Scottish Highland Hillwalking

ABOUT NEIL

Scottish Highland Hillwalking

NEIL KERR

Neil has over fifteen years experience in the outdoor industry, working across five continents with clients ranging from school groups to elite military personnel – plus everything in between.

His passion is year-round climbing and mountaineering; and his enthusiasm for them is infectious!

As one of the few mountaineering instructors in Scotland with an understanding of the Gaelic language and culture, Neil offers you a unique insight into this fascinating landscape and its history.

Dubh Mor specialises in giving you the skills and confidence to progress, improve and ultimately “Do More” than you thought possible.

We ONLY use the most highly-qualified instructors and work fully within the remit of our national governing body awards. Instructor to client ratios are kept small to allow you to get the most out of your course. Your safety, enjoyment and learning are our priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

MOUNTAINEERING:

+ Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI)
+ Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (WMCI)
+ Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI)
+ Summer Mountain Leader (SML)
+ Winter Mountain Leader (WML)

CANOEING:
+ Canoe Leader Award
+ UKCC Level 2
+ Advanced Whitewater Safety and Rescue

GENERAL
+ Full liability and indemnity insurance
+ Outdoor First Aid

Understanding the UK qualifications system can be a daunting process.

We have explained and simplified this for your understanding below.

Why is this important? Two reasons really:

Scottish Highland Hillwalking

1

The qualifications framework is your benchmark to ensure the genuine quality, competence and experience of your instructor. You can rest easy knowing you are going out with people that are extremely capable, competent and qualified in the delivery of these courses.

For example, if you want to go scrambling or multipitch climbing, ensure your instructor holds the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualification.

Likewise, if you want to book a winter skills course, by hiring a certified and qualified WINTER Mountain Leader, you can rest easy knowing that you are paying for a professional: qualified, current, capable and insured.

2

These qualifications represent years of work, accumulated knowledge, experience and confidence in order to lead, guide and instruct you safely in the outdoors.

We are proud of what we have achieved (for example both the WML and MCI are degree level qualifications and represent nearly a decade of work and experience between them!) and want you to be too!

The Qualifications Explained

Scottish Highland Hillwalking

Mountaineering Instructor Scotland

(A MCI will already hold RCI and SML) – same remit, plus Guiding and instruction in: Scrambling

  • “Summer” Mountaineering
  • Teaching lead climbing
  • Multipitch
  • Mountain rock climbs
  • Sea cliffs and sea stacks
  • Self-rescue
  • Problem-solving
  • Alpine Training
  • Ropework for scramblers
  • Technical advice
  • Instructor training and assessments
  • Coasteering*
  • Canyonning*
    *When combined with an appropriate water rescue qualification such as (A)WWSR
  • Ice Climbing
  • Requires a MIC holder

Mountaineering Instructor Scotland

(A WMCI will already hold RCI, SML, WML + MCI) – same remit, plus…

  • Ice, Snow+Mixed (winter) climbing guiding and instruction
  • Advanced Winter Mountaineering

Mountaineering Instructor Scotland

Formerly SPA

  • Indoor climbing
  • Sport climbing
  • Trad climbing
  • Abseiling
  • “Guided” single pitch climbs/’cragging’
  • Top/Bottom rope systems
  • Teaching lead climbing
  • Multipitch
  • Tidal Sea-cliffs
  • Scrambling
  • ALL of these require an MIA holder

Mountaineering Instructor Scotland

  • Leading/guiding/instruction in hillwalking: “Summer” conditions (no snow)
  • Munro-bagging
  • Navigation skills
  • Expedition and campcraft skills
  • Scrambling
  • Requires a MIA holder
  • Winter Leading/Guiding/Instruction
  • Winter Skills Courses
  • Requires a WML holder

Mountaineering Instructor Scotland

(A WML holder will already hold the SML) – same remit, plus…

  • Leading/guiding/instruction in hillwalking: year-round
  • Sport climbing
  • Snowcraft and winter skills
  • Winter Munro-bagging
  • Winter navigation
  • Winter campcraft and expeditions

Canoe Instructor Scotland

Formerly 4* Open Canoe

  • Guiding on canoe journeys and expeditions

Canoe Instructor Scotland

  • Basic – Intermediate
  • Coaching and instruction
  • Open canoes and kayaks
  • “Flat” water

Canoe Instructor Scotland

 Rescue-trained in swiftwater environment

All guides and instructors hold outdoor-specific current first aid qualifications as part of the qualification process, which are regularly updated to ensure best practice.

All guides and instructors are fully insured to operate within the remit of the awards described above – you are in safe hands!

A RCI can teach you the fundamentals of climbing, indoors and out, but most sessions will be as part of a larger group. Conversely, a  MCI is much higher qualified and tends to work in smaller groups, allowing more personalised, client-focussed feedback and enabling  you to progress to the more technical aspects of the sport, such as:

  • outdoor lead climbing (placing your own protection without the security of a “top rope”)
  • multipitch climbing (generally long rock climbs in the mountains)
  • sea-cliff climbing, (where tidal effects may necessitate abseil approach and more complex techniques)
  • skills acquisition such as ropework for scramblers, self-rescue for climbers, big-wall and alpine skills
  • an MCI with water-rescue qualifications and experience is also able to run coasteering, canyoning, Tyrolean traverses and other “rock meets water” courses

= so, if you want to do anything involving rock and ropes in summer conditions in the UK, whether on sea-cliffs, sea-stacks or in the mountains, or if you are looking for highly personalised coaching from someone holding the highest rock climbing and mountaineering qualification in the UK…book a MCI! 

Like a RCI, a SML is primarily a group leader, and has limits on what sort of areas they can operate in. An SML can operate on very easy (grade 1) scrambling terrain but, unlike a MCI, is not qualified in the planned use of a rope.

Q- Can a SML take me over routes such as the Aonach Eagach, Liathach or An Teallach?

A- Strictly speaking, no: this is outwith the remit, qualifications and insurance of a SML. Some SMLs do operate on these hills and attempt to take more basic routes to bag the Munro tops, but miss out all the fun scrambling in between. More importantly, if you find yourself in difficulty up there, you will not have the reassurance, expertise and physical security of a rope that an MCI would provide.

Q- why does it cost more to hire an MCI per person than a SML?

A- aside from the technical expertise and experience provided by an MCI, it is also down to nature of the terrain and the size of the group. When scrambling or mountaineering, MCIs operate with much smaller client groups (usually between 1-4 people) than a SML (up to 10 people). This allows greater individual coaching and feedback on areas such as personal movement, for when you are moving off the rope. Unlike a SML, the MCI’s ability and remit allows them to protect the group members by use of a rope and climbing equipment. Use of the rope allows you to be safe, feel safe, move and learn with confidence, enjoy the experience further, and tackle the mountain by the most pure and satisfying route, in complete safety.

= do the mountains justice, and don’t miss out on the best they have to offer! If you’re looking to do any scrambling, mountaineering, or trickier munros, get the best deal: book a MCI!

A poor forecast is no reason not to go hillwalking – more often than not overcoming this is all part of the challenge of hillwalking and mountaineering, especially in Scotland!

Good waterproofs and a positive attitude go a long way!

Disclaimer: whilst we obviously intend to complete our objectives on the day, your safety and well-being is of paramount importance. Inclement weather conditions on the day may result in an alternative being offered.

My simple distinction for what to expect from your Leader/Guide/Instructor:

A Leader leads you: i.e. takes you places that you can physically go yourself, but improves the experience by removing uncertainty and inputting information.

A Guide guides you: takes you places that you physically could not go yourself, usually keeping you safe by means of a rope.

An Instructor: takes you places you previously thought you couldn’t go, and also gives you the skills and knowledge in order to operate independently in such terrain.

Regardless of qualifications, there is an element of crossover in leading, guiding and instructing. Guides lead and instruct too, but their primary purpose is guiding as defined above. We have structured and defined our courses as to whether they are led, guided or instructional days.

= a MCI / WMCI, is best placed in the UK to offer all elements of this process. Other qualifications have seasonal, topographical and technical limitations. If in doubt…book a (W)MCI!

Scottish Highland Climbing

Climbing

Scottish Highland Scrambling

Scrambling

Scottish Highland Hillwalking

Hillwalking

Scottish Highland Scrambling

Winter

INSTA ADVENTURES

Scottish Highland Hillwalking