School hillwalking club

[Msp1987]

Hello!

I am looking for advice. I am a school teacher and I was thinking of starting a hillwalking club for pupils, maybe a few munros a year. I don't hold any mountaineering qualifications. Do I need qualifications? I am reasonably experienced, experienced enough to lead a walk up Ben Lomand etc.

Has anyone done this before, or does anyone know the rules?

Thanks

[prog99]

Your school may request it, could affect insurance otherwise amongst other things. Would you be leading the walks?

The school parties I've bumped into in recent years have all been led by members of staff with a summer ML award. And yes back in the day when I was at school no-one bothered.

[MrsOrr]

I did a lot of walking in countryside when at school, I won't call it hill walking, no munros in north east England. We also had weekends away as part of courses; geography, geology and art as well as for Duke of Edinburgh awards. This was some time ago though, I left school 1976
I would imagine insurance would be required, possibly Duke of Edinburgh award people would advise?

[fhaggis]

Yes you def do! It will depend on your school/council but you need a minimum of mountain leader to take anyone over a certain height and terrain etc so Munro’s def our. To do bronze silver duke of Edinburgh expeditions the minimum qualification is low land leader (sure that’s the name).

You’ll be surprised how low you can only climb without your Mountain leader!

[arjh]

A Summer ML is likely to be what you need.

https://www.mountain-training.org/qualifications/walking/mountain-leader

[ianmcc]

As others have said, you'll need a Summer Mountain Leader award and current First Aid certificate to lead a party, although "assistants" may not.
Unfortunately, you'll also be obliged to fill in vast reams of paperwork to justify the Risk Assessment process you went through. The Outdoor Education department of your local authority may have templates to help with this.
To be frank it's a real pain jumping through all the bureaucratic hoops. The cynical (me) would say that they are designed to protect the LA from litigation, rather than the students from danger.

[mrssanta]

we did the summer ML certificate mostly because we were helping with DofE at our children's school. I thought it was worth doing in its own right although there is some expense involved; if you are keen your school might be prepared to fund it, at least in part. The most important part of it is the navigation and the group management but there is a lot more in it as well.

[Marty_JG]

To be frank it's a real pain jumping through all the bureaucratic hoops. The cynical (me) would say that they are designed to protect the LA from litigation, rather than the students from danger.

It's a feedback loop: one mechanism to get shoddy organisations to improve is the fear of litigation.

[davekeiller]

I'd contact either the BMC or Mountaineering Scotland for advice, and probably also whoever is the relevant person at the local authority via your school's management.

This sounds like you'd need to hold the Summer Mountain Leader Award (for which you also need a valid first aid certificate).

[davekeiller]

I'd contact either the BMC or Mountaineering Scotland for advice, and probably also whoever is the relevant person at the local authority via your school's management.

This sounds like you'd need to hold the Summer Mountain Leader Award (for which you also need a valid first aid certificate).

[Chris Henshall]

Dear Msp1987,
I think that it is brilliant that any teacher wants to take their students on the hill and, as someone who has done this ever since I started teaching in 1982, I'd really encourage you to do it. Trips to the hills encourage all the right things (good decision-making, environmental awareness, physical fitness, self-reliance, etc.) and, so long as the groups are properly organised and small, they shouldn't annoy other hill users. The likes of Hamish Brown and innumerable others have inspired generations of students with a love of hills and wild places which have lasted their lifetimes - a truly wonderful thing to do. Lots of us were taken up our first hill by a teacher.
These days, however, things are not as simple as they used to be. Ever since the Feith Buidhe Disaster of November, 1971, the authorities have, rightly, been anxious that school parties are properly led. After all, any teacher taking other people's children into the hills does have a moral obligation to be able to demonstrate that he or she is competent to run a trip without putting their charges in harm's way. Moreover, in an increasingly litigious society, it also makes sense for a teacher to demonstrate that he or she has done what they can to have acquired the relevant skills to run trips to the hills safely. As such, the requirement to have a Summer Mountain Leader Award doesn't seem unreasonable - and, although austerity may have jeopardised this, your school / Local Education Authority should be able to help out with what should count as continuing professional development. (Do, though, keep worries about the dangers of the hills in perspective; the most dangerous part of any day out for your students will almost certainly be the minibus drive to get to the base of the hill.)
Even for someone with your evident experience, however, getting your Summer Mountain Leader Award is a fairly lengthy process; you have to do a week's training course, fill out a log book containing a minimum number of quality mountain days for a minimum of a year and then attend a week's assessment course. In the interim, though, there are plenty of people out there who already possess the award (and, indeed, its much more rigorous winter equivalent) so, if you're looking to run a trip or two, you should be able to find some like-minded altruist who'd be happy to come along for the cost of a couple of beers.
Good luck!
Chris H

[rabthecairnterrier]

I started taking kids out on the hill in the late 80's when a youth worker in a school. In those happy days as long as the Heidie was happy with your level of experience (the Heidie of that particular school was a hillwalker himself) that was that. After a few years I did an ML (largely at my own expense) and spent much of the next 30 years out with groups ranging from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to those identified as having behavioural issues to various degrees (i.e. in trouble at school and also attracting the attention of the Polis out in the wider community). These days a formal qualification - i.e. ML(S) - is regarded as pretty much obligatory. The risk assessment process is also much more formal and bureaucratic - if no more effective - than what we used to do. Also if bringing in suitably qualified volunteers from outside they will have to undergo a full criminal record check.
If your school/LA won't stump up for ML training and assessment it may be worth considering doing it anyway. It's not cheap, but will be enjoyable and - no matter how experienced you may be - is likely to sharpen up your existing skills, particularly with regard to navigation. It will also do no harm to have it on your CV for the future.

[davekeiller]

Assessors for the expedition element of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award need to hold the ML (summer), so you might be able to contact some friendly ML's through them. They might also be able to help you gain the experience required between training and assessment.
One of the relevant pages on the Mountaineering Scotland website is here: https://www.mountaineering.scot/clubs/advice-and-resources/setting-up-a-new-club

[Msp1987]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Looks like i'll need to think about getting the Mountain Leader qualification if I want to pursue this.