Ireland's Mountain Training

I am an approved provider of Mountaineering Ireland's formal qualification courses and assessments for both the Mountain Skills Award, the Mountain Leader Award and the Single Pitch Award. These are all accredited National Governing Body awards.

Mountain Skills Award (MS)

The Mountain Skills Award is a personal proficiency award ensuring holders have a full understanding of the skills required for safe travel in the mountain upland areas of Ireland and the UK, it is also the pre-requisite award to the Mountain Leader program.

Mountain Leader Award (ML)

The Mountain Leader Award (ML) scheme is intended for those who wish to lead others, particularly beginners or young people, across the mountains of Ireland and Britain. It is ideal for teachers, youth leaders and hike leaders in mountaineering clubs. Even for those without leadership ambitions, it is a useful way of learning more about topics such as navigating in difficult conditions or coping with steep ground, and overnight camping. Trainees must pass the Mountain Skills assessment before starting ML training (5 days). Trainees who complete the ML scheme and successfully pass a 3-day assessment are granted the ML award.

Single Pitch Award (SPA)

The Single Pitch Award (SPA) scheme provides training and assessment in the skills required to lead and supervise groups during single pitch rock climbing activities. The scope of the award covers personal climbing, safe group management, crag etiquette, environmental responsibilities and more. Candidates will learn how to become an effective supervisor, encouraging others to enjoy climbing safely, whilst also improving their own climbing skills.

Who are Mountaineering Ireland?

Mountaineering Ireland (Previously known as MCI - The Mountaineering Council of Ireland) is the representative body for walkers and climbers in Ireland. It is recognised as the NGB (National Governing Body) for mountaineering by both the Irish Sports Council (ISC) and Sport Northern Ireland (SNI). Mountaineering includes hill walking, rock climbing rambling, bouldering and alpinism. Mountaimneering Ireland currently have some 10,500 members, comprising over 145 clubs and more than 1,300 individual members.

The key aims of Mountaineering Ireland are to:

- Represent the interests of walkers and climbers
- Improve and secure access to the Irish hills and crags
- Promote mountain training programmes and qualifications
- Encourage responsible and sustainable use of the mountain environment
- Support members, and especially young people, in skills development
- Provide appropriate services and effective communications to members

What is BOS?

BOS (Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe) is the Irish Mountain Training Board. It is responsible for mountain training in the Republic of Ireland and is a sub-committee of Mountaineering Ireland, the National Governing Body for hillwalking, rockclimbing and all other aspects of mountaineering. Although it does not run training directly it sets standards and validates training and assessment course providers. BOS is a voluntary not-for-profit organisation.

Approved and accredited course provider