Friday: The Journey to Plas y Brenin
The week began in a blur of last-minute tasks. I had been working at East Cambridgeshire District Council in Ely, desperately trying to get all the loose ends sorted before it was time to get a lift across the country to Snowdonia with my father. The rush of finishing work, grabbing my kit, and hitting the road made everything feel a little chaotic, but by the time we arrived in Snowdonia, my excitement had started to build.
We just about had time to grab a pint at the bar before crashing out. I knew the next six days were going to push me to my limits, and I needed every bit of sleep I could get.
Saturday: First Steps in Navigation & Leadership
The morning kicked off with an orientation session at Plas y Brenin, covering the structure of the course and what to expect. Then, we headed straight out into the mountains, making our way to Pen y Pass. The day was spent wandering around the Devil’s Horns, focusing on pacing and timing techniques, fundamental skills for any mountain leader.
It was a classic Snowdonia day, cloudy with light drizzle towards the end. Not terrible conditions, but enough to remind us that the mountains are never predictable.
Back at the centre, the evening lecture was a welcome opportunity to sit down and warm up. Caroline, one of the instructors, gave a talk about her experience working at an outdoor centre in New Zealand. She discussed how different environments shape leadership styles. Hearing about mountain leadership on the other side of the world gave me a fresh perspective on what it means to guide others in remote terrain.
Sunday: Glyders, Leadership & Positioning in the Group
Today we tackled the Glyders, ascending via Glyder Fawr’s NNE ridge. Low visibility and strong winds greeted us at the summit. Ideal conditions for practicing navigation under pressure. There’s something exhilarating about finding your way in thick mist, relying on nothing but a compass, pacing, and judgment.
A big part of the day was spent on leadership positioning. Understanding where to place yourself in a group:
- Front: The authoritarian leader, setting a pace and making direct decisions.
- Middle: The facilitator, keeping the group moving together.
- Back: The laid-back position, offering support while allowing the group some independence.
We discussed route choice, spotting for each other, and keeping communication constant. These were all vital skills for the groups I would be leading in the hills over the coming years.
Our descent took us towards Tryfan, picking our way down carefully before heading back to the centre. That evening, we had the infamous kit talk by Paddy, an enthusiastic Irishman who knew gear inside out. Watching him confidently simmer a Whisperlite stove was both entertaining and humbling. At the time those stoves seemed more temperamental than they were worth! Little did I know I would come to love mine and only reluctantly swap it out when my son started to want to help with the stoves on adventures.
A side discussion cropped up about camping gas price-fixing. Turns out at the time Epogas and Campingaz were the same company, controlling the market. One of those random but interesting details that you only seem to find out during random conversations.
Monday: Search & Rescue, River Crossings, and Steep Ground Security
The day was packed with technical skills, starting with a search and rescue session at Plas y Brenin. We practiced different techniques for locating and assisting missing or injured walkers, emphasising calm, methodical decision-making under pressure.
In the afternoon, we tackled river crossings. One of those skills that sounds simple but is surprisingly difficult in practice. Even a knee-deep river can be shockingly powerful when you’re fully kitted up with a rucksack! We learned how to assess depth, current strength, and safe crossing points.
Later, we turned our attention to security on steep ground, practicing belaying techniques and anchor setups on the ski slope. The day wrapped up with a talk by Steve, who shared stories about a trip with Joe Simpson. Hearing firsthand accounts from experienced mountaineers was both humbling and inspiring.
Tuesday: The Art of Steep Ground Security
A full day dedicated to steep ground skills, led by Carlo Forte. We worked through the fundamentals of:
✅ Indirect belays
✅ Direct belays
✅ Lowering techniques
✅ Confidence roping
✅ Classic abseil techniques
I was paired up with Paul Brown, a paramedic from York, and we practiced different belay setups and rope techniques. We also experimented with using slings, only to be told they wouldn’t be allowed at assessment!
Back at the centre, we prepped for our overnight expedition, checking Trangia stoves and ensuring our kit was ready. The evening lecture was on fungi. Not the most thrilling topic at first glance although surprisingly fascinating once we got into it.
Wednesday: Into the Wild. Navigation, Scrambling & Night Nav
After a final kit check, we set off into the mountains for our overnight expedition.
Starting towards Carnedd Llewelyn, I immediately recognised the terrain from a walk with my dad earlier that summer. Each of us was assigned a navigation leg, responsible for leading to a specific feature. Everyone else had fairly straight forwards spot heights to find. So when it came to my challenge, what was I to get? A small kink in an index contour line on a spur! Not the easiest for a teenager! Although Carlo’s advice stuck with me: “Take your time at assessment, accuracy is more important than speed.”
The highlight of the day was a scramble up Crib Lem (Llech Ddu Spur). An exposed but stunning ridge, a well-earned reward for the navigation work earlier.
With the tents up and as darkness fell, we started the night navigation exercise. With no ring contours, we relied on sheepfolds as markers, using pacing, bearings, handrails and attack points. Though from my experience on that evening I found timing was a little unreliable in the dark.
Finally, exhausted, we brewed up, had a snack, and crawled into our sleeping bags.
Thursday: The Final Challenge & Heading Home
I woke up to the sound of stoves being lit as the group stirred. Peering out of my tent, I saw another team descending towards us before continuing up Yr Elen. A surreal moment, watching others tackle the same challenges we’d faced the night before.
Our final scramble took us back to the summit, then a careful navigation exercise down through reduced visibility to the road, a few miles from Ogwen Cottage, where the minibus awaited.
Back at Plas y Brenin, we cleaned up, packed our gear, and received our debriefs.
The key feedback? “Get more experience in the hills.”
A simple but vital message. The best Mountain Leaders aren’t made by a course but by days spent navigating, leading and learning.
With that, my dad arrived, and I was on the road home; tired, inspired and with a newfound respect for what it means to be a Mountain Leader.
Reflections on the Course
Looking back, the 1997 Mountain Leader Training was a turning point. I arrived as a competent hillwalker who was just starting to get into mountain running hot of the Rum Ridge Traverse and with the trip to Knoydart for even more running yet to come. I left with a completely different mindset: one focused on leadership, risk assessment and decision-making.
The week reinforced my love for the mountains and more importantly, it showed me how much I still had to learn.
For anyone considering Mountain Leader Training, my advice is simple:
Embrace the challenge. You’ll walk away with more than skills. You’ll gain confidence, resilience and the ability to lead others safely into the mountains.