Lancaster, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/10/2015 -- Tour operator and trainer, Aled Butler, has completed the Mountain Training Winter Mountain Leader Award program which has been designed specifically to not only promote expert safety and mountaineering skills, but also create a foundation of subject matter experts who can return to their communities to prepare and guide others in the accumulation of these skills. The Mountain Leader Award program is specifically tailored to instructors like Butler in order to validate important life-saving skills and ensure that those who receive the award have all the proper instruction and credentialing to take tour groups and individuals out in winter weather conditions. The course includes instruction in:

Leadership and Journey Skills
Navigation
Snow and Avalanche Training
Snowcraft
Steep Ground Security
Emergency Snow Shelters
Cold Weather Injuries
Winter Weather

The six day course is designed to provide each individual with everything he or she needs to take an outdoor tour group out into inclement winter weather safely, as well as, train others to do the same. In order to take this course, applicants must already have completed a Winter Mountain Training course or been exempted and have logged 40 Winter Quality Mountain Days over three winter seasons with at least 20 of them in Scotland.

"I was excited to take the course and receive the validation of my skills by an authority in the industry," says spokesperson Butler. "Going outdoors, spending time in nature—even in winter, a time most people don't consider, unfortunately, is so helpful to the human psyche. My goal with ABMountains is to get people to put down their iPhones and get back out into nature and just absorb the peace."

For more information visit the website at: http://www.abmountains.co.uk/winter-guide.html