In reply to george mc: Apologies to George, who has already had this by email, but it has been suggested that I should post my submission to the Review here, in the interests of debate.
It is well known that there is a very large drop off in numbers between ML(S) and Winter ML. A parallel problem is the lack of any winter training route for WGL’s who do not want to move on to steep ground. The vast majority of hill goers in the UK are walkers, not climbers; one magazine survey I read had the ratio as about forty to one. In the past it has appeared to the average hillwalker that the WML syllabus was dominated by introductory ice climbing. My experience (as a trainee) of the recent simplifications in the WML rope work requirements (ie, it can now all be done with a rewoven overhand knot and a clove hitch) indicate to me that that problem has been addressed and some time should be allowed for the new standards to bed in and become widely known.
There is a common perception of a wide and intimidating gap in the experience and ability requirements between ML(S) and WML. To put it another way, the ML(S) and WML rungs on the skills ladder are set very far apart. This may be a bit simplistic, but the WML syllabus appears to be based around winter munro bagging; it is very suitable for that purpose and I would not support any major change to the current standards. It needs to be pointed out, though, that the winter conditions in Cairngorm do not pertain to the whole of the UK. The proposition that Winter ML is the minimum necessary training suitable for working on Winter Grade 1 ground seems to be entirely correct. There appears to be no need for any major change to WML. I maintain that there is a need for another qualification, between ML(S) and WML.
A twist on this debate was provided by the publication of the AALA Skills Matrix. The current AALA Skills Matrix says the minimum qualification necessary for a group leader in “winter moorland country” is “MIC or BMG Carnet holder or Aspirant Guide or Winter ML or International Mountain Leader”. The AALA definition of winter reads “‘Winter’ means when winter conditions, including snow and ice, prevail or are forecast.” The industry, therefore, recognises the existence of “winter moorland country” but Mountain Training does not provide an appropriate qualification for it. I understand that some County Council authorities in Southern England now offer a local winter moorland endorsement for WGL’s and ML(S)’s working in areas such as Exmoor and Dartmoor; another indication of demand.
The effect of this AALA Skills Matrix requirement, in the absence of a Mountain Training “winter moorland country” qualification, is that non-climbing WGL's and ML(S)'s are prevented by the AALA regulations from taking out winter youth groups trips (whether paid or unpaid) and are prevented by their insurers from taking out paid winter groups of adults. Non-climbing WGL's and ML(S)'s do not, however, just hang up their boots come winter; they mostly continue being active through informal groups.
What is meant by “winter moorland” ? I would define moorland as anything less steep than 20 degrees as measured on an Ordnance Survey 50thou map. This 20 degree limit should apply to any planned route or planned escape route. Steeper than 20 degrees and you are in to the avalanche death zone, where ice climbers and “extreme” skiers want to be, but walkers and nordic ski tourers don't. Away from the small areas of territory described in winter climbing guides there are the Ladder Hills of Aberdeenshire, the moorland areas around Ben Wyvis, Lochnagar, Ben Avon, the Monadliath, Drumochter, Ben Alder, Ben Lawers, the Ochil and Luss Hills, Lammermuir and Tweedsmuir, most of Galloway, Cheviot, the Pennines, most of the Lake District, the Moors of southern England, half of Wales, the hills of Northern Ireland and, indeed, anywhere the slope angle is less than twenty degrees. Any small “Grade 1” type spots of ground in these areas can be easily avoided by any half competent navigator.
What should this winter moorland qualification consist of ? It should be open to both WGL’s and ML(S)’s. I would propose an award with much the same syllabus as WML, but not the rope work, and with increased emphasis on navigating away from avalanche hazards, practising several different emergency shelters, and a more realistic winter camp, rather than a planned overnight snowhole . Multi day winter walking expeditions in the UK mean wild camping at some point; winter camping is a tad more complicated than summer time. Pre-course requirements would retain the Quality Winter Day definition of WML, drop the requirement for 10 named ice climbs and, in order to encourage English based participants, reduce the requirement for logged Scottish Quality Winter Days from 50% to 25% (ie,10 out of a minimum 40 days at assessment to have been in Scotland). As an aside, to call this new qualification “Winter Moorland Leader” would set up an immediate acronym confusion with WML, so I would suggest something like “Winter Upland Leader”, or “Winter Fell Leader”.
It is my understanding that the vast majority of ML's and WGL's are engaged in youth work in the UK, the reason that the ML scheme was set up in the first place. Of my own acquaintances, I know several ML(S)'s or WGL's who would like some sort of winter endorsement but who do not have an interest in WML; by contrast I know only one who will certainly go on to WML, which indicates to me that there is a considerable suppressed demand for an intermediate winter qualification. Once people have attained the Winter Upland Leader level, and consolidated their experience, a number will progress onwards to WML; the shorter, less intimidating, gap between the rungs will increase participation. I think that the overall effect of my proposal would be an increase in the amount of training an individual Leader would receive during their career, which is a good thing, and they would have more opportunity early on for active winter leadership experience, with a concomitant increase in winter Youth Group participation in the “lesser hills”, also a good thing.