Paul Poole Mountaineering | Snowdonia

MOUNTAIN LEADER

RESOURCES

BITS AND BOBS YOU MIGHT FIND USEFUL

This is a page full of helpful information to support you to gain your Mountain Leader Award. Do pop back regularly as I will add new information and interesting links that I find.

NAVIGATION - THE FIVE D'S

DANGER

After interpreting the map correctly and identifying any hazards, you can then choose an appropriate strategy

DIRECTION

Set your map and / or take a compass bearing (guess the angle first) - these two should point you in the same direction

description

Interpret the map to identify what you will pass and tick these features off on route as you pass them

distance

Measure the distance between the two points

DURATION

Use time or pacings

Try to avoid navigation without building in a back up;

for example guess the bearing between two points prior to using compass

Use of the 5 D's is very relevant in bad visibility, but obviously in good visibility, you may not need to use them all, pick and choose appropriate techniques when you require them.

Have a hierarchy of what you’re using to navigate by in the mountains, for example:

contours
water features
man made features

Do not include crags / rocks in this hierarchy if you’re using an OS map!

CORE KIT FOR YOUR LEADER PACK

MOBILE PHONE

GROUP SHELTER

GPS

HEAD TORCH

FIRST AID
KIT

BLIZZARD
JACKET

HAZARDS OF STEEP GROUND

IDENTIFY THE HAZARD

Create a dynamic risk assessment that works for you....

So for example I immediately focus on - 'what's the Risk and Consequence'

Take the Hazard of wet rocky terrain
The Risk could be an injury from a slip and trip by someone in your group
Identify how you define Consequence in this situation - so for example
- Low - slip over, bump / bruise / small graze
- Medium - slip over, laceration / sprain
- High - slip over, fracture / head injury

Then you need to Control the Risk using one or all the below

Verbally mention it / coach them through it
Physically position yourself in a place to protect the group
Offer physical assistance (non-rope) and then
Collect your group in a safe place

REMEMBER this is for YOU as well

More information on Risk Assessments can be found on the HSE Website

USING THE ROPE

The Award does not cover the skills required for the planned use of the rope, consider it like your first aid, you carry one, but have no intention of using it

When choosing an anchor consider the 3 S's

Size - Big is best
Solid - It doesn't move / vibrate (visually check it, tap it and then kick it)
Shape - The rope doesn't "ride up it

If required select an appropriate rope system

DIRECT

Walkers weight goes directly to the anchor
Anchor must be big, bombproof and the rope moves around it easily. This is quick and efficient

INDIRECT

Walkers weight goes through you prior to the anchor

WITH CONFIDENCE ROPING

always be above them
keep the rope tight
feet across the slope is more effective than toes pointing down hill
prepare to stop a slip with every step

Mountain Leader

Mountain Leader Ropework

04:17

Play Video

Classic Abseil

00:18

Play Video

South African Abseil

00:20

Play Video

LEADERSHIP MODEL

Mountain Training have created a clear leadership ethos and practical framework, underpinned by sound research-based theory.

Vision, Support, Challenge

An effective leader needs to be able to balance the inspiration and vision of a group and their tasks with appropriate support, without removing the necessary and differentiated challenge that followers need to learn independently.

In practice, specific leadership behaviours are required to achieve this and the identification of these behaviours is a result of academic research. When an individual employs the behaviours effectively, followers can be encouraged to perform beyond their own expectations. This is called transformational leadership and the following positive (INSPIRE) behaviours can be used by leaders to promote the best outcomes for their groups:

Inspire and motivate your followers with a unified vision
Nurture an environment of team-focused goals
Set the example you want to see in your followers
Praise, and give constructive feedback to help your followers develop
Insist on setting high standards, relative to each individual
Recognise and respond to each individual’s needs
Encourage followers to create and implement their own solutions

A leader’s personal ethos and philosophy influences their preferred behaviours.
This is Mountain Training’s ethos:

Effective Leadership

Leadership Attributes

If you would like to explore Mountain Training's leadership model in more detail, there is a short 30 minute online course that guides you through it and how it can be applied in practice. There are links to further resources and tasks to complete to help you build your own leadership ethos:

Click to access the Teachable course

Additionally if you click on Training and Online Learning (in your DLOG- see below) you will access a good selection of other E-Learning modules

ADVICE

I've written a number articles and recorded some webinars about becoming a Mountain leader and the range of skills needed - definitely checkout the Poor Visibility advice - click on the links to read and watch....

Planning a route

Edit

Poor Visibility Nav Part 1

Edit

Poor Visibility Nav Part 2

Navigation

Group Management

Working as a ML