AMC's Mountain Leadership School (MLS) is a five-day wilderness leadership training program designed to help you lead groups with minimal impact in the backcountry. Now in its 6th decade, this program is staffed by senior AMC volunteers who have a wide variety of backcountry knowledge and experience.

MLS is designed for:

• AMC chapter leaders
• Camp counselors
• Youth group leaders
• Avid hikers who lead groups of friends

MLS offers a rigorous opportunity to learn about and practice wilderness leadership, so participants must be in good physical condition (see our "How to Prepare" tab). The program includes a four-day backpacking adventure — traveling long miles with heavy packs over some of the roughest terrain in the East.

You will discover and develop your own leadership style and learn new skills and ideas in areas such as:

• Group dynamics and management
• Trip planning
• Accident prevention and emergency scene management
• Time management
• Low-impact camp-craft and backcountry travel
• Clothing and equipment
• Navigation Trip planning

Intensive participation and interaction with the group are expected of every student. You will take turns leading your group through the mountains in a series of adventures and scenarios designed to develop and test your leadership skills. In the process, you are likely to develop life-long friendships.

• Program Details
• 2012 MLS for Day Hike Leaders Schedule/Rates

AMC's Mountain Leadership School for Day Hike Leaders (MLS) is a four-day experiential outdoor leadership training program that trains participants to lead high quality, safety-focused excursions with minimal impact on the backcountry. Drawing on backcountry curriculum refined over the last 6 decades, this program is staffed by senior AMC volunteers who have a wide variety of backcountry knowledge and experience. This session focuses on the needs of those outdoor leaders who primarily lead day hikes. The day hike excursions range from 5-12 miles per day and cover challenging terrain in the White Mountains. Each evening the group returns to the comfort of the Shapleigh Bunk House at the Highland Center in Crawford Notch to enjoy a hearty dinner at the Highland Center. The program continues into the evening to cover leadership topics and debrief the day’s key events.

MLS for Day Hike Leaders is designed for:

• AMC chapter day hike leaders
• School teachers
• Outing Club leaders
• Avid hikers who lead groups of friends

MLS is offered two times during the summer. MLS begins with a day of instruction at the MLS Base Camp, the Highland Center.  After a night at the Highland Center each group begins its four-day camping adventure.

Prior to enrolling in MLS, taking a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is highly recommended. A well-trained leader should be able to prevent backcountry emergencies and care for patients in remote settings. A hands-on WFA class takes place the Monday and Tuesday before each MLS session and will be taught by SOLO. The course includes a mock rescue and certification upon successful completion.

2012 MLS Schedule
Program	Location	Date	Price Member/Nonmember
Mountain Leadership School with Wilderness First Aid	Highland Center	June 11-17	$635 / $719
Mountain Leadership School	Highland Center	June 13-17	$390 / $432
Mountain Leadership School for Day Hiker Leaders	Highland Center	August 9-12	$345 / $379

 

For more information, please email leadership@outdoors.org. To register, call our reservations department at 603-466-2727.

What you get out of Mountain Leadership School (MLS) depends on what you put into it and how well prepared you are when you arrive at the school. Here is how you can get ready:

• Be in good physical condition.
  MLS is strenuous and physically challenging. You will hike on steep, rough terrain for four days and carry a heavy pack. To make this an enjoyable and safe experience, you need to be in good aerobic shape before MLS begins. Hike, run, bike, or use a stairmaster — do anything to help your heart and lungs enjoy cardiovascular fitness. Aim for at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise four or more days a week during May before MLS begins.  It is also recommended to practice carrying a pack that weighs approximately 1/3 your body weight.

• Come with a positive attitude and open mind.
  MLS uses an experiential method of teaching and can be emotionally stressful. You will be in a position of responsibility and leadership that may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable. On purpose, the facilitators will ensure you have challenging leadership problems to solve. Come to the school prepared to participate in everything, to take risks, and to make mistakes your first time out. The more you are willing to stretch yourself, the more you will gain.

• Bring appropriate clothing and equipment.
  Mountain weather is extremely changeable and unpredictable. Above treeline, conditions can be cold, wet, and windy. Snow, gale force winds, and subfreezing temperatures occur every month of the year in the Whites. It is important to equip yourself for a wide range of weather conditions and bring synthetics, wool, or fleece — not cotton, which won't insulate when wet. We will spend time outdoors teaching and participants should be prepared with clothes to stay warm during the sedentary classes.  Because you will carry a portion of the group's gear as well as your own, bring all the items on the required equipment list (PDF). (If you do not have an updated version of Adobe Acrobat software, download it now.) Bring only those items from the optional list you think you will need. Be prepared to leave optional items behind.

• Review the MLS Student Handbook
  Students already registered for Mountain Leadership School should review our MLS Student Handbook (PDF). You will receive a hard copy of the guide at MLS in June or August but in preparation for your MLS experience, it is strongly recommended that you take some time to read through the manual prior to arriving in Crawford Notch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Curriculum

Q. What topics will be covered in the Mountain Leadership School (MLS) course?

A. The MLS curriculum focuses on the technical camping skills and the people skills you need to lead safe and enjoyable day trips and backpacking trips in the area. The lessons include:

• Personal management – staying warm, fed, and hydrated during your trip.
• Organizing a group – group roles, stages of group development, delegation of group resources, and time management.
• The leadership mindset – being aware, anticipating risks and problems, communicating, balancing goals, accepting responsibility.
• Camp skills – selecting camp sites; knowing regulations; setting up and breaking down camp, kitchens and latrines; and practicing Leave No Trace principles.
  
• Navigation and trip planning – using a map and compass, planning and finding a route, planning for contingencies.
• Mountain craft – weather and lightning, maybe even some geology, botany, or history.
• Learning about yourself as a leader – knowing how to be gentle or forceful and when each is appropriate, deciding what kind of leadership styles you can use effectively.

Q. What happens on the "classroom" day?

A. The MLS experience begins on Wednesday with a full day of classroom activities, including:

• Meeting your group – seven or eight students and two staff facilitators.
• Learning from brief talks – group dynamics, leadership styles, accident prevention, Leave No Trace principles.
• Checking your group gear – setting up tents and familiarizing yourself with camp stoves.
• Making sure you have the right equipment.
• Beginning to lead – facilitators will appoint the first leader and co-leader and they will distribute group gear and plan the first day's hike.

Q. What are my responsibilities when I take a turn as the group leader?

A. Thursday through Sunday, you will hike and camp in the White Mountains, and leadership of the group will rotate among the students. During your time as student leader, you must solve all the problems of outdoor leadership from planning and navigating the day's route to setting up camp at the end of the day. Your challenges will include:

• Communicating with and motivating your co-leader and the other people in your group.
• Being attuned to the group's safety and needs.
• Exercising your skills through role-play scenarios arranged by facilitators.

At the end of your shift as student leader, your facilitators will organize a feedback session to consider what you did, what you were trying to accomplish, and how you might have handled things differently. Your fellow students and facilitators will also tell you how they reacted to your leadership. One of your responsibilities as a student is to be open and candid in your self-assessment and in your feedback to other student leaders.

Q: What do you mean by Experiential Learning?

Experiential Learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. As Aristotle stated, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them."  At MLS you will be the leader or co-leader of your group for a half day at least twice during the four day backpack.  You will make the decisions and direct your group towards a common goal.  Facilitators will be in the field to keep the group safe and help you reflect on your learning process.

 

Facilitators

Q. Who are the facilitators?

A. The facilitators at MLS are all volunteer members of the AMC and are supported by AMC staff. They want to share their love of the outdoors and their leadership experience with new leaders. They include business people, teachers, outdoor educators, and firefighters, and they have hiked, rock-climbed, kayaked, and led trips all over the world. They are all certified in Wilderness First Aid and many are Wilderness First Responders or EMTs.

 

Scholarships

Q. Are scholarships available?

A. Limited scholarships are available through AMC chapters for volunteer AMC trip leaders. If you are interested, you should contact your chapter chair or the backpacking/activities chair in your chapter.