Mountaineering Ireland Training courses

Britton Outdoors is focused on teaching aspiring hillwalkers to become self-sufficient in the Irish mountains and is keen to encourage all participants to explore the beautiful Irish hills. We run two levels of certified Mountain Skills training courses as well as customised training for group bookings. The first certified course is a two-day introduction to basic navigation skills also known as Mountain skills one. It is aimed at beginners who have little or no map reading skills. The second course, Mountain skills two, covers some of the skills in more detail with the addition of some night navigation. As well as navigation, the Mountain Skills training courses offer a solid foundation for gaining personal mountaineering proficiency skills, covering mountain safety, knowledge of hazards and personal equipment so that a person finishing the courses may be in a position to safely and competently take to the hills. The training courses are run in small groups with a max of 6 participants which ensures lots of one to one tuition and leads to a strong, friendly learning environment where peers learn from each other and there is no such thing as a silly question.


€150 pp

Mountain Skills 1 Training

DateVarious Dates
DifficultyEasy
Group size6

This course provides a general introduction to hillwalking in Ireland and the basics of mountain navigation. It offers a solid foundation for gaining personal mountaineering proficiency.

Galtee Mountains
Book Now
€150 pp

Mountain Skills 2 Training

DateVarious Dates
DifficultyEasy
Group size6

The Mountain Skills 2 is also a two-day course that builds and consolidates on the skills developed during Mountain Skills 1. This course consists of group-led discussions on a number of topics that are pre-prepared and plenty of practical navigation experience on the hills.

Commeragh Mountains
Book Now

    I completed a 2-day hiking course with Mark and what a nice guy and has a wealth of knowledge of the ballyhoura area

    Kevin Fitzgerald

    Brilliant course. We did it last year and found Mark to be an excellent trainer.. calm and clear in his directions.. top notch. đź‘Ť

    Martin Leonard

    I loved this course last year too. Mark helped me regain my confidence in the mountains. He is super knowledgeable and answered all my questions while challenging me to learn and apply the new skills. While also having fun!

    Jessica O Keefe

    FAQs

    Here are some frequent questions & answers

    • How do I book into a Mountain Skills Course?

      You can contact us at info@brittonoutdoors.com or 086 1967141 to arrange a booking. A deposit is required of €50 to confirm your place on the course with the balance payable on the weekend of the course.

    • Is the Mountain Skills 1 & 2 deposit refundable?

      If you contact us three weeks prior to the course then we can either refund your deposit or move your booking to another date that works for you. Unfortunately, if it is closer than three weeks (21days) to the course the deposit is non-refundable.

    • What experience do I need to have to sign up for a mountain skills 1 course?

      The MS 1 course is aimed at novice hikers with a general level of fitness. The course covers a lot of the basic navigation skills you will need to be able to explore further afield and help to enjoy your hiking long into the future.

    • What experience do I need to have to sign up for a mountain skills 2 course?

      You will need to have already completed a MS1 course in order to sign up for the MS 2 course. Alternatively, if you have extensive experience in navigation and feel you would be able to skip the MS1 course please get in touch. There are some exceptions to this however as it is a certified Mountaineering Ireland training course you would need to fulfil their requirements.

    • Are the Mountain Skills courses certified?

      The courses are all run by a qualified and certified trainer. The courses are certified by Mountaineering Ireland. The courses are run on a Max of 1:6 (1 instructor to 6 students) so there is lots of time for one to one tuition.

    • How many people can do a mountain skills course?

      Each course has a maximum of 6 participants to one instructor. A minimum of 3 participants are required to run the course.

    • What is the age limit for a mountain skills course?

      There is no minimum age limit however we would recommend being over 16. For anyone between 16 and 18 they would need a parent/guardian with them.

    • What happens if the weather is very bad on the day of the hike/course?

      The participant’s safety is our utmost concern. If the weather is deemed unsafe to go out the day will be cancelled. We will do our utmost to run the day/course so we will look at alternative routes and other options prior to cancellation. If we need to postpone the day you can book into the next hike/course that suits your calendar and we will transfer your booking.

    • None of the dates on offer suit, do you have any other options?

      Please get in touch with us. We will do our utmost to arrange dates that will work for you and your group.

    • What gear should I bring with me?

      Rucksack (30-40 litre)
      Rucksack liner or dry bags
      Hiking boots
      Waterproof Jacket
      Waterproof trousers
      Walking trousers (no jeans or cotton)
      Good cushioning socks
      Base layer (not cotton)
      Spare mid layer (e.g. fleece)
      Outer layer (e.g. jacket or softshell)
      Gaiters (optional)
      Hat & Gloves
      Lunch
      Drink (2 litres minimum)
      Mobile phone (optional)
      Headtorch (optional)
      Trail snacks
      Walking poles (optional)

    Need more info?

    Contact Us

    Name

    Email

    Phone

    Message

    Congratulations. Your message has been sent successfully.
    Error, please retry. Your message has not been sent.