Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: silverback on January 31, 2011
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Apologies if this is in the wrong section and if its been discussed before! Had a search and couldn't find anything.
Has anybody done there ML and if so where can you do it and how much?
Many thanks in advance, Colin.
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Tollymore mountain center would be a good place to look.
http://www.tollymore.com/ (http://www.tollymore.com/)
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Hi...
I did my ML assesment a few years ago at PYB in Wales...
Fantastic Experience, well set up and professionally delivered and the food was out of this world, especially afternoon tea and cakes...
I deliberatly avoided Tollymore as through hearing from others and through also knowing some of the instructors and how they work I didn't like the attitude that was radiating from it all...
It seemed to me to be a 'I'm an MIA/MIC/Guide which makes me better than you, so I will beast you and break you just for fun'
PYB the opposite, my group was assessed by a British Mountain Guide of +20yrs experience and her was the most pleasant, an assuming and honest chap. Granted he knew his stuff, and knew it well, but didn't go blowing it off all around the place...
My group had an squaddie, a 22yr old who paid himself to summit everest, a long haired surfing dude and a +70yr old mountain goat who carried his pee with him all week...
Brilliant Place, Brilliantly Delivered Assesment, Very Happy Punter...
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Oh, and I didn't do the training...
I had my lvl3 hill walking leadership through the Education Board, which gave me a 'free pass' on the training...
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I was browsing the Glenmore lodge brochure in work (Tiso) and from what I can see it's a fair investment.
You need about a week of official training ~£600, have logged about 40 quality mountain days yourself, then a 5 day assessment ~£600!
I was considering it so I could work with World Challenge or maybe a bit of guide moonlighting myself, but not sure I want to 'that' much.
Wouldn't be a waste in the least, but I chose to spend my money on other things for now.
Somebody has already mentioned PyB, and you could do the training section with a guide for a bit less I'm sure.
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I'd love to do some sort of course, but which one? there are so many!
I don't want to spend good money to be told something i can read in a book for £4.99 (now to pack a rucksack, how to read a map etc etc), i certainley don't think i know it all but want to spend my (or someone elses) money wisely.
Is there a list of levels for these things? e.g. is a "Hill and Mountain skills week" as good as a "mountain leader training week" ? ok, i should really phone Tollymore and ask them ;D
And which ones would potential employers be looking for?
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And which ones would potential employers be looking for?
Usually ML (summer) as a bare minimum if you want to work as a mountain leader...
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I was browsing the Glenmore lodge brochure in work (Tiso) and from what I can see it's a fair investment.
You need about a week of official training ~£600, have logged about 40 quality mountain days yourself, then a 5 day assessment ~£600!
I was considering it so I could work with World Challenge or maybe a bit of guide moonlighting myself, but not sure I want to 'that' much.
I'm in the same boat, really wanted to do the ML but just can't justify the expense at the moment. Looking at the syllabus it seems a really good course, and there is a lot on it I would like to learn, but I think I will just have to pick it up as I go along through smaller courses and learning from others. I could nearly have lived with the cost of the ML training, but I near died when I saw the assessment is the same amount of money again!
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The ML training and the assessment is expensive. Don't forget the cost of 2 day first aid (REC Emergency or equivalent) course that you need prior to attending the assessment.
I did my training, and also my assessment, through Tollymore. I found that the instructors were very good. My experience was that they seemed to tailor the training to the candidate's experience while still ensuring that the whole course is covered. Although this is partially dependent on falling into a group who have a similar experience to yourself (I was lucky in this respect). Even the assessment was a learning experience from start to finish. It was a big cost but I am glad I did it and have no regrets about doing it and who I did it with.