“You might be the only person who asks if they’re OK and really listens.”
That single line from Mountain Training’s new Leader Responsibilities e-learning course hit me harder than I expected.
As someone who lives and breathes outdoor adventure, I’ve always focused on safety, planning, navigation, leadership. But this reminder about emotional trust.
It’s not a side note. It’s the core of what we do.
About the course:
Mountain Training’s new Leader Responsibilities e-learning course is designed to support leaders, instructors, and coaches, whether paid or voluntary, in understanding their real-world responsibilities. Covering duty of care, safeguarding, risk management, accessibility, and UK and Ireland legislation, it’s an essential resource. The course was launched partly in response to incidents like the tragic Haverfordwest paddleboarding accident, reminding us that leadership carries serious accountability.
(Free for MTA members, £20 for those registered on a qualification, £30 for the public.)
Duty Beyond the Group
One thing this training really hammered home is that our duty of care stretches beyond just our own group. It’s not just about preventing harm to participants. It’s about courtesy and care for everyone we share outdoor spaces with. Climbers at the next crag. Hillwalkers crossing our path. Families paddling near a gorge scramble exit.
The outdoors is a shared space and we need to demonstrate our professionalism with every choice we make, seen or unseen.
Consent, Health, Insurance: The Serious Stuff
Another area that stayed with me was the serious, practical reminders.
- Consent forms aren’t bureaucracy. They build a foundation of informed trust.
- Health forms aren’t just admin. They help tailor days that empower, not endanger.
- Insurance might feel like belt and braces… until the day you need it.
- Risk assessments aren’t tick-box exercises. They’re living, breathing tools for good judgment.
- Accident and near-miss reports are painful to write, but they’re the gold dust of safer futures.
It’s easy to get lazy about paperwork in favour of the “real” leadership. But the truth is, this is real leadership. Protecting others properly, in every sense.
Further guidance is available in the Mountain Training Resources hub.
Competence: A Living Standard
The idea that the law recognises competence based on experience, not just certificates, made me stop and think hard. It’s comforting. But it’s also a challenge.
It’s much harder to prove competence without formal qualifications. It demands logged experience, strong mentorships, honest reflection, and ongoing CPD.
And it’s a sharp reminder that competence to participate is not the same as competence to lead others.
Just because you can solo a Grade 1 scramble doesn’t mean you should lead a novice group there.
Experience has to be relevant, current, documented and above all humble.
Dynamic Risk: Leadership in Motion
No risk assessment, however detailed, survives the first contact with reality.
The weather changes. A participant falls ill. A path becomes impassable.
Dynamic risk assessment isn’t an optional skill. It’s a corner stone of outdoor leadership.
It’s not just about spotting changes either. It’s about:
- Acting early, without overreacting
- Communicating changes calmly
- Adjusting plans without eroding trust or enjoyment
Good leadership isn’t rigid. It’s responsive. It’s not about controlling the outcome. It’s about creating the conditions where the best possible outcome can emerge.
Barriers to Entry: Who Isn’t Here?
One question that kept pulling at me through this course and something I have noticed when out with clubs, is simple but powerful: who isn’t in the room?
Who isn’t on the hill?
It’s easy to shrug and say “young people just aren’t interested” or “it’s not for everyone.”
But barriers to access are real:
- Kit costs
- Feeling unwelcome
- Lack of visible role models
- Quiet fears about “not fitting in”
As someone who loves the hills and wants others to love them too, I can’t just model good practice and hope. I need to actively open doors.
- Offer spare kit without fuss or judgment
- Talk about budget gear options openly
- Celebrate diverse role models
- Advocate inside clubs for young members schemes, mentoring and a welcoming culture
Adventure belongs to everyone but only if we make it so.
Final Reflection: Carrying the Trust
This course didn’t just remind me about admin checklists or safety briefings, though those matter.
It reminded me that when we lead, we carry trust.
Fragile. Precious. Invisible.
Sometimes that trust looks like a kid telling you they’re scared.
Sometimes it’s a parent letting their teenager go on your hike.
Sometimes it’s a stranger asking directions on a rainy path.
In every case, it’s an invitation:
To listen.
To care.
To hold space.
To lead with humanity.
And if I’m serious about my duty to my groups, my community and the outdoor world I love, that’s a responsibility I’ll keep striving to earn, every step of the way.