International Mountain Leader Award
The professional qualification for individuals who wish to lead trekking parties to all mountain areas except on glaciers, and where the techniques or equipment of alpinism are required.
The International Mountain Leader can also operate on easy snow-covered terrain, providing it is of a gentle, rolling ("Nordic") type in the “middle” mountains.
A new IML training scheme was implemented in 2007. The main changes to the scheme includes replacing the requirement for ML(W) training at registration with a separate IML Winter Training Course based in Europe, adding a Europe-based Winter Assessment and removing the one-day navigation test for non ML(W) Award holders.
Note: The remit of the award and the qualification itself have not changed - you can view this here. The changes which were implemented in 2007 are changes to the training scheme which leads to the qualification.
IML Training Course
Registration Requirements
All potential candidates must first register for the International Mountain Leader Scheme and satisfy the following conditions.
You must:
- Complete the Mountain Leader Award (Summer) Note: requires UK experience - see here.
- 20 summer international quality mountain days
- 20 winter quality mountain days (UK or overseas)
- Identify a suitable referee to endorse the registration application, preferably a Mountaineering Instructor, Guide or ML Centre staff member, but other long term climbing/walking partner or suitable employer will be considered.
Stages of the scheme
- Obtain the Mountain Leader award (Summer) and relevant experience as outlined above.
- Register for the IML scheme with MLTUK and receive logbook pages.
- Attend a five-day IML Summer Training Course which includes the IML Speed Navigation Test. These courses are run in the United Kingdom at one of the National Mountain Centres starting in 2007
At this stage candidates can progress to IML Summer Assessment (or can attend Winter Training and attend IML Summer Assessment at a later date - but prior to Winter Assessment).
- Gain further experience as required before the IML Summer Assessment.
- Pass the four-day IML Summer Assessment. This course takes place outside the United Kingdom, currently in the European Alps. It is a hut-based course with three nights being spent in appropriate mountain huts.
- Attend a five-day IML Winter Training Course run in the European Alps.
- Gain further experience as required before the Winter Assessment.
Before the final Winter IML assessment, all candidates must have logged, in total, the minimum following experience:
- 30 quality summer mountain days overseas
- 30 quality winter mountain days, including a minimum of 10 overseas
- Pass the five-day IML Winter Assessment Course which takes place outside the United Kingdom, typically in the European Alps, during the winter season.
BAIML Membership
To work as an IML with a Carnet and insurance you have to be a member of BAIML, the British Association of International Mountain Leaders, www.baiml.org.
DEFINITION OF A QUALITY MOUNTAIN DAY
A quality international summer mountain day should be a mountain day outside of the UK and Ireland and include more than half of the following criteria:
- In an environment below 3000m, the day should include a height gain of approximately 1000m.
- In an environment above 3000m the day should include a height gain of approximately 300m between each sleeping height.
- A journey of a minimum of six hours.
- Use of navigational skills including the use of a map, compass, altimeter or GPS
- Decision-making about route choice and judgement of terrain
- Planning involving the use of a weather forecast
- Ascent and/or descent of steep broken ground
- Negotiation of sections of fixed equipment and/or small sections of snow as part of the normal mountain journey
- Appreciation of the environment and an increase in one’s own environmental knowledge
DEFINITIONS OF A QUALITY WINTER MOUNTAIN DAY
A quality UK winter mountain day should follow all the normal criteria for a quality winter day for the ML(W) scheme.
A quality international winter mountain day should be a mountain day outside of the UK and Ireland.
- This applies when winter conditions, including snow and ice, prevail or are forecast
- This is not limited to any particular time of the year, but appropriate weather conditions (e.g. cold air) should prevail
- It should include more than half of the following criteria:
- Must involve movement and travel on snow
- Must include ascent and/or descent
- A journey of a minimum of five hours
- Planning involving the use of weather and avalanche forecasts
- Use of navigational skills including the use of a map, compass, altimeter, or GPS
- Progress made in poor or worsening weather conditions
- Decision-making about route choice and judgement of terrain
- Evaluation of the snow pack and avalanche hazard throughout the day and on-going decision-making
- Appreciation of the winter environment and an increase in one’s own environmental knowledge.