Trailblazing for the ACF

Clwyd and Gwynedd Duke of Edinburgh Officer Tracey Cooper is once again trailblazing for the ACF by successfully completing the first-ever Camping Leader Course run by Mountain Training the collection of awarding bodies for skills courses and qualifications in walking, climbing, and mountaineering in the UK and Ireland.

The Camping Leader scheme is ideal for those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, President’s Award, and/or Ten Tors training among other things. The skills covered apply to groups using commercial campsites as well as wild camping. This qualification was launched on 1st March 2022 and is replacing the Expedition Skills Module, which will cease to exist on 31st August 2022.

The Camping Leader qualification is for people who wish to supervise a camping group and develop participants’ camping proficiency by teaching campcraft activities. A qualified Camping Leader can operate in a variety of campsites, all with vehicle access, including land with no facilities and commercial campsites offering a range of facilities. A qualified Camping Leader who also holds a Mountain Training walking leadership qualification can operate in terrain within the scope of that scheme i.e. journey and wild camp.

With the changes to the cadet syllabus and the provision of relevant courses, the new qualification has been developed to complete the necessary range of expedition qualifications.

Graham Uney who ran the course commented “As this was, I believe, the very first of these assessment courses to be run by any provider, I think they are currently the only three people in the world to have gained this award, until the next course”.

Tracey said “This was a really enjoyable course, which helped polish up my camping skills and confirmed my competence to safely supervise our cadets when camping. I am looking forward to using these skills on our Easter camp Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions”