Hill & Mountain Walking Skills
Hill & Mountain walking is one of the most popular activities in the UK. The benefits both physically and mentally are well reported and many more people are getting out into our hills and mountains to enjoy the rewards they give.
Hill and Mountain walking is very accessible and free !! which means pretty much anyone can do it.
But this huge playground and accessibility can bring with it some problems. The Hills & Mountains of the UK can have some serious weather and terrain and its quite easy to get yourself into trouble.
Most of the time when there’s an accident or issue we find its ignorance of the risk and poor planning or knowledge of what lies ahead and what to do when things take a turn for the worse, and it’s not necessarily the weather or terrain that’s the issue more people’s planning and reaction to it.
To help people be more prepared and learn new skills we’ve created our Hills & Mountains Skills course. These courses are an ideal way to learn the skills you need to have a safe and enjoyable day in the UK’s Hills & Mountains.
By attending our courses, you will be more confident in tackling what the Hills & Mountains can throw at you.
There are 2 courses – The Hills Skills course and The Mountain Skills course.
Both course’s are run by the owner of Peak-Outdoor Simon Stokes who is a qualified NNAS Navigation Tutor, Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor and you can be assured of a tentative tutor for your time with us.
All our courses are run in a fun and engaging manner with lots of practical teaching and learning in the local hills of the Dark & White Peak District. Simon will deliver many different coaching methods to ensure each learning style is meet and at everyones pace.
Our courses are run from AlpKit in Hathersage and you can enjoy a 10% in store discount during the course, we have many links with local accommodation providers and can recommend somewhere for your stay.
Complementary teas and coffees are included, please wear appropriate outdoor clothing, waterproofs, walking boots / shoes and a rucksack for time on the hill and also a pack lunch and a drink for each day.
Hill Skills
Hill Skills – 2 days, based in Hathersage in The Peak District.
This is the perfect introduction to getting started for walking in the countryside, hills and moorlands of the UK. No previous experience or fitness is needed as this is mainly aimed at beginners and is also useful for experienced walkers who want to hone their skills in planning, navigation, equipment, safety and emergency procedures.
What you will learn: –
- Planning a walk – how to plan a hill walk, timing and pacing, safety, route finding and other aspects to consider.
- Walking Skills – injury prevention, nutrition, movement skills on different terrain.
- Clothing & Equipment – what to pack in your rucksack, top tips, improving safety, right equipment for the environment & weather.
- Weather – how the weather effects your walk in the hills and how to link in with planning & equipment.
- Navigation – Introduction to maps, symbols, pacing and timing, compasses, grid references and contours.
- Environment – local and national access legislation – The Countryside Code and other outdoor stakeholders and organisations , how to minimise your impact on the environment, best practice and personal responsibility.
- Hazards & Safety Procedures – Self-reliance, how to avoid calling for help and what to do in an emergency.
- Useful Resources & Tips – a collection of our secret tips and nifty ideas to make your life easier and more productive on the hill, also useful resources to improve your knowledge on the outdoors.
Our Hills skills courses are run at slower pace than the mountain skills course and we spend less time on the hill. We start off in the classroom with our experienced Mountain Leader Tutor and the rest of the group planning our walk on the hill together and then we go out onto the paths and tracks of the moorlands, hills and countryside to put the walk into practice and cover other aspects of the syllabus. Then its back to the classroom to review the day and plan the next day ahead.
The course will involve 4-5 hours outside on tracks and paths that are rough under foot, the pace of the walking is not demanding and the main emphasis will be on learning the skills and ensuring everyone’s learning style and pace is considered.
Our hill skills courses are £120.00 per person for 2 days
To make a booking, please call 07970 835737 or click on Contact Us
Mountain Skills
Mountain Skills – 2 days, based in Hathersage in The Peak District.
This is ideal for the participant who has either completed the Hill Skills course or an experienced and fit hill walker who wants to hone their skills in the steep and remote mountainous terrain. Ideally the participant will have basic hill walking skills and a reasonable level of fitness. The course is run in high mountain terrain, off paths and tracks and on steeper rockier ground. We build on existing hillwalking knowledge and go into more detail on high mountain planning, navigation, equipment, safety and emergency procedures.
What you will learn: –
- Planning a walk – how to plan a mountain walk, timing and pacing, safety, route finding and other aspects to consider.
- Walking Skills – injury prevention, nutrition, movement skills on different terrain.
- Clothing & Equipment – what to pack in your rucksack for longer mountain days and expeditions, nifty industry tips, improving safety, right equipment for the environment & weather.
- Weather – how the weather effects your walk in the mountains and how to link in with planning & equipment.
- Navigation – Detailed learning of different maps, symbols, pacing and timing, compasses, grid refences, contours, how to take and walk on a baring.
- Environment – local and national access legislation – The Countryside Code and other outdoor stakeholders and organisations , how to minimise your impact on the environment, best practice and personal responsibility.
- Hazards & Safety Procedures – Self-reliance, how to avoid calling for help and what to do in an emergency.
- Useful Resources & Tips – a collection of our secret tips and nifty ideas to make your life easier and more productive on the mountain, also useful resources to improve your knowledge on the outdoors.
Our Mountain skills courses are run at a steady pace, the course starts with your Mountain Leader tutor and your group planning a mountain walking session. Then its straight onto the higher rockier terrain of the mountain environment where we cover other parts of the syllabus and the differences from lower land hills to the mountain environment.
The physical effort is more demanding than the Hill Skills course and you can expect to be in a more remote and challenging environment for between 5-6 hours covering more ground and steeper terrain but at an even pace to ensure the learning is at everybody’s level and style.
Our Mountain Skills courses are £120.00 per person for 2 days
To make a booking, please call 07970 835737 or click on Contact Us