Telephone 01372 378901 or send an email

Mountain training camping leader assessment

The Camping Leader qualification is a Mountain Training course and Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development is an approved provider.

The Camping Leader qualification is for people who wish to supervise a camping group and develop participants' camping proficiency by teaching camping activities.

A qualified camping leader can operate in a variety of campsites, all with vehicle access, including land with no facilities and commercial campsites offering a range of facilities. A qualified camping leader who also holds a Mountain Training Walking Leadership qualification can operate in terrain within the scope of that scheme. For example: journey and wild camp.

This scheme is ideal for those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's award. The skills covered apply to groups using the commercial campsites as well as wild camping.

Before you book onto a Camping Leader assessment course, you must:

  • be 17 years old to register and at least 18 years old to attend the assessment
  • have personally undertaken and logged a minimum of five overnight camps, ideally in a variety of contexts.
  • have assisted with or overseen at least two group camps. If personal camping has only been undertaken when also supervising a group, then these two group camps can be part of the total submitted for personal camping. Some candidates may need to log only five overnight camps in total. Reflective comments must accompany the group supervision evidence
  • be familiar with the syllabus
  • be an experienced self-sufficient camper
  • have experience of the supervision of camping groups
  • have physically attended and completed (not online) a first aid course which involved at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and included an element of assessment.

Supporting candidates with additional needs

Mountain Training encourages open access to their courses.

If you wish to discuss any personal requirements for the course, please contact us.

Potential outcomes of assessment

Mountain Training England logo

The first step in gaining the Camping Leader qualification is to register with Mountain Training. This will provide access to an online training course (no face-to-face training is required), providing knowledge and guidance pre assessment.

Following the assessment, the course director will complete a course report which will record one of three possible results:

Pass: Awarded where the candidate has demonstrated appropriate knowledge and application of the course syllabus, and has shown the necessary experience and attributes of a Hill and Moorland Leader.

Defer: Awarded where the candidate has generally performed well and has shown the necessary experience and attributes, but where complete proficiency has not been attained in certain aspects of the syllabus or where a lack of experience has been identified.

Fail: Awarded where the candidate's performance has been generally weak, or the necessary experience and attributes have not been shown. A complete assessment course will need to be subsequently attended.

When a candidate's performance merits a defer or fail result the candidate will have a formal written report containing individual feedback.

All relevant information will be included to support the deferred/failed candidate and the assessor who conducts the re-assessment.

Visit the Mountain training website for further information on the course Camping Leader.

Please car share or use local public transport where possible. Mountain Training and SOLD are keen to support sustainable transport practice.

The Mountain Training website and the Mountain Training YouTube channel can help with Blogs and registering an account.

Book your course at High Ashurst