Dreaming of Adventures Beyond Marked Trails?
Build the skills to go further in the mountains — safely, confidently and with an understanding of the environment you’re walking in. Two-day accredited courses delivered by qualified Mountain Leader Fergal Harrington in Kerry’s real mountain terrain.
OVERVIEW
Learn in the Mountains
You’ll Actually Walk
There is no better classroom for mountain skills than the mountains themselves. Álaind’s Mountain Skills courses are delivered from Álaind Lodge and in the Kerry Mountain terrain by a qualified Mountain Leader who uses these landscapes every day.
The two-day Mountain Skills 1 and Mountain Skills 2 courses follow Mountaineering Ireland’s standardised curriculum, giving participants nationally recognised skills in navigation, safety and mountain judgement. Whether you’re a complete beginner who wants the confidence to get into the hills, or an experienced hillwalker looking to formalise and extend your skills, there’s a course for you.
COURSE GRID
The Courses
MOUNTAIN SKILLS 1
Mountain Skills 1 — Course Detail
Mountain Skills 1 is designed for people who are new to mountain walking, or those who walk in the hills regularly but have never received formal training in navigation and safety. If you’ve been on hill walks before but relied on others to navigate, or if you want to start going into the mountains more independently, this course gives you the foundation.
- Map reading and navigation using 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps
- Compass use — taking and following bearings
- Route planning and terrain assessment
- Mountain weather — reading forecasts, understanding conditions
- Equipment — what to carry and why
- Leave No Trace principles
- Emergency procedures and basic safety in the mountains
- Decision-making in changing conditions
Two days in Kerry’s mountain terrain. Theory is kept to a minimum — skills are learned by doing, in the environment where they’ll be used. Fergal
| Duration | 2 Days (9am–6pm approximately) |
| Group Size | Maximum 6 participants |
| Venue | Álaind Lodge and the Dunkerron Mountains, Sneem, Co. Kerry — meeting point Álaind Lodge, Sneem V93AC80 |
| Course Fee | €150 per person |
| MI Registration | €28 one-time fee payable to Mountaineering Ireland (covers MS1, MS2 and MS Assessment) — only pay once Fergal confirms the course is running |
| Frequency | Courses run every two months |
| What to Bring | Full mountain kit — list provided on booking |
MI Registration includes: digital MS training record account, official Mountain Skills Logbook, digital award on completion of MS1, MTA timing card.
Attending from outside Kerry? Álaind Lodge B&B is a two-minute walk from the course base. Course attendees get preferential B&B rates — let Fergal know you need accommodation when booking.
MOUNTAIN SKILLS 2
Mountain Skills 2 — Course Detail
Mountain Skills 2 is for hillwalkers who have completed Mountain Skills 1 (or have equivalent experience) and want to develop their skills further. This course focuses on more advanced navigation, complex terrain assessment and the kind of mountain judgement that opens up more challenging walking.
- Advanced compass techniques — bearings, back-bearings, resection and intersection for precise location finding
- Compensating for magnetic variation across different terrain
- Night navigation — 3-hour evening session in the Kerry mountains
- Advanced contour interpretation — visualising complex terrain from map to ground
- Steep ground techniques — safe ascent, descent and traversing on challenging gradients
- Risk assessment and hazard identification on steep terrain
- Precision distance estimation for off-trail navigation
- Micro-navigation for accurate route-finding in complex mountain terrain
- Advanced weather interpretation and its impact on mountain navigation
- Hypothermia risk management and emergency procedures in remote locations
- First aid considerations for mountain environments
Participants should have completed Mountain Skills 1 or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience. Fergal will confirm suitability at enquiry stage.
Two days in Kerry’s mountain terrain, in more challenging and remote areas than Mountain Skills 1. Both theory and practical work are delivered on the hill.
Day 1 runs approximately 11 hours, including 3 hours after sunset for night navigation. Day 2 runs approximately 7 hours, focused on steep ground techniques.
| Duration | 2 Days — Day 1 approx 11 hours (includes 3 hours night navigation); Day 2 approx 7 hours |
| Pre-requisite: | Mountain Skills 1 (or equivalent) |
| Group Size: | Maximum 6 participants |
| Course Fee: | €150 per person |
| MI Registration | €28 one-time fee (covers MS1, MS2 and MS Assessment) — includes digital training record, logbook, MTA timing card and BMC Safety on Mountains book |
| Frequency | Dates announced seasonally — enquire with Fergal for next available date |
WHY TRAIN IN KERRY
Why Kerry is the Right Place to Learn
Mountain skills are best learned in real mountain conditions, on real mountain terrain. Kerry’s mountains — the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, the Dunkerron range, the broader Iveragh landscape — offer the ideal training environment: varied terrain, genuine navigation challenges and the kind of changeable weather that makes the skills you learn immediately meaningful.
Learning from Fergal Harrington means learning from someone who walks these mountains professionally, who understands how conditions change and who can demonstrate every skill in the landscape where it actually matters.
FAQs
Mountain Skills Training FAQs
-
Yes. Mountain Skills 1 and 2 are fully accredited by Mountaineering Ireland and follow their standardised national curriculum. On successful completion, participants receive a Mountaineering Ireland digital Mountain Skills award. Fergal is an approved Mountaineering Ireland training provider, a member of the Mountain Training Association (MTA) and is fully Garda Vetted.
-
More than 10 days before the course: 50% of the course fee will be refunded. Within 10 days of the course: no refund is possible due to the small class size. Unable to attend due to illness or bereavement: with a doctor’s note, your booking can be transferred to another available course date. No-shows on the day are not eligible for a refund or transfer.
-
Full mountain kit is required for both courses: waterproof hiking boots, waterproof jacket and trousers, layered warm clothing, a day pack, food and water for both days and a compass (if you have one — compasses are available on the course). A full kit list is provided on booking.
-
Yes. Some participants complete both Mountain Skills 1 and Mountain Skills 2 in the same visit — for example, MS1 on Days 1–2 and MS2 on Days 3–4. Contact Fergal to discuss scheduling.
-
Yes. Mountain Skills courses can be run as private group courses — for a group of friends, a walking club, or a corporate team. Private group pricing is available on enquiry.
-
No prior mountain experience is required for Mountain Skills 1. An interest in hillwalking and a reasonable level of fitness for a full day on the hill are sufficient. Participants should be comfortable walking for a full day outdoors.
-
Mountain Skills 2 is the foundation for those interested in pursuing more advanced qualifications — including Walk Leader and Mountain Leader awards through Mountaineering Ireland. Fergal can advise on progression routes after you complete MS2.
