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Top 30 Instructing Tips

Mountain Skills Club Trainers

This day is aimed at making Trainers aware of the techniques that need to be taught during MS 1 and later MS2. It’s also about generating discussion on methods of teaching the techniques. The use of a systematic multi-level teaching frame work, like the 4 D’s is to be encouraged and developed.

4 D’s…Direction…Distance…Description…Deadline

Day 1

 What is a map? The map’s legend and man made symbols (MS1)
  Principles of contour lines and how contours are more reliable than man made features etc. (MS1)
 Mountain features i.e. summit, col, spur etc. (front load slope aspect / direction slope faces) (MS1)
 Mountain Skills standard is, a feature over 3 contours in size (MS1/2)
 How to find North on the map i.e. top of the letters or red strip of tape (MS1)
 Map setting / orientation (two methods land & compass) visual tools i.e. jigsaw (MS1)
  Self locations i.e. draw in surrounding information (MS1)
 Feature recognition i.e. where am I, move outwards in the direction of the feature (MS1)
 Scale i.e. football pitch 100m’s (MS1)
 Route selection, a logical approach to getting from A to B (MS1)
  Standard of features and distance between them 300m’s to 800m’s?to clear and large objects (MS1)
 The 4 D’s as a multi-layer system for teaching students at all levels (MS1)
 Discuss grid lines and rough distance measurement and timing (Nasimth, timing card) (MS1)
 Pacing, discuss pacing over different types of terrain i.e. 4/5 slopes, angle of slopes based on the number of contours (MS1)
 Tactics i.e. hand rails, aiming off, attack points (MS 1 & 2)
 Escape routes (MS 1 & 2)

Teaching compass use…
1. On safe ground (use flat terrain) walk 100m’s with eyes closed to a point straight ahead (MS 1&2)
2. Types of bearings i.e. grid and magnetic
3. How to hold and use the parts of a compass and factors that effect the needle (MS1 & 2)
4. Compass as an aid to feature recognition (MS1 & 2)
5. Walking on a bearing i.e. looking out along the line of travel & wiggly waggly (MS 1 & 2)
6. Out and back on a back bearing (MS 1 & 2)
7. Pacing out a square, first 50m X 50m, then 100m X 100m over different slope angles (MS 2)
8. Boxing round an object (MS 2)
9. Line search / sweep search (MS 2)
10. Slope aspect (MS 2)
11. Aspect or feature i.e. spur, river junction, track junction (MS 2)

Night Navigation

 Application of skills used during the day, honed to a higher level (MS2)
 Confirm standard i.e. big features, tops, slope changes, very big re-entrants (MS2)
 Distance between features 300 to 500m’s? to clear and large features (MS2)
 Use of torches i.e. on / off, use to show shape of the land or track or river bend / junction (MS2)
 Discuss escape routes (MS2)
 Discuss general bearing to assist escape when lost i.e. go EAST to a road, hit it anywhere…(MS2)
 
Other stuff
 MCI’s ‘Good Practice’ guide, toileting on the hill, waste, rubbish
 Leave no Trace & flora, fauna etc
 Mountain Rescue, time frames etc.
 Other mountain users i.e. farmers, forest services, national parks


Day 2

Steeper, broken and varied terrain (this is not Scrambling) and macro navigation

This is another navigational day, which includes travel in broken terrain, so all the previous skills of navigation should be continued, the new skills below should be introduced and developed.

In relation to navigation:-

 Distance recognition of steeper terrain, cliffs, gullies and boulder fields (MS 2)
 Discuss the 3 types of slopes i.e. convex, concave and uniform and how they affect travel in steep and broken terrain (MS 2)
 Discuss the impact on time when traveling on this type of ground (MS 2)
 That this is training if they end up on steeper terrain, when approaching or descending during or at the end of a walk (MS 2)
 Point out the dangers and impact of returning to the venue used, later on with friends or  at a later date (MS 2)
 Discuss the wild birds etc which live in these areas (MS 2)
 Set a leg / feature to work towards it during the day (MS 2)

Movement skills & body management:-

 The standard, awareness of dangers, personal movement, useful member of a group
 Discuss injuries or conditions that might affect participation
 Venue selection & the role of the rope
 Good footwear is essential, walking poles & ruc-sack problems
 Discuss and walk using poor foot work
 Discuss edging skills versus toe & heel
 Discuss and walk using poor balance, stance, lean forward etc
 Develop on to good body position & balance (stones on back of hands etc)

Journeying:-

 Progressive terrain, with-in all clients comfort level, don’t put across a we can go anywhere we want picture, remember the rule of S.E.L (safe, enjoyable & learn something) (MS 2)
 Group members leading to predefined points (not navigational legs) (MS 2)
 Developing route choice & route finding skills (MS 2)
 Pace setting and it’s impact on members of the group (skill level drops) (MS 2)
 Discuss group awareness, your limits maybe higher than another group members, be considerate and safe (MS 1 & 2)
 Ascend, traverse and descend discussing the differences of each (MS 2)
 Discuss rock types and characteristics of each, friction & lack there of (MS 1 & 2)
 Discuss judgment / effects of loose rocks and scree(MS 2)

Risk Assessment:-

 Standardize terms such as, ‘likely hood & consequences’ etc
 Safe size of a step or problem, skill level to read the moves, exit (seen or unseen?)
 Spotting, positioning
 Safe havens
 What is competence on steep ground?

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More info: http://www.mountaintraining.ie/index.php?lnk=courses&type=hillwalking