So, any STWers doing this at the weekend? I'm signed up and looking forward to it and just wondered if I'm likely to be bunking up with any of you lot this weekend?

Also, does anyone know what the riding is like around there? Location

Is that similar to the the TCL part of the SMBLA?

Yeah I think so…

I chose the CTC route as it seems to be as much focused on tuition as it does guiding.

gary, then do the skills coaching qualification. if coaching is your thing

Jedi, interested in guiding too, and currently having no qualifications, I'm under the impression that trail leader and technical leader are pre-reqs anyway?

yes thats true.

i am mias level 2 leader/assesor qualified and ctc skills trained
the ctc course was way more involved/in depth content wise.
i reckon the same will be of their leadership course too

That's reassuring! It's all happened very fast, 2 weeks after I do the Trail Leader course I've got my REC 1st Aid up in Snowdon, and I only thought about doing all of this about 6 weeks ago, yikes!

Yeah the plan is to be Technical Leader before the end of 2010 and possibly even Skills Instructor but I guess that'll hinge on how quickly and effectively I can fill my log books.

Btw, I offered in another thread and it still stands, if you're ever coaching or guiding down in the South West or South Wales and you want an assistant/monkey for the day FOC, let me know!

Hi All

Just felt that I had to comment on this thread.

Jedi, I am not doubting what you say about the MIAS course which you attended ( I think I can say for certain, it was not with me), not being as

in depth. However, I have to say that is completly opposite to the feedback which I receive from customers who have been attending for the past 7 years , especially regarding coaching techniques.

Ray Mazey

I'm about to sign off tomorrow on forms to obtain a bursary to start the CTC Trail Leader award.

Couple of questions for you blokes.

What is involved in these courses?

Can i make a living from this job?

I'm looking at getting 4 quals in total –
CTC Trail Leader Award
CTC National Standard
CTC cycle maintainance award
1st aid ticket

My local outdoor activity centre require me to have the two CTC quals as a minimum but the other two would be welcome.
I'm jobless and i need a new career – can i make a living?

I honestly don't know… I'm doing this on proviso that it's fun and I'd only be doing it anyway (I'm guiding and teaching all the time anyway). If I make some pocket money out of it, awesome, if I make a career out of it, bloody awesome!

People do make a living guiding and skills coaching, certainly.

I'd be very surprised if you built the business up sufficiently quickly to do no other work for at least a year or so, but that's true of lots of businesses.

hiya ray, no it wasnt with you .

Glen, I don't know if I remembered to thank you and Richard, but massive thanks for answering all my inane questions, Jedi too!

No worries Gary.

Hi Jedi

I know you did'nt 🙂 If you had I am sure your comment may have been a bit more positive. Hopefully like these maybe –
http://www.mountainbikeinstruction.co.uk/fback.asp?session=12444190020150231939671220721&course=leader

Thanks
Ray

nice feedback. good on ya

I'm jobless and i need a new career – can i make a living?

Recon that depends on your definition of "making a living" and what standard of "living" you aspire to.

Also depends on where you live and whether you have some capital to get started.

eg;
http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/10/go-where-your-guide-to-scottish-trails/
http://www.mb7.com/
http://www.cyclewildscotland.co.uk/
http://www.cyclewise.co.uk/
http://www.thebreakpad.com/
http://www.thehubintheforest.co.uk/
http://s204317406.websitehome.co.uk/index.html

All from a dream/hobby

Have met a few what I would term as "drop outs" when on the holiday circuit. ie guides on mainland Europe who seem to spend 6mths or so guiding over there and returning to some other contracting work at home or elsewhere during the winter.

It also depends sometimes on who you know 😉
I do some volunteer work for my LEA. Have been biking for years and met the senior outdoor ed tutor through biking initially, long before SMBLA. He was one of the people responsible for setting it up. He credits me with teaching him and his kids how to ride an mtb 😳

Thanks Jedi

Ray

Cheers for those links Trekster!

Trekster –

Currently awaiting my CRB check before i can get into volunteering with my local outdoor centre. The organisation in question is more geared towards getting kids and adults more active in healthy outdoor exercise than honing skills for what we would call proficient mtb'ers.
They are keen on taking on new staff although i don't know yet how that would work.
I have a meeting tomorrow with the girl who is sorting out (allegedly) my CRB and the funding for the course.
I am expected to pay this back with 20hrs volunteer work at the activity centre. This will help me gain experience and show them what i can do.
I don't see myself (yet) setting up as a self-employed skills coach, rather working for the local authority trust Co. tasked with improving the locals health through exercise. The centre is mainly a water-sport based centre but they are keen to expand the cycling facilities they currently offer. They run a fleet of Trek bikes that they use to take classes out – ranging from disadvantaged kids who've never had the opportunity to ride a bike to more advanced (all relative i know) groups of adults on two-day tours of the Mary Towneley Loop.

It's all a ballache at the moment, been waiting for my CRB to come through for over 2 months, now just been told it was lost and we have to start again 🙁
I'm getting despondent 'cos there is no work in my previous field and i'm not sure if i'm wasting my time trying to get somewhere with this.
I need to earn around £16000 a year to pay my bills/mortgage and i'm unsure how many hours a week i can actually work at this.

Sorry for whining, been unemployed since July and it's really getting at me now.

I passed! "A strong pass with an exceptional performance! Well done!"

Yay, right, paperwork and frameworks to sort out, log a load of rides and bring on Technical Leader!

Congratulations Gary! Are you thinking of doing something around Bristol or setting your sights further afield?

Muddydwarf, I needed a CRB check a while ago because some local schoolkids wanted to do trail maintenance for their D of E award. Like you I found it took ages for it to come through but I understand that there is some provision for it to be waived by parental consent, so I was actually able to start working with them before my disclosure certificate came through. This obviously isn't feasible under some circumstances, and the school/parents have to be willing, but it might be worth looking into if you just want to get some experience under your belt?

Mr Agreeable: no idea yet really. As mentioned, my initial motivation was just doing it for a laugh and also because I lead so much with the cheesy riders it might not hurt to get a quali…

Right now I'm just going to focus on fulfilling the requirements for Technical Leader and go from there… 🙂

Although I'm now really keen on coaching and think I'll find it massively fulfilling. As part of my assessment for trail leader we had to do a skills session. I had a pretty naff area to work with so did trackstanding lessons coupled with some games to aid in developing balance. Most of the other candidates could already trackstand with some proficiency, but one who couldn't before the lesson ended up doing the most amazing trackstand out of everyone and was hugely pleased with himself. That felt pretty awesome! 🙂

Sounds good. Am doing my trail and technical trail in early next year. Should be ok as i have been assessed before. So hopefully go for advanced by the end of the year. Not sure about the skills one yet though