Register
Key info

Min. age for online training: 17
Min. age for assessment: 18
Training: e-learning module (approx. 4 hours)
Assessment: 1 day

Ideal for: people involved with youth development schemes such as Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, President’s Award and Ten Tors, qualified Lowland/Hill and Moorland Leaders who want to include camping as part of a longer journey.

 

Camping Leader courses delivered by Mountain Training England are regulated by Ofqual.

Entry requirements



To register
  • You must be at least 17 years old
  • You must have some supervisory experience of overnight camping
  • You must have a genuine interest in the supervision of groups
  • You must create an account on our system and register for the Camping Leader qualification (cost: £69)
To complete the online training course
  • You must be registered on the Camping Leader qualification
To book an assessment course
  • You must be at least 18 years old
  • You must have recorded (ideally on DLOG*):
    • 5 personal overnight camps (minimum), ideally in a variety of contexts.
    • 2 group camps where you assisted with or oversaw the groups. If personal camping has only been undertaken when also supervising a group, then these two group camps can be part of the total submitted for personal camping i.e. some candidates may need to log only 5 overnight camps in total. Reflective comments must accompany the group supervision evidence.
  • You must be familiar with the syllabus.
  • You must be an experienced self-sufficient camper.
  • You must have experience of the supervision of camping groups.
  • You must have a current first aid certificate, gained by completing an in-person (not online) course which involved at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and included an element of assessment.
Courses

Training

There is no formal face to face training component in this scheme. Instead, we have developed an optional online training resource to help you familiarise yourself with the Camping Leader syllabus and associated competencies prior to attending assessment.

The training is accessed through the Online Learning tab of your account.

The course will take approximately 4 hours to complete if you engage with the content in all sections. You may revisit the online training course as often as you wish in advance of your assessment course.

The online training also provides you with an outline of how your assessment course will be delivered and ideas for how you might consolidate your learning.

 

Syllabus

  • Leadership and group management
  • Planning and supervision
  • Teaching and learning skills
  • Camping equipment
  • Camping food and cooking

 

Consolidation

After completing the online training course, use the skills checklist (download below) to identify syllabus areas you need to practise.

 

Assessment

The Camping Leader assessment is one day long, or multiple sessions building up to a minimum eight hours contact time. You will be assessed against the syllabus competencies in the candidate handbook. At the end of the assessment you will receive one of three results:

  • Pass
  • Defer (requires a partial reassessment)
  • Fail (requires a full reassessment)
Resources

Candidate handbook last updated: June 2026

Camping Leader candidate handbook
Camping Leader skills checklist
Camping Leader guidance notes for assessors
Meet a leader

Other qualifications

Doesn't sound like the right qualification for you? Consider the following:

Mountain Leader (includes overnight expeditions)


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