Elis’s story:

Spending time outdoors is something I’ve been doing since I was young. Mum used to take me and my brothers out for a walk for hours, the only way to get us tired she says! On walks she told stories of local legends, and taught us about all the plants and trees, flowers and birds that surrounded us. Since those early days, spending time outdoors has been very important to me, and living on the Llyn Peninsula has allowed me to do this.

My day-to-day work is a primary school teacher, and I love teaching. But growing up I knew that working in the outdoors is what I really wanted to do.

A few years ago I went on a trip to Romania to hike the country’s highest mountain, Moldoveanu Peak (2,544m). The mountain leaders we hired were great. They were two local lads and they were both so passionate about their work and very knowledgeable about the mountain and the area.

I was so inspired by them, that immediately after coming home, the first thing I did was to research into how to become a mountain leader!

There was so much information, and I read for hours.

Time went on and life was busy, but all the time it was still in the back of my mind—the desire to become a mountain leader.

Fast forward to summer 2024. I had just finished my first year of teaching and really enjoyed it, but felt that it was working outdoors and out in the mountains that really interested me.

When I was out with my local running club one weekend I had a chat with another member of the club who had completed a Mountain Leader course with a local provider. They said they had learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it.

That made me realise I should go for it!

This is also when I heard about The Outdoor Partnership and the Volunteer Ambassadors scheme.

Volunteer Ambassadors:

The Volunteer Ambassadors scheme helps people gain qualifications through financial support, with the Ambassadors then helping The Outdoor Partnership with their work by volunteering in a variety of ways.

After applying and meeting with Sian and going through the induction, I was an Ambassador! We discussed different options and opportunities available and agreed on a plan.

I was supported to attend a mountain leader course and got help to find a good local provider. I will then work with The Outdoor Partnership to inspire others to try outdoor activities.

The Mountain Leader course:

January 2025. Well finally, almost five years later, the week arrived, I was going to start my Mountain Leader course. I was so excited.

Before I talk about how the week went, let me explain more about the course. The Mountain Leader course is a six-day course. A course that teaches and prepares us for being quality mountain leaders. On the course you will learn about the weather, and how to read and understand weather charts in order to plan your trip. There is also a huge amount of attention and emphasis on map and compass work and how to read the landscape. I’m sure you’re thinking exactly the same thing as me: “Why do I need to know how to use a map and compass when I have apps on my phone?”!

By now I understand why and I really enjoy using and developing my map and compass skills. The rest of the course includes ropework, a camping expedition and how to cross a river safely.

Monday Morning – Day 1!

Before the leader arrived I was sitting with the rest of the crew who were attending the course with me. Everyone was quiet at first, but after a while everyone was comfortable and asking where everyone came from, and the reason for attending the course. 2 of us were from Wales. Another member was from Poland and the other three were from England. Although we were from different places, our shared interest in the outdoors and the mountains was very strong.

After the official welcome from the course leader, they explained what was to come in the week, and then we went out to practice our map work. Initially we used a 1:25000 scale map. Before getting on the mountain we worked out our pacing – this allows us to work out average distances when walking.

The rest of day was spent on Moel Eilio.

As we walked the instructor discussed how to use and read a 1:25000 map scale correctly, and discussed the detail and information to be seen. In turn we had the opportunity to lead part of the journey. We were given a special mark or feature on the map and were required to take a bearing and pace in order to get to the right place on the map. The rest of the crew didn’t know where the mark was on the map, so in those times they had to concentrate and make sure they were taking the correct direction and counting their steps.

Day 2, there was an emphasis on rope work on steep terrain. It was wet and grey weather so I wasn’t looking forward much to being out all day. About a mile outside Llanberis, above the road there is a steep and rocky area. There we spent the day learning different techniques and knots, and the appropriate use of ropes to keep people safe and give confidence on the mountain. Pretty simple knots are used so it was easy enough to learn on the day. Despite the conditions, it was a good day and I learned a lot of new things.

Day 3. There was a big storm on its way towards the end of the week, so the order of the week had to be changed. We decided that we would go out to camp today instead of day and night five. So off we went to Nant Gwynant to begin the expedition. The intention of the next two days was to practice map work again, and see how effectively we were camping and the systems being used for cooking, carrying water and camping without facilities, and then map work in the dark or in poor visibility.

We camped in Cwm Tregalan, and after some rest, it was dark enough to go out to practice map work. One by one we were given a section to lead. We went to the summit of yr Aran first, before coming down the other side and joining back the path. Then we went down to the old quarry and either side to the Cwm Llan river. It was January then, and as you can imagine, it was soaking underfoot! Nevertheless I enjoyed and learned a lot of great little tricks. By nine o’clock and everyone was tired, so we went back to the tents to get food, a cup of tea and I went straight to sleep!

Day 4. Waking up around 7:30 a.m. and opening the tent zip to look out, I found that it was a cold morning, and raining lightly. After coffee and breakfast it was time to pack everything to be ready to leave at nine o’clock.

The intention of this day was to practice map work again, but this time with a 1:50000 scale map. Off we went, again alternately leading parts of the walk, working our way up in the direction of Lliwedd, before coming back down to Nant Gwynant. This was a tough day because with the wind chill (it was -4), it was snowing, raining and sleeting for most of the day! On arriving back at Nant Gwynant, I was so glad to see the car, and ready to go home for a decent cup of tea and to warm-up. But before that there was one more task to the day.

As part of the course it is important to know how to cross a river safely. We didn’t have to go into the river, but leader showed us different techniques on how to be safe and effective in crossing.

Day 5. The storm and strong winds had arrived, and trees and wheely bins were everywhere! The instructor decided that we would venture out, but stay low and go somewhere sheltered to practice our rope work further. So off we went to Cwm Idwal. I’ve never been out in such a strong wind as that day! I had to crouch down every ten meters or so as the strong gusts of wind came around. It was quite an experience. When we finally arrived where we were heading, it was completely sheltered there, with little wind. There we spent a couple of hours practicing and developing our skills, before returning back down the valley towards the car. By this time the storm had more or less passed and it was considerably less windy. This taught me that a good leader can organize a safe and rewarding day, in any conditions!

Day 6. Due to the storm the order of the week had changed completely. Everything on the syllabus had been covered, so the morning was spent as a session for us to ask the leader questions about anything we weren’t sure of or something we were concerned about.

Then there was a private discussion evaluating the week; strengths and weaknesses, and what needs more practice before going for the assessment.

So that’s it. That’s a personal story of my experience doing the Mountain Leader course.

After a long time pondering and researching, I’m extremely proud that I went for it, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot during the course and developed valuable skills. I’m planning to practice quite a bit on the skills, and hope to go on the assessment soon. Afterwards, I will have the opportunity to give similar experiences to others, which I had in Romania, and I look forward to inspiring others to discover how great the outdoors is!

A huge thank you to The Outdoor Partnership for the financial support, which has enabled me to attend the course. And also thanks to Phill and Joe; the leaders, for an interesting and fun week. The experience was great, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what doors this qualification will open for me.