Scotland’s national mountain centre is offering free training for volunteers.

Glenmore Lodge has places on Summer Mountain Leader and Winter Mountain Leader courses for people who act as volunteers in a club or group. Mountain Bike Leader training and Trail Cycle Leader courses are also on offer. Applicants must apply before 30 November this year.

The centre, near Aviemore, has received funding to run the course from Grangers, the waterproofing company. There’s an application form on the lodge’s website.

The course can be either for training or assessment and all volunteer applicants will have to satisfy the pre-requirements for the relevant schemes. Deadline for taking up the training is the end of November 2008. The courses are worth more than £400 each, so if you’re a volunteer looking for training, it’s worth applying.

Glenmore Lodge is also looking for guinea pigs or, more correctly, mock clients who can act as party members during assessment of both Mountain Instructor Award and Mountain Instructor Certificate candidates. In a nuthsell, you need to be learning skills at those levels and you’ll get to be a client for the day. During that time, you will gain training experience. Although the training is free, you’ll need to pay for food and accommodation.

British Canoe Union level two and level three clients are also needed. Details, again, are on the Glenmore Lodge site.