Mountain Skills
This course is an ideal choice for people interested in exploring or who work in mountainous terrain and want to develop their confidence in the mountains.
Course Overview
This course is run in the higher mountain areas of Ireland and will provide learners with fundamental skills such as map reading, navigation, route planning, and decision-making, as well as practical skills such as mountain weather forecasting, use of equipment, and basic emergency procedures.
The Mountain Skills course covers a wide range of topics, including:
Mountain Navigation: Participants learn how to read and interpret maps and use a compass and other navigation tools to plan and follow a route.
Mountain Weather: Participants learn how to interpret weather forecasts, assess weather conditions in the field, and make informed decisions about travel and activities based on weather conditions.
Mountain Safety: Participants learn how to identify hazards, manage risks, and respond to emergency situations, including basic first aid and emergency procedures.
Mountain Equipment: Participants learn about different types of equipment used in mountain environments, such as boots, clothing, backpacks, and tents, and how to choose and use equipment appropriate for different activities and conditions.
Mountain Ecology and Conservation: Participants learn about the natural environment and ecology of mountainous regions, as well as the importance of conservation and sustainable use of these areas.
Course schedule
This course runs for five days:
Mon-Wed: 9:30 – 16:15
Thursday requires a night navigation so will run from 14:00 – 22:00
Friday: 10:30 – 16:15
Why should I apply?
The Mountain Skills course equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate and operate safely in mountainous environments. Whether working in outdoor settings or pursuing personal interests in mountain activities, this course ensures safety, enhances performance, and offers valuable industry recognition.
What will I study ?
Mountain Navigation
Mountain Weather
Mountain Safety
Mountain Equipment
Mountain Ecology and Conservation
What are the entry requirements?
Applicants must be 18+ years of age on entry to the course.
Non-EU/EEA applicants must have permission to work in Ireland.
Competent written and spoken English (CEFR B2 or Higher).
Mature applicant route available for applicants aged 23+.
Leaving Cert, LCVP, LCA or QQI Level 4 Major Award.
Should have some hill walking experience and a reasonable level of fitness.
What is the cost ?
There is a course fee of €200 for this course
All materials and books are provided.
What's the certification?
Mountain Skills 1 & 2 (MSIrl-1&2)
Part-time Courses - FAQs
FET is short for Further Education & Training. Kerry College is an integrated college of FET. This means we do both progression-focused further education programmes and a range of employment-focused skills training programmes.
We enroll twice each year - January and September.
Part-time programmes run on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings, Friday afternoons, Saturday mornings, and increasingly online.
This depends on the course you choose.
Some courses have long waiting lists, others - not so much. Places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis so the best advice we can offer is to apply in plenty of time.
We enroll over 1000 applicants to our part-time courses each year - so it's always busy.
As places are offered based on the date of application, our team could be working their way down through the list.
That said, always check.
You can call Mary on our Part-time courses team at 066-7149696.
Although all of our part-time courses are fee-paying, we do have a DEASP Fee Waiver in place for those in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment.
This is subject to a waiting list and demand for course places.
Most part-time courses run at Kerry College are Minor awards.
A Minor award is commonly referred to as a module - but also as a component certificate or a certificate of unit credit.
These single 'modules' may be completed and certificated individually. All minor awards are linked to a major award that allows learners to collect and build their minor awards and work towards gaining a major award.
Applications for all part-time programmes should be made online - via the Kerry College website or www.fetchcourses.ie
FETCH COURSES is the national application system for all FET course applications.
All new applicants must set up a free account on www.fetchcourses.ie. You must use this to apply for all further education and training progarmmes anywhere in Ireland.
For existing Fetch Courses account holders, login and apply as before.
You can reset your password using your email or mobile phone. When you do, make sure you keep it for future reference.
Bear in mind, FETCH uses your PPS number to identify you - so although you might be able to set up a second account - it won't work properly.
If you're still stuck, contact our Admissions team on 066-714 96 96
No, aside from the DEASP Fee Waiver, all part-time courses are fee-paying.