Hi all.
I have registered with Mountain Training England for the Walking Group Leader Award and I was wondering if anyone else on this forum has or is completing the same award?
Any help or advise would also be appreciated.
Regards.
Radioman.
I don’t have the award but know those that do…but I cant really help
I am interested however into your decision to got for WGL rather than ML(S)…I presume there is reasoning behind it I am simply curious,
we have 3 WGL in our Wing and 10 ML(S) and that tends to be the trend in interest too given the “extra bits” the ML gives
Hi steve679.
The reasons behind my decision to go for WGL and not straight to ML(S).
1)My age, I’m 53 and I had to look at what time I have left in this organisation, what with the ACO money belt having to be tightened further all the time, there is going to come a time when even the very best staff will not get extended as a money saving exercise.
2)I have had to look at what is achievable for me between WGL and ML(S) against my family time, my work time and the time I give to the ATC at squadron, weekends, week long camps and behind the scenes.
3)I have to complete 20 logged upland QMD walks before the training course and a further 20 before the actual assessment and there is the homework as well so this is all going to take time.
4)Once I have completed the WGL and got some experience under my belt then there is the option to go on a conversion course at Plas y Brenin National Mountain Training Centre, Capel Curig, North Wales to upgrade my WGL to ML(S) of course this upgrade course will cost but I would rather achieve the WGL first and then the upgrade to ML(S) if time allows than to go straight to ML(S) and not complete this due biting off more than I can chew in the first place.
As regards the ML(S)conversion training course, this course is also available to the 3 WGL’s in your Wing, they can upgrade if they wish and I only mention Plas y Brenin as I know they offer this type of course, however, the ACO national outdoor training centre at Windermere in the Lake District may offer this type of conversion course but this will need investigating further.
Regards.
Radioman.
Hi Radioman,
Sorry I can’t help you with your query but having recently joined the ACO as a CI living on the edge of the Lake District NP I will be following any replies you get with interest.
It is interesting what you are saying about the WGL upgrade to ML(S), it will good for me to know if it can be done at Windermere.
I wonder if you know where the BEL fits into the equation (if indeed it does)?
Regards,
M0XSD.
The WGL will be renamed in April to Hill and moorland leader.
There was a really good poster produced by the Mountain Training organisation explaining the different levels between all of the new awards, as they are introducing a “lowland leader” which will be similar to BEL I believe.
I am an ML(S) holder and as far as I am aware, the syllabus of the two awards are very similar, and the standards expected are the same. The only key difference is that ML(S) requires security on steep ground (ropework). Happy to be corrected on that though as I haven’t gone through the syllabi in detail. The pre- and post-training experience requirements are the same.
So personally, I don’t see much advantage to doing the HML over ML(S) unless you are certain you are only going to want to lead groups in that type of terrain, or you live a long way from any mountains!
In terms of practically preparing - make sure you have plenty of solo walking days, in poor weather. Practice micro-navigation techniques and get out to a number of different areas to get your days in. Getting all of your days in Dartmoor may make you a good navigator and experienced in pants weather, but won’t give you a wide enough experience to pass the assessment.
I follow this with interest too.
My squadron is large and successful but the sports and adventurous training side is underdeveloped. They seem to be losing cadets as a result.
At our wing conference we were shown this image:
from here [url=http://www.mountain-training.org/about/awards-pathway]http://www.mountain-training.org/about/awards-pathway[/url] as our wing seems to be trying to focus on these as they also have the climbing awards to try and provide the ‘Core 3’ activities. However I can’t find the powerpoint, but I think it had a comparison with where BEL and the like fit in.
That’s what I was looking for, thanks!
Hi MOXSD.
Ref your question about BELA and where it fits in.
The Basic Expedition Leader Award, Level 3 is a Sports Leaders UK award which allows you to plan, prepare and supervise journeys on foot in lowland terrain, to camp on official sites and in farm based fields or similar with access to toilets and tap water, to train the participants to undertake these activities.
The Level 3 BELA Award as I have found out is not generally taken into account when applying for WGL or ML(S), however it is a good qualification to have as it does give you a base to work from if you intend to go further with other outdoor qualifications and not forgetting you still have a NGB award which will allow you to take your cadets away to complete IET or D of E expeditions at Bronze or Silver level, so in my opinion it is not a waste of time or effort.
(I wait to be corrected if I have got it all wrong).
Regards.
Radioman.
[quote=“radioman” post=15435]Hi steve679.
The reasons behind my decision to go for WGL and not straight to ML(S).
1)My age, I’m 53 and I had to look at what time I have left in this organisation, what with the ACO money belt having to be tightened further all the time, there is going to come a time when even the very best staff will not get extended as a money saving exercise.
2)I have had to look at what is achievable for me between WGL and ML(S) against my family time, my work time and the time I give to the ATC at squadron, weekends, week long camps and behind the scenes.
3)I have to complete 20 logged upland QMD walks before the training course and a further 20 before the actual assessment and there is the homework as well so this is all going to take time.
4)Once I have completed the WGL and got some experience under my belt then there is the option to go on a conversion course at Plas y Brenin National Mountain Training Centre, Capel Curig, North Wales to upgrade my WGL to ML(S) of course this upgrade course will cost but I would rather achieve the WGL first and then the upgrade to ML(S) if time allows than to go straight to ML(S) and not complete this due biting off more than I can chew in the first place.
As regards the ML(S)conversion training course, this course is also available to the 3 WGL’s in your Wing, they can upgrade if they wish and I only mention Plas y Brenin as I know they offer this type of course, however, the ACO national outdoor training centre at Windermere in the Lake District may offer this type of conversion course but this will need investigating further.
Regards.
Radioman.[/quote]
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions so fluently.
We have a Staff member in a similar situation and is looking at WGL rather than ML(S) for very much the same reasons. However he is the only one (I know of) in the Wing looking to go above BELA yet isn’t looking to get ML(S) and so it is unusual (for me) to hear of someone else going down the WGL route hence my question.
The WGL potential I know of (and one who already has WGL) does a lot of work on Dartmoor with DofE groups however doesn’t have the qualification to be useful in the region and in combination with your point 1 and 3 cannot justify the extra work for ML(S) for what he’d use it for.