Mountain Leader

How to become a mountain leader in France

Mountain leaders must have a state diploma which is issued following demanding training and which includes the following internships and training units (in total 8 to 9 weeks). It is a cumulated training of about 2 years.

• A first selection giving the right to start training. This is a preliminary selection (around 75% failure rate). This initial selection contains 3 tests:
  • An oral based on experience of 40 hikes in various conditions
  • A written test on the mountain environment (flora, fauna, etc.)
  • A sports event (orienteering race in the mountains for 6 to 7 hours)

• A common grade with other professionals of the mountains (ski nstructors) where legal and environnent aspects are studied.

• Summer training: Fully devoted to safety, including a 2-day trek, the use of ropes and rescue organization must be mastered

• Summer natural environment & human environment: here we talk about fauna, flora, geology etc… depending on the speakers. The goal is to prepare one to tell a story about a landscape.

• Winter training: Very focused on safety, but this time in winter (AVD, igloos, orientering on snow…)

• Professional environment & audience management : audience characteristics, pedagogy, legislation, legal, regulations, tourism product design, communication, management.

• Adaptation to effort, training technique; be able to design a sports training program (trail)

In parallel with these training units, the mountain leader trainee must follow an internship in a situation and in observation conditions during which he must justify around thirty hikes with the public before claiming to take the final exam.

Finally, every 5 years, a mountain leader must do a small refresher course to learn the latest developments in the profession and show that he is still competent.