Mountaineering National Source Group

Taking Coaching in Mountaineering Forward

The three mountaineering councils MCofS, BMC and MCofI, and Mountain Leader Training UK meet to discuss issues that impact across Britain and Ireland through the Mountaineering Coordination Group (MCG). In autumn 2006 the MCG tasked a working group, the National Source Group (NSG), to investigate the issue of coaching provision within Mountaineering (the term ‘Mountaineering’ is used here to describe all the disciplines of climbing, hill walking and mountaineering).

The NSG members are Brian Griffiths (Chair), Steve Long (MLTUK & BMG, Secretary), Dave Binney & Jon Garside (BMC), Mark Reeves (BMC Cymru), Kev Howett & Dave Macleod (MCofS), Angela Carlin & Eddie Cooper (MCI), Neil Johnson (MLTW), Allen Fyffe (MLTS), Trevor Fisher (MLTNI / Tollymore), Martin Chester (Plas y Brenin), George McEwan (Glenmore Lodge) and Neil Gresham (Independent).

Over the course of 15 months and six meetings, the NSG consulted on the issue with a range of interests, and the MCofS commissioned two reports (funded by sportscotland) to help discussion.

A final report has been produced and was presented to the MCG in September. In this report the NSG suggest a range of options for taking the process forward and made recommendations for the next steps. The MCG recognised the development of a coaching system was a priority for mountaineering and agreed to the recommendations of the NSG as follows:

• Development of a coaching system to be recognised as a priority for Mountaineering.
• Funding is sought from the home nation sports councils to support coaching developments
• The NSG, or similar representative body, is tasked with:

  1. investigating the implications of adopting (or not) the UK Coaching Framework,
  2. producing detailed and costed plan(s) of the option(s) selected by the MCG. The options as highlighted in section 3 of this report.
  3. For the option(s) selected by the MCG, take account of the HSE recognition of the four equal methods of demonstrating competency:
     • to hold a relevant qualification
     • to hold an equivalent qualification
     • to have received appropriate in-house training
     • to be competent through experience.

Read the National Source Group Report on "Coaching in Mountaineering - A Possible Futrure for Coaching Awards" (2008) HERE

Next Steps:

As a first step, the MCG decided that option 3.3 of the report should be investigated further. To this end, the NSG is tasked with reporting on the cost and feasibility ofdeveloping a parallel coaching system in conjunction with the current Mountain Leader Training awards.