Improved access for mountain lovers to safe and inspiring leadership and instruction; safety, enjoyment and fulfilment in the world’s wildest places and encouragement for sustainable mountaineering and climbing practices. The MQL aims to help reducing accidents and develop best practices. The labels were first adopted by the UIAA General Assembly in 1993 (Santiago de Chile) to assist Member Associations wishing to use the original four standards. The regulatory body is today called the UIAA Training Panel.
ADVISORY
NON-UIAA MEMBERS
Organisations/associations/bodies and other entities not-affiliated to the UIAA cannot apply for UIAA Training Qualifications. It is strictly forbidden for non-UIAA members to present any courses as being UIAA training certified.
UIAA MEMBERS
Member associations are reminded that while they are encouraged to use UIAA membership branding in their communications, it is absolutely forbidden to use it on any certification for skills, leadership or instruction until or unless they have completed UIAA accreditation for qualifications. If any member wishes to use the UIAA logo on certification, they need to register for the MQL and complete the accreditation process. For further details please contact the UIAA Office. In addition, skills courses should only be delivered by qualified instructors, and candidates must register for UIAA Good Practice personal skills if they wish to have a UIAA certificate for their course.
CERTIFIED SKILLS TRAINING
The UIAA accreditation for personal skills training confirms that students have competed a training course which met UIAA recommended standards for contact hours, syllabus, suitable venue and personally directed by a qualified tutor holding the appropriate UIAA accredited mountain activity qualification. It should be remembered that skills fade over time so the candidate should continue to practice after competing a skills training programme. These are delivered by the member organisation following UIAA recommended guidelines. Unlike skills courses a qualification involves a process of experience, training, consolidation, assessment and revalidation.
Leaders and instructors holding a UIAA accredited qualification are deemed competent and current for working in the country where their member organisation is based. Some countries may wish to cross-accredit or fast-track UIAA accredited leaders; however this is entirely at the discretion of the national federation and subject to law in that country for volunteer and/or professional work. The UIAA supports UIAGM and UIMLA members as the only qualified professional leaders and guides with universally accepted international scope and remit.