Forum menu
Been toying with doing this sometime in the next year or so, mainly as a personal challenge, and wondering how much of a step up it is from Level 2.
Did my level 2 assessment last autumn and level 3 was suggested as a next step. My worries are my fitness, and the actual real world experience requirements of level 3. Lockdown is obviously going to impact opportunities to gain experience, but I do have contacts at local kids clubs I could tap into to shadow/lead groups, and a few beginner colleagues have expressed interest in some led rides.
Can anyone give an idea of what's involved?
Whilst it can vary upon provider, the emphasis is on superb leadership. You'll be qualified to lead in remote terrain so your decision making and emergency preparedness must be top notch. It's not a coaching qualification so your riding skills/fitness don't need to be out of this world/super-human. In fact, when I did my L3 assessment, a very, very talented rider/racer didn't pass as they simply weren't a great leader. Those with less technical ability/confidence but great leadership did pass. Ultimately leadership comes with experience leading at L2 and shadowing a L3 leader in genuine L3 terrain - it's not something that can be taught.
The L3 assessment involves guiding pretend clients as well as other candidates; if you can get onto an assessment as a pretend client you'll get a great insight into the assessment - and get to ride the assessment route too which can help with the navigation aspect. You'll also need to go on a road trip as you'll need logged rides from more than 1 country (it can still be UK though).
You'll gain a huge amount from it, but (like most other qualifications) nowhere near as much as you will from using it once you've got it.
I've been guiding for 6 years now and in my third year of doing it full time so feel free to ask anything specific.
Thanks, pretty much what I'm looking for then- I'll have a chat with the club guys and see about shadowing once we have a bit of freedom. That's certainly my weakest area, given my zero experience other than leading mates around!
I do know the assessment route too, so maybe give that a go once the weather is better.