Scout hillwalking permit: what to log before your assessment
By a volunteer Scout leader
Updated 16 October 2026
4 min read
Whether you’re going for your first Terrain One permit or stepping up to Terrain Two or winter conditions, a clear record of where you’ve walked and in what conditions makes assessment far easier. Here’s what to record, and why.
Please note: this is practical advice from one leader to another, not official guidance. Always check the current Policy, Organisation and Rules and talk to your county or district assessor about their process.
The short version
- Know which terrain and season you’re aiming for. Terrain Zero needs no permit; One and Two do.
- Log every walk: route, terrain, height, distance from help, weather and group size.
- Winter is about conditions, not the calendar, so record the snow, ice and wind you actually met.
- Build experience by supporting a current permit holder, and log those days too.
- Permits last up to five years and there’s no grace period.
Know what your permit covers
A hillwalking permit is required for all hillwalking in Terrain One or Terrain Two. Terrain Zero doesn’t need a permit, but it does need approval from your Lead Volunteer.
| Terrain | In short | Permit? |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain Zero | Below 500m, within 30 minutes of help, no steep or rocky ground | No (Lead Volunteer approval) |
| Terrain One | 500–800m, or 30 minutes to 3 hours from help, no steep or rocky ground | Yes |
| Terrain Two | Over 800m, or more than 3 hours from help, or steep or rocky ground where a fall is possible | Yes |
Permits are issued for Terrain One or Two in summer or winter conditions. Winter means when snow and ice prevail or are forecast. It can’t be defined by the time of year. Summer is everything else.
- Personal lets a young person under 18 walk with others who hold a personal hillwalking permit.
- Leadership lets you lead one group, and you must be with the group at all times.
- Supervisory lets you remotely supervise up to three groups, from no further than 3km on foot or 10km in a vehicle, with a leader designated for each group.
Parties in Terrain One and Two must be between four and eight people.
What to log each walk
Your assessor is judging whether you have the skills and experience for the terrain and season you’ve asked for. For every walk, record:
- Date, area and route, including the highest point reached.
- Terrain: Zero, One or Two, and why. Height, distance from help, steep or rocky ground.
- Conditions: weather, visibility, wind and, crucially, any snow or ice.
- Your role: leading, supervising, supporting a permit holder or walking personally.
- Group size, and how many groups if you were supervising remotely.
- Navigation and decisions: poor visibility, a changed route, a turn-back point you used.
Building experience
The most reliable way to build experience at a new level, or on a new type of water or terrain, is to support a current permit holder in their sessions. Take on more as your confidence grows, and log every session, noting that you were supporting and who held the permit. When you come to be assessed you can show exactly what you’ve done, rather than relying on memory.
This matters most for winter. Because winter depends on conditions rather than dates, you need to have actually walked in snow and ice. Log those days carefully so you can show them.
Common gaps at assessment
- Terrain not recorded. “A walk in the Peaks” doesn’t say whether it was Terrain One or Two.
- Going for winter with only summer days logged. Without recorded winter conditions, there’s nothing to show.
- Supervisory without remote-supervision experience. Remote supervision is harder than it looks, especially in winter. Log every time you’ve done it.
- Vague weather. “Bit windy” isn’t much help. Note what you actually faced and what you did about it.
Don’t let it lapse
Adventurous activity permits expire within five years of being granted. When yours expires, you must be assessed and granted a new permit before you can run the activity again, so an unnoticed expiry date can mean cancelled sessions.
Keep logging between assessments. When renewal comes round, you’ll already have years of evidence ready to show.
Log your next hillwalking session in Paracord
Free for one activity type, with unlimited logs. Export a PDF of your history for your assessor with Pro.
