I’d been asked to run the course by Uist Outdoor Centre while I was working there for the summer season as an outdoor activity instructor.  The land is relatively low lying in the middle of the island with lots of peat bogs and lochs to navigate around, and there are some hills and craggy areas towards the edges of the island, of which Eaval (at 347m) is the highest. Working on North Uist was a unique experience because of its wild and remote nature and also the inter-dependency of the islanders within the local community for managing day-to-day life.

Working in the hills with views over the sea was spectacular - the wildlife and wild weather all made for a lasting memory of this quiet island. The remote, harsh and isolated environment helped to consolidate much of my leadership experience - there were a handful of other instructors to bounce ideas off, but self-reliance on the island was crucial. The island did not have a search and rescue team, and as such the community was the lifeline if any incidents did occur. Island life was spectacular. The weather was wild and throughout the summer the wind felt consistent. On a rare day without wind, the dreaded midges arrived and activities were abandoned! I have fond memories of long evening light and the summer solstice and during my stay I was fortunate enough to witness the solar eclipse while sea kayaking.

Teaching navigation is a skill in itself and something that many of our award holders, at all levels, enjoy. It is addressed specifically as part of the Mountaineering Instructor Award scheme and is also part of the new Expedition Skills Module, designed to support the Lowland Leader and Hill & Moorland Leader (previously Walking Group Leader).

The Scottish Highlands in winter – the Cairngorms/Creag Meagaidh/Ben a’Chaorainn/Ben Alder: Mal Creasey

Possibilities for exploring the wilderness, in its truest sense, abound in the Scottish Highlands and anyone who’s been there in the winter knows why the Highlands have made it onto this list. I’ve spent many years assessing Winter Mountain Leaders in areas where help in the event of an emergency can often be quite far away, and there are countless more opportunities to walk all day without meeting another soul than there are in other parts of the UK. 

In the winter, the weather and avalanche forecast can create a uniquely challenging environment known to most climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers as being ‘a bit Scottish’. (This is part of a special love/hate relationship; those people are also the first to get up and walk for hours at even the slightest hint of good conditions.) All this provides a powerful feeling of achievement at the end of each successful day in the wild.

The Mountaineering Instructor Certificate is generally accepted as the level you should be at for training and assessing Winter Mountain Leaders. The season in the Scottish Highlands lasts from December/January to March/April every year, depending on conditions.

Watch a film about winter hill walking on BMC TV:

This article is part of a series of articles celebrating Mountain Training’s 50th anniversary year in 2014.

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