All hills in the UK have been classified as either “Terrain Zero”, “Terrain One”, or “Terrain Two”.
No specific mountain authorisation is required for land defined as “Terrain Zero” (but POR rule 37 still applies, which covers proper training, approval of the activity by the DC, suitable equipment and briefing, appropriate age, and general supervision)
For land / hills to qualify as “Terrain Zero”
ALL the following criteria MUST be met:
“Travelling time” means the time it would take a person to walk by the quickest safe route; and for this purpose a person shall be deemed to walk at 5 kilometres per hour and to take, in addition, one minute for every 10 metres of increase in the height above sea level of any uphill section of that route.
“Winter” means when winter conditions, including snow and ice, prevail or are forecast; this cannot be defined by a portion of the year.
Summer means any condition not covered under “winter”.
Consideration must always be given to how the aims of Scouting relate to the activity (the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual development of the young people).
Each situation must be subject to a risk assessment (if only mentally), with the safety of our young people the prime concern. As it was aptly put at the conference: “It is easier to explain to a scout why you had to turn back, than to his parents why you did not”.
In recent years there have been several fatalities of scouts on mountains. None of these fatalities were down to hypothermia or inadequate equipment, but a number of them have been attributed to bad leadership and bad group management.
Don’t let it happen to you.
David Branagh
County Antrim Hillwalking Advisor/Assessor