WHY Change at all ?? - Any organisation should aim to provide the best they can. Scouting is no different, we are constantly striving to ensure that we use best practice and implement good policy in a process of continuous improvement to safeguard the welfare of our Members. These changes reflect the information, advice and best practice provided from the Health and Safety Executive, the National Outdoor Centre (Plas Y Brenin), the MLTB and a number of other "industry experts", some of whom also happen to be Scouters in Scotland. It�s not about restricting what we do. It�s about enabling young people to experience the outdoors safely, showing the outside world that we take safety seriously and encouraging Leaders to have confidence in their ability.

�So, If we have a stack of new rules and a new scheme it just means loads of restrictions and tons more paperwork - sod that, what�s the point, it�s just not worth it any more - I GIVE UP !!�

Giving up is the easy way out. There are sound reasons for these changes and when you really think about it (and I suggest that you do) things have just got a whole heap BETTER.

Ultimately we will be operating in a safer manner and with a level of clarity that has been long overdue. The overall scheme still hinges on completing a form and undertaking practical assessment in the company of an assessor who will have an appropriate qualification.

So what�s the new deal?  Top of page

There is now a specific definition of when you DO NOT need an authorisation - WAYHEY! ABOUT BLOOMIN� TIME I say.

Terrain Zero. With a height limit of 500m and distance/time from a source of help of 30mins, this opens up large areas of Scotland where you can just get out there and experience the great outdoors with your young people. No paper (but do tell someone you are away), No Assessment, No Authorisation, No hassle!

We now also have an appropriate measure of a persons ability if they wish to lead our Members into more extreme terrain.

Be honest with yourself - wouldn�t you want to know that your kids were being taken up a serious mountain or into the wilderness by a person assessed to a high standard?

Leaders heading off to the extremes of Terrain Two, now require to demonstrate an ability commensurate with that of the Summer Mountain Leader Award - NOT ACTUALLY HAVE IT although it seems sensible that if you have the skill you may as well get the award. We are not talking about very many leaders here, above 800m is serious terrain and the limited number of folk who go to these heights are sensible enough to know that we would want them to prove their ability to ensure the safety of our young people.

In between is Terrain One. Virtually what we have now in Scouting but with a height restriction of 800m and a distance/time from help of 3 hrs. YES you can still climb some of the Corbetts, YES you can still do the Lairaig Grhu, YES you can finish that D of E expedition. Maybe we can�t all get up the Munroes, but think of this as a challenge to find interesting routes a bit lower down.

I gave up �Bagging� about five years ago and frankly the Baggers don�t know what they are missing !! Why trog like a Smurf uphill for hours just to see the inside of a cloud? (OK I admit, on a good day a top can be very rewarding) Get out into the glens and see the wildlife, trek out to the remote coasts and go whale spotting or kip in a bothy for a change but don�t think for a minute I�m going to tell you my favourite spots !! Find yer ane.

As things progress Terrain 1 will become commensurate with the new Walking Group Leader Award of the Mountain Leader Training Board. Again this will not mean having the award but simply demonstrating a similar level of ability.

For more information on the Summer Mountain Leader Award and the Walking Group Leader Award click HERE

Some additional explanation - in order to qualify as Terrain Zero or Terrain One, the proposed area of activity must meet ALL the criteria set. For ground to fall into Terrain Two it need only meet any one of the criteria set. I.e. Anywhere over 800m is Terrain Two, anywhere more than 3 hrs from help is Terrain Two and any route that involves any form of scrambling is Terrain Two.

Also requiring a bit of definition:

Scrambling - Those routes or areas where the average Scout or Leader would require to use hands at least for steadying themselves if not for actual progress.

How far from Help (Travelling Time) - Help is not a mobile phone.
Travelling time describes the distance from help moving at 5 km/h, so 30 mins is about 2.5km but you must remember that going uphill will be slower. You might be a faster walker but that doesn�t count.

The guidelines to the Young Persons Safety Act require you to reach " a road accessible by a standard road going ambulance" in this time. It would be safe to assume for our purposes that a source of help would include this defintion and access to a land line telephone.

What about Winter Conditions - For those seeking authorisation to head off into Winter conditions a very high standard will be expected but this does not rule out a day out in the snow. Winter conditions are defined as "total snow cover on the mountains with the consequent risk of deep snow, cornices, verglas, severe cold, high wind etc." Thin patchy snow combined with less severe weather conditions may, with prudence, be treated as summer conditions so long as the forecast does not predict any deterioration in the weather. - Anyone for a snowball fight ?

I�m off Overseas - With the exception of greater altitude and glaciated areas (which introduce a new type of terrain not found in the UK) hill walking and climbing activities outside the UK are still subject to the same rules.

So we now know where and when we do not need an authorisation, where and when we do and at what level, we have a good idea of the criteria and the terms used. What about some of the other stuff?

Leading and Supervising
Until now a very grey area. Who can delegate to another, how many separate groups can be supervised, what�s the difference anyway? At last we have clarification on the issue.

New authorisations will state clearly whether they are for Leading or Supervising. A person authorised to �Lead� may not delegate responsibility for the party to anyone else but may appoint a temporary Leader for the purposes of developing or training others, especially young people. They will remain in close proximity to the party and while the members of the party may be taking decisions on the route, pace and navigation the authorised person will always be immediately to hand to advise, guide or if necessary take over.

Being authorised to Supervise carries wider responsibilities and needs greater experience. The leading element remains the same but the leader authorised to supervise will have demonstrated clear knowledge of and skills in remote supervision and the techniques of shadowing, selecting and establishing check points and sound judgment on when remote supervision is appropriate.

A supervisor will always be in the area of activity, perhaps two or three km on foot, and in a position to respond quickly should the need arise.

It is not expected that anyone would supervise more than three parties at any one time.

Hill Party Sizes
Surprisingly when we were all told that hill party sizes must not exceed 7 (including the party leader) way back in the early stages of 2000, there was outcry at this new restriction. Folks I have news for you!

The limitation on hill party size is and has been 7 since at least 1985 (My collection of POR only goes to �85, any offers of an earlier date on a postcard to SHQ). We�ve all been breaking the rules for years!

Not strictly so.
We used to be able to combine two hill parties into a big one with two leaders thus the misconception that the upper limit was 14. What changed in 2000 was the ability to combine parties.

No hill party may exceed 7 including the delegated �Leader�. If two or more parties must operate in the same area than they should maintain a clear separation in terms of geography (different parts of the same hill) or time (at least 5 mins apart on the same route).

It is possible for a person authorised to supervise to appoint a suitable party leader for one hill party and to then lead another themselves though we recommend this is only suitable for parties on the same route.

Yes this is considered a mountain activity.
Remember that while hill walking and rock climbing are separate disciplines, if you plan to undertake rock climbing in an area that happens to be Terrain One or Two then you will need to have the hill walking authorisation to get there.

The process for authorisation is the same as for hill walking (one form and a practical assessment) at the end of which a candidate may be given a recommendation for:

� Single pitch climbing and abseiling on one or more indoor walls.

� Single pitch climbing and abseiling on indoor walls and suitable out door crags, possibly with geographical or other limitations.

� Multi-pitch rock climbing with a grading limitation and possibly geographical or other limitation.

� Snow and ice climbing with grading limitation and possibly geographical or other limitation.

Someone assessed for multi-pitch rock climbing need not be separately assessed for single pitch climbing.

As with hill walking, an authorisation will state whether it is for leading or supervising. In this case leading will limit the individual to the direct control of only one rope while supervising will allow the supervision of up to three separate rope systems in any combination of climbing or abseiling.

Not yet in place but visible on the horizon is a new scheme for authorising snowsports (skiing and snowboarding). As with other adventurous activities the scheme will be based around one form and a practical assessment by someone who has the Ski Leader Certificate or snowboarding equivalent . Dry ski slopes will not require any authorisation and remember if you are buying instruction up at one of the Scottish Ski Centres then for the time the young people are being instructed an authorisation will not be needed.

You will need an authorisation to take a group of Scouts by yourself. This will be for:

� On piste in Scotland - A straight forward authorisation possibly limited by grade of run.

� Off Piste in Scotland (Cross Country, Alpine and Ski Mountaineering) - will require much greater skill and knowledge and will only be made with the approval of the Winter Mountaineering Assessor.

� Abroad - will require more experience and knowledge than on piste in Scotland and will only be made with the approval of DC and AAC International.

I don�t need an authorisation! "I�ve got twenty years under my belt and nobody in some ivory tower is going to tell me what to do!" or "To hang with the rules it�s only a walk up a hill and I don�t have the time to fill out all that paper."

Can you believe that some people still think like this?! Let me spell something out so you can gently explain to these sort of people that they are only going to harm themselves.

The rules are there to protect BOTH young people AND Leaders. If you stick to the rules and (Heaven forbid) the worst happens then the Association will stick by you and our Insurers will cover any damages awarded. On the other hand if someone chooses to ignore the rules then they open themselves up to two problems.

The first and most immediate is the fact that if they are working with young people under 18 in Terrain one or Two (not Terrain Zero) then they are breaking the law. Yes Really ! If something goes wrong then they face prosecution and quite possibly a custodial sentence.

The second is the fact that if you get it wrong, and the Association has to call upon our insurance the premium will eventually rise to the point where it is no longer viable and then all activities will stop. Bottom Line ? It ain�t worth it.

THE CHANGES relating to Hill walking will be in force from 1st March 2001 for all new Mountain Activity Authorisations.

Existing Authorisations will remain valid pending re-assessment and re-authorisation under the new scheme but with a fixed expiry date of 31 December 2002 by which time all authorisations must comply with the new scheme.

This expiry date supersedes any date already on an Authorisation.

More info? Advice? Contact me at SHQ

Tel: 01383 419073

Email: [email protected]

FAQs  Top of page

What has changed from the old scheme?
A system of land grading has been introduced to enable Leaders to identify exactly when and where they will require a mountain activity authorisation.
There are specific limitations in terms of height and time/distance from help for each level of the scheme.
The process of getting an authorisation has not changed at all but when you come forward for assessment there are specific criteria against which you will be assessed for Terrain 1 and Terrain 2.
We now know when an authorisation is not needed, Terrain 0.

The new scheme involves external qualifications much more. Which ones do I need to have?
First and foremost, you do NOT need to have any formal qualifications. The new scheme will assess you against the criteria for either the Walking Group Leader Award (for T1) or the Summer Mountain Leader Award (for T2) but it does not require you to have either.
The only requirements relate to First Aid. For T1 you will need at least First Response and for T2 you will need a full first aid qualification.

From 1st January 2004 all applicants for T1 must have attended the training Course for the Walking Group Leader Award and all applicants for T2 must have attended the training course for Summer Mountain Leader. This is not the same as actually having the award. Participants do not pass or fail the training courses for either award they simply complete it.

Now Hooold on thar - see this first response thing, If I only have First response does this limit me to T1?
Yes it does.

So who needs qualifications?
The people doing the assessing. Hill walking Assessors appointed by the Area Executive must have the Summer Mountain Leader Award. Rock Climbing Assessors must have the Single Pitch Award.

Are these requirements for Assessors likely to change?
YES. From the 1st January 2003 Assessors for T2 must hold either the Mountain Instructor Award or have the Summer Mountain Leader and have completed an Assessing course. Funding is available from Gilwell and SHQ to support individuals seeking to gain qualifications to become Area Assessors.

If I don�t need an authorisation for T0 what rules actually apply?
Rule 37.1 in POR, which is the rule applicable to all activities, still applies in T0. You will have to inform your GSL of your intended activity in T0

Rule 37.1 says that everyone should have appropriate training and equipment for the activity � I only want to take the Cubs for a walk along a nature trail, how does this affect me?
Only to the extent of ensuring everyone is capable of completing the activity and not put at risk through lack of sensible equipment for the activity e.g. wellies and waterproofs. If you wanted to go higher or further, for example onto moorland or local hills under 500m (Still T0), you would need to ensure that everyone had some training on map and compass and sensible personal equipment for the activity.

So what about T0 in Winter?
Terrain Zero in winter conditions needs DC approval not Authorisation . Therefore it is no different than for summer apart from it may not be as informal as through the GSL.

And what about T1 in Winter?
Terrain 1 in winter requires the same skills as T2 in winter and therefore would require an authorisation assessed against the winter criteria.

What about Hill Party Sizes?
The rules are quite clear for T1 and T2, Maximum of 7 including the Party Leader. Minimum of 4 except when all participants are very experienced and have the skills to operate in such terrain in their own right, in which case the minimum can be 2. (This applies to leaders and supervisors too!)

I have more than 7 for my day hill walking, what happens now?
Again the rules are quite clear you must not exceed a party size of 7 (Read rule 40.1f for details) and you must break the group into separate hill parties which will need to either operate on different routes or, if on the same route, with a clear time gap between them.

I don�t have enough Leaders with Authorisations for each hill party, is there anything I can do.
Yes but someone needs to be authorised for SUPERVISING (See SSN Feb 2001).

If you have an authorisation which allows you to supervise as well as lead then you can delegate leadership of one or two hill parties to others who you feel are competent to lead that party in the activity being undertaken. They are then the DESIGNATED LEADER. This person could be another Leader in the Group, another adult (if a confidential enquiry has been completed) or even a Scout or Venture Scout. You can then lead one hill party yourself which enables you have more than one hill party while only requiring one Authorised Leader. Remember � the designated leader must be competent.

You can also ask other Authorised Leaders to come and help you on the day.

Once we get onto the hill, what happens if one group stops and the other catches up?
Common sense applies. It�s OK but the groups must move off again separately and without ever mixing participants. Each party must keep the same members from the start to the finish of the activity.

Can we get together for lunch?
Yes. But again, after lunch (or coffee/snack stops) the parties must move off separately and keep the same members.

Does this rule on hill party size apply in T0?
NO � but remember rule 37.1 which requires provision for adequate adult supervision. This is clear for Beavers when the ratio is 1 Leader to 4 Beavers for outdoor activities. There is no rule (other than 37.1) covering ratios for Cub Scout activities in T0 but Rule 41.3 sets a ratio of 1 Adult to 6 Cubs for Pack Holidays.

What should be considered as a source of help?
In short a tarmaced road, an occupied building or a fixed line telephone. Mobile phones are a useful addition to emergency equipment but are not to be considered an acceptable means of summoning help as they can and do suffer limitations on reception in remote areas and their power source could run out.

Are all these changes to be phased in at all?
Yes. Between now and January 2004 for the full process.

Some confusion is arising over the immediate impact of the transitional arrangements in place for the implementation of the Revised Authorisation Scheme for Mountain Activities. In particular where do existing authorisations stand? We have been in touch with Gilwell and they have advised the following:

All existing authorisations remain valid pending re-assessment and re-authorisation but with a fixed expiry date of 31st December 2002. i.e. all existing authorisations which have not been re-assessed and re-authorised will automatically become invalid and may not be used in any circumstances. They will effectively cease to exist.

What does this bit mean ??

Until such time as you are re-assessed and re-authorised:-
If you have an authorisation that currently limits you to a height below 500m then you no longer need it as long as your activity meets all the criteria for Terrain Zero. What you will have to do is check with your GSL on the activity you want to do and ensure you abide by Rule 37.1

If you have an authorisation which falls within the definitions of Terrain 1, then you can continue to operate to the level of your authorisation as long as your Area Assessor and DC are happy for you to do so. E.g. An existing authorisation with a height limit of 650m is slap in the middle of T1. You can still operate to 650m but not to the upper limit of T1 which is 800m.

If you have an authorisation which falls within the definitions for T2 you can continue to operate to the level of your authorisation, as long as your Area Assessor and DC are happy that your skills are likely to match the requirements of Summer Mountain Leader. If there is any doubt about your skills being up to SML it is likely that you will be limited to T1 until you can be re-assessed.

E.g. An existing authorisation has a height limit of 3000 feet on hills known to the holder. If the Area Assessor and DC are happy about the skills of the individual matching SML they can continue to operate up to 3000 feet on hills known to them but not above that height.

Alternatively, an authorisation has no height limit and simply states "all hills and mountains in Scotland". The Area Assessor and DC must be entirely satisfied that this individual is fully capable of matching the SML criteria before allowing them to operate at such levels. It would be prudent to examine closely their ability and experience of leading on steep ground as this is a technically demanding aspect of SML involving ropework. If this is not entirely satisfactory, the Area Assessor and DC may choose to limit the individual to hills specifically excluding any form of scrambling until they are re-assessed OR limit them to T1 until they are re-assessed.

It is stressed that decisions on limiting current authorisations rest with the Area Assessor and the DC, not the individual holders of authorisations. Individuals who are not able to discuss their authorisation with their DC and Area Assessor prior to using their authorisation should assume they are limited to the level of the new scheme below their current authorisation.

SHQ are advising that where an individual has the SML award, they be re-authorised for T2 immediately.

Clearly the best approach is to clarify the position of your existing authorisation with your DC and Area Assessor as soon as possible and to subsequently seek re-assessment and re-authorisation at the earliest opportunity.

Finding the money to cope with these fairly significant changes that are on the way is not particularly difficult. We have sent information to Area Commissioners about Individual Learning Accounts which can be used to fund courses such as Summer ML (as well as Scout training courses such as L1 or L2) at recognised providers. Lochgoilhead is now recognised for this purpose.

In addition those seeking qualifications to become an assessor can get direct financial assistance from The Scout Foundation through Gilwell Park Tel: 0845 3001818.

From SHQ the criteria for the MacRobert Fund have been tweaked to extend the support we can give at local levels.

Funding is now available, within the financial limits of the fund, for those involved in Scouting for Walking Group Leader, Summer Mountain Leader and Winter Mountain Leader training and assessment.

Grants are based on 20% of the course fee for training and 30% of the course fee for assessment. They are not available retrospectively. Application should be made in writing to SHQ and include details of Scouting involvement and confirmation of booking on the course. Those failing to attend the start of their course will be liable for repayment of the grant assistance.

SHQ will be announcing another series of assessment weekends in the near future. These will run from October through the winter to ensure that Scottish Scouting continues to offer exciting and challenging outdoor activities to our members. Details will appear in SSN and on the website in due course.

If we can be of any further assistance please feel free to contact us through SHQ

Tel: 01383 419073. email [email protected]