Introduction and Background
Mountain Leader Training Northern Ireland (MLTNI) was formally established as the Northern Ireland Mountain Training Board in 1975 in order to promote the safe use of Northern Ireland's mountains and wild country areas whilst fostering a regard for the ideals and accepted practices of mountaineering. Mountain Leader Training Boards were also established in England, Scotland and Wales around the same time. The Mountain Training Boards are committed to the development of standards and operating schemes for those leading mountain activities. The awards of the Mountain Training Boards provide training and assessment of those engaged in leading others, particularly young people, in mountainous and wild country areas. In 2002, the board changed its name to Mountain Leader Training Northern Ireland.

Purposes and Objectives
The Board was originally constituted to establish, to keep under review and to recommend to the Sport Northern Ireland schemes of training designed to encourage, promote and develop mountain leaders and mountain instructors operating within Northern Ireland. In pursuing these objectives the Board has the authority to implement and promote relevant schemes of training, to act as a validating authority for leader and instructor awards and to train and maintain a panel of approved trainers and assessors. Mountain Leader Training Northern Ireland is the only forum within Northern Ireland that brings together the joint expertise of the National Governing Bodies, Representative Bodies of Mountaineering and other key providing agencies notably the Education and Library Boards, Voluntary Organisations, Mountain Rescue and Tollymore Mountain Centre. As such it has a key role in the co-ordination and development of mountain training across the whole spectrum.

UK co-ordination is achieved through the Mountain Leader Training UK. This Board has representatives from each of the four home country Mountain Training Boards as well as the National Outdoor Centres, Mountain Instructor Association, International ML Association and other interested bodies. MLTUK is set up to encourage and co-ordinate a uniformity of Mountain Training Awards throughout the whole of the UK.