Being gluten- and lactose-intolerant means that I can’t eat anything containing wheat, oats, barley, rye, and milk or mild products. Lots of the usual expo food items are out for me – pasta, butties, cheese, chocolate, most breakfast cereals including porridge, and many of the standard dried expo meals. Over the years I have tried different combinations of energy-dense food that is compact, lightweight and low on packaging, and now I have my go-to favourites that I take on every expo. 

Passing your Mountain Leader assessment is all about showing that you can take care of yourself and your group in the mountains, whatever the terrain or the weather. In order to be able to do this, you have to be able to multi-task: to confidently take care of yourself and be able to navigate effectively whilst keeping your group safe. Here’s an inside peak into what we look for in each assessment candidate.