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Mountain Skills Courses

Accredited Mountain Skills Courses in Ireland

The Mountain Skills (MS) training scheme provides a general introduction to hillwalking and introduces the basics of mountain navigation, thereby providing a solid foundation for gaining personal mountaineering proficiency. Nationally accredited by Mountaineering Ireland, our Mountain Skills courses teach the necessary skills in mountain safety, navigation, hazard awareness, and personal equipment, so that a person completing the course may be able to safely, and competently hike in the mountains of Ireland.

Mountain Skills training is divided into three blocks, MS1, MS2 and MS Assessment. MS1 and MS2 are the basic training blocks covering all aspects of hillwalking that the candidate will require to become a self-sufficient hiker. MS training and assessment is an essential prerequisite for those who wish to progress onto the Mountain Leader Scheme.

You should have some previous hillwalking experience before you embark on a Mountain Skills training course. There is no minimum age limit to MS training or assessment.

The Mountain Skills 1 course covers:

  • Map reading and basic navigational techniques
  • Recognition of natural features and contour interpretation
  • Mountain hazards
  • Personal equipment
  • Measuring distance
The Mountain Skills 2 course builds on MS1 and covers:

  • Use of a compass
  • Route planning
  • Navigation, (inc. night navigation)
  • Safe travel on steep ground
  • Emergency procedures

MS1 and MS2 are generally run over two-day periods and comprise a mixture of indoor informal lectures/discussions and outdoor practical sessions.

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Our one day Mountain Skills refresher course is designed to meet the individual needs of clients who might be preparing for their Mountain Skills Assessment or just want to refresh the skills learned on a previous MS course. They are predominantly run in the Wicklow mountains.