National Governing Body Awards

The Mountaineering Instructor scheme is the United Kingdom’s highest National Governing Body Award for instructing mountaineering. Whatever your age or level of skill, you can benefit from a day out with a Mountaineering Instructor Certificate or Mountaineering Instructor Award holder. Mountaineering Instructors (MICs and MIAs) provide the majority of training and assessment of candidates for the Walking Group Leader Award, the Summer and Winter Mountain Leader Awards and the Single Pitch Award. They also provide technical consultancy and training for a wide range of outdoor activity centres, training schemes and voluntary organisations.

Mountaineering Instructor Certificate MIC

The Mountaineering Instructor Certificate is the higher qualification within the Mountaineering Instructor scheme. MIC holders are qualified to instruct all aspects of mountaineering, both summer and winter, including rock climbing, scrambling and technical snow and ice climbing and winter mountaineering. MICs will already have passed their MIA and Winter ML, after which they will have undertaken further training and assessment in teaching winter climbing to obtain their MIC.

Mountaineering Instructor Award MIA

MIAs are qualified to instruct mountaineering in non-winter conditions including all aspects of rock climbing, both single and multi-pitch, plus hill walking and scrambling. Some MIA holders also hold the Winter Mountain Leader Award which allows them to lead mountain walking in winter.

Winter ML (Winter Mountain Leader Award)

A Winter ML holder is qualified to lead hill walking parties under winter conditions in the British Isles (excluding roped climbing on technical terrain).

back to top

Association of Mountaineering Instructors: Siabod Cottage, Capel Curig, Conwy, North Wales LL24 OET.
Tel: 01690 720 123 Fax: 01690 720 248 email here.