Mountain Safety | DVDs & Publications | Hill Walking book

Hill Walking Book      £14.99

Hill Walking is the official handbook of the Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader schemes.

The book is a reference tool for every walker as well as for those who wish to lead in the hills. There are three main parts:-

1. Getting Around in the Hills.

2. The Upland Environment.

3. Party Management

One of the features of the book is the boxed sections which occur whenever there is any information that is especially relevant to leaders. This allows the main topics to be addressed from the viewpoint of an individual walker and this makes the book very user-friendly for the recreational hillgoer. The headings of the first two parts are clearly relevant to all walkers not just potential leaders and the book covers a wide range of important topics. The first sentence of Part III Party Management clearly places this section well within the interest of recreational club hillwalkers,

“A leader’s responsibility can range from a nominal role within a group of equals, through to the challenges and rewards of caring for a party of novices.”

The section goes on to discuss the subconscious links and alliances that are formed within any group and the pecking order that is established. This may seem anathema to some recreational mountaineers but members of many club groups will recognise this phenomenon and be aware of how different personalities deal with this issue. “Duty of Care” lurks around here somewhere and individuals and clubs ignore this at their peril. This section also covers hazards and risk management, ropework and how to deal with incidents and injuries. There is a great deal of useful information in this book and at £14.99 it is excellent value.