Advanced Mountain Bike Leader Award
Leading groups into high and remote areas is a significant undertaking. The consequences
of things going wrong increase several fold and the knowledge and application
of OTC's best practice principles becomes critically important. As an Advanced
Leader you will also require a significant upshift in your hard skills: elements
such as night navigation, river crossings, mountain weather and emergency management
all introduce additional factors and more depth of knowledge than that already
gained through the Technical Leader course.
The Advanced Leader Award is designed to exceed the requirements of Adventure Activities Licensing, and enables Leaders to manage groups in advanced terrain. Depending on your specific circumstances, AALs may also require you to hold additional qualifications to work in advanced terrain (e.g. Mountain Leader Award).
The Advanced Leader Award is a significant undertaking. It is specific to the environment in which it is set. The Trail Leader and Technical Leader qualifications are more appropriate in less severe environments. That said, the Advanced Leader courses are truly fantastic events to partake in.
Advanced Leader course details
| Duration: | 44
hours over four days for the training course, 34 hours over three days for the assessment. |
| Course type: | Seperate training and assessment courses, with a period of consolidation and logbook building between courses. more>>>> |
| Terrain: | Advanced terrain which means (in the UK) areas higher than 600m above sea level and/or further than 2.5km from a road or shelter with communication. more>>>> |
| Course options: | Provided through open courses only. more>>>> |
Entry requirements
Before attending the Advanced Leader training course you will:
- Hold the Technical Leader Award (there may be excpetional circumstances where you have just completed the training element)
- Have completed at least ten personal rides where 20% of the ride route includes advanced terrain.
Before attending the Advanced Leader assessment course, you will:
- Hold the Technical Leader award
- Have completed the Advanced Leader training course
- Have completed a logbook of personal rides where 25 of those rides encountered advanced terrain for at least 20% of the route. These will be spread over 5 different areas.
Progression routes
Following the Advanced Leader course, you may take up a Skill Instructor Award or, where moving to a different EU country, the cultural module. It may also be possible to become a Leader Trainer.
You can also use many of the skills within the Advanced Leader qualification to support your experience in other outdoor activity qualifications.
Who else uses the Advanced Leader Award?
Those working with adults and young people in advanced terrain use the Advanced
Leader Award. As actually reaching advanced terrain is beyond the scope of many
groups, the group members that Advanced Leaders take into these environments tend
to have a reasonable amount of personal experience already, and are likely to
have worked with them previously.
People in this circumstance include those seeking to gain an Advenutre Activities Licence, holiday and outdoor activity providers, both in the UK and Europe, teachers, club riders and those working with other groups in this environment.
The Advanced courses are are also attended by those looking to develop their own personal allround skills in the mountain environment.
Note that many areas in Europe are well serviced by the Trail and Technical Leader Awards, even where they may be over 600m above sea level. Please see the terrain section for more details.