Staffing

Major reasons for the group's longevity and safety record are the enthusiasm and experience of the staff, and the fact that everyone knows their own and each other's strengths and weaknesses. Some staff members have been running courses together for many years, while others started as cadets and have been brought up to follow the group’s methods and standards

Adventure training, whether in the hills, on a rock face or in moving water is challenging and sometimes frightening for a cadet and it is essential that the instructors understand the cadets' limits and capabilities. Every instructor in the group is also an Officer, Warrant Officer or Civilian Instructor on an active Squadron, so is used to dealing with cadets of different ages and ability levels. Good leadership is a key principle of the ATC, and this tradition gives us an enormous advantage over many of the youth groups that we encounter in the hills

For developing technical mountain leadership skills, it is important to build experience by spending time on the hill, the rock face or the water under the guidance of more experienced people. This also means that the senior instructors constantly practice and update their own skills, and are unable to sustain any bad habits they may have picked up

It has become mandatory for leaders to be properly qualified for many of our activities. We are fortunate in having several instructors with full MLTB and/or BCU qualifications, and most of the remaining instructors are working towards these Nationally recognised awards

Risk assessment is continuous, and every instructor is encouraged to raise any concerns they might have about any activity or situation, regardless of their seniority within the group

The group is always ready to welcome new members regardless of previous experience and qualifications so if you think you can help we would be pleased to hear from you