Through working at West Highland College I get to share my 24 years of mountain leading experience with potential new leaders. I am directing a Summer Mountain Leader training course for six degree level students this week. It's an intense course with six days of training and 60 hours contact time. We cover all aspects of leading groups in British mountains such as leadership styles and skills, navigation, group management in hazardous terrain, water hazards, emergency rope work and improvised mountain rescue.

These students studying Adventure Tourism Management are the leaders, guides and coaches of the future. When I was their age I thought I knew everything about leading groups in the hills! I was wrong and I have learned (and continue to learn) a huge amount since. Sharing my mountain guiding experience from many places in the world will hopefully help steer these guys into a career as mountain leaders with a solid starting point.