Hill and Moorland Leader Award (HML) Assessment in the Peak District
Become a Qualified Hill and Moorland Walking Group Leader
Gain the confidence and skills to lead walking groups in upland terrain across the UK. The Hill and Moorland Leader Award is a nationally recognised qualification from Mountain Training, designed for those who want to lead groups in non-mountainous areas such as the Peak District, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Yorkshire Dales, and Cheviots.
Previously this award has been known as the Walking Group Leader Award and no longer includes the ‘overnight experience’. A separate Camping Leader Award can be ‘bolted on’ to certain walking awards if you want to increase the scope of your award to include multi-day expeditions.
3 Day Assessment
The Hill and Moorland Leader assessment is three days long. You will be assessed against the syllabus competencies in the candidate handbook. At the end of the assessment you will receive one of three results:
- Pass
- Defer (requires a partial reassessment)
- Fail (requires a full reassessment
For full details, visit the Mountain Training website to download the official Hill and Moorland Award syllabus.
Pre-Course Requirements – Set by Mountain Training
To enrol for the Hill and Moorland Leader Award, you must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Have completed a Hill and Moorland Leader training course (or a Mountain Leader training course)
- Be familiar with the syllabus
- Have recorded a minimum of 40 quality hill days in at least three upland areas of the UK or Ireland
- Have physically attended and completed (i.e. not online) a first aid course which involved at least two full days or sixteen hours of instruction and included an element of assessment – We offer accredited Outdoor First Aid courses that meet this requirement
Accommodation & Catering
This is a non-residential course. However, on-site accommodation may be available at an additional cost – please contact us to enquire. If we’re fully booked, we’ll be happy to recommend local alternatives.
- Hot drinks and refreshments are provided
- Meals are not included – please bring a packed lunch each day
Course Cost
Location & Directions
The course takes place at Thornbridge Outdoors, located in the heart of the Peak District.
- Grid Reference: SK196 710
- Latitude/Longitude: 53.235849, -1.7080847
- For directions, visit our Find Us page
Booking & Further Information
- Course timings are flexible depending on the time of year and conditions
- A full course programme, home paper, and kit list will be emailed to participants before the course
- For information about training courses
- Be sure to read our course booking terms and conditions
Expand Your Qualification
Want to lead multi-day expeditions? Add the Camping Leader Award to broaden your scope and lead overnight trips.
