Mountain Safety

Since 2015, St John Scotland has worked in partnership with Mountaineering Scotland to provide mountain safety training to young people across the country.

The St John Scotland Mountain Safety Instructor programme offers free training to university and college mountaineering groups throughout the year.

The aim of the training is to ensure that young people coming into the sport and developing interest in outdoor pursuits can do so safely. Courses are delivered in real life conditions, on a range of terrain and in all weathers, to equip young people with usable skills that will stand them in good stead for life.

In winter, students are trained in avalanche awareness, and techniques including ice axe arrest and cramponing. Training during the autumn and spring months provides the chance to learn scrambling and rock climbing. 

The St John Scotland Mountain Safety Instructor also teaches hugely important basic skills including navigation, and choosing appropriate equipment and clothing for the conditions.

Students who have accessed the training have rated their experience highly. One student from the University of Stirling said: "We had an incredible experience with the St John Scotland Mountain Safety Instructor in the hills surrounding Torridon. Although the weather didn't allow us to practice the rope work we wanted to do, we learned a massive amount in terms of planning, navigation, analysing risk and working as a team.”