Carla Khouri’s path into outdoor leadership began with Air Cadets and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. Today, the Tottenham-raised freelance instructor works with women and young people, uses map and compass as her primary navigation tools, and names the Nantlle Ridge in Eryri as her favourite UK walk. She describes herself as the first recorded Black person to achieve the Winter Mountain Leader qualification—a milestone she regards with both pride and sadness.
How Khouri found her way outdoors
Khouri says she grew up in Tottenham, in inner-city London, in a family that was not especially outdoors-oriented. A friend invited her to join the Air Cadets, where she got the chance to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and go on expeditions.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Those early experiences gave her practical skills as well as a route into the hills. “I learnt to use a map and compass and become more independent in the outdoors,” she told Stuff. She says she has spent around 30 years outdoors and now works as a freelance outdoor instructor, particularly with women and young people. Her work has included teaching and supporting young people on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as well as roles with Black Girls Hike and Merrell Hiking Club. In the interview, she describes serving as Community Lead for Merrell Hiking Club, helping raise awareness and get more people outdoors.
Her outdoor life extends beyond work. Khouri says she has run about fifteen marathons and enjoys solo runs linking London’s green spaces, as well as running with clubs and friends. She also enjoys Hyrox, cycling and swimming, and thinks about staying strong enough to continue working outdoors as she gets older. Among her longer-distance trips, she names the Salkantay Trek in Peru and a personal trip to Everest Base Camp earlier in 2026.
From Mountain Leader to Winter Mountain Leader
Khouri qualified as a Mountain Leader in April 2019. Winter Mountain Leader was not initially part of her plan. In her Mountain Training profile, she explains that winter quality mountain days led her to take a winter skills course in Scotland. The experience was frightening: it was cold, visibility was poor, and she did not feel ready to pursue the qualification.
A women-only course the following winter was a turning point. It gave her a better experience and helped her see the qualification as attainable. The process took about five winters in Scotland, which she says was difficult to arrange while living in London. She credits financial support from the Tom Furey Memorial Trust and a Mountain Training Scotland bursary toward the costs.
Rank #2
What it means to be the first known Black Winter Mountain Leader
The wording matters. Khouri told Stuff, “I am the first recorded black person to achieve the Winter Mountain Leader qualification, in the forty years history of the awards, sadly.” Mountain Training asked how it felt to be the “first known Black Winter Mountain Leader.” These are carefully qualified descriptions, not a claim based on an independently audited national register.
Recommended Free Tools
Her answer holds the achievement and the lack of representation together: “I feel both proud and sad. I’m proud that I have achieved my personal goal of becoming a Winter Mountain Leader but there is so much work to do to increase representation in outdoor leaders. I may be the first but I certainly won’t be the last.” She also told Stuff: “I didn’t set out to be the first and I don’t want to be the only one. I know I won’t be.”
Rank #3
- Sighting Compass for Hiking Survival: 330grams professional metal compass with allows you to read datas directly, and the Vertical Lubber line of the sighting optic improves its accuracy and decreases its errors
- Military Navigation Compass with Fluorescent: Luminous magnet arrow and compass card allows you to read data in dark environment after absorbing enough sunshine. The luminous effect is really convenient to use at night
- Compass with Inclinometer: This is also a clinometer, enable to measure height and slopes
- Survival and Camping Compass: Foldable metal lid, Floating compass dial with 360° scale, Adjustable prism lens, Waterproof Shakeproof
- Metal Brujula Compass for Camping Hiking: Capable of working under extreme weather condition, suitable for Camping, Climbing, Boating, Exploring, Hunting, Hiking, Geology and Other Outdoor Activities
In a 2023 report, The Independent quoted Khouri’s approximate historical estimates: about 25,000 people had earned the Mountain Leader award since its inception, including roughly 20,000 men and 5,000 women; of those women, she estimated that two were Black, including herself. Those were her estimates as reported in 2023, not a current official count. A current official statistical series on Black representation among Winter Mountain Leaders is not established by the available sources.
Why peer support matters to her
Khouri’s route to the winter qualification also depended on encouragement from others. In her Mountain Training account, she describes a WhatsApp peer group for women working toward Winter Mountain Leader. It grew from a handful of candidates to over 80, becoming a place to exchange advice and encouragement. That figure is Khouri’s account of the group, not a sector-wide statistic.
Rank #4
- KEY FEATURES: This manual magnet compass consists of Acrylic Baseplate with Azimuth bearing and 360 degree rotating bezel. With the help of a magnetic needle which consists of a liquid-filled capsule (bubble free) helps to swing fast and freely point you towards north. The Magnifying Glass is used for reading and navigating geological maps. Along with this, it has the compass Ruler Scale of 1:24000 for precise route mapping
- PORTABLE & LIGHTWEIGHT: Boy Scout compass is small in size and an essential piece of survival gear to have in your pocket or hiking backpack. Both children and adults can use it, easy to carry during your trips especially for field trips. Portable Handheld Compass with magnetic needle and directional arrow, orienting lines compass and lanyard
- PROFESSIONAL, ADVANCE COMPASS NAVIGATION: Our orienteering compass is constructed for accurate directions and making it an ideal all-around land navigation kit for hikers, campers, girl & boy scouts and survivalists
- HIGH QUALITY: On every outdoor journey, a vital and high-quality compass keeps you feeling secure and can read topographic maps. Ideal for use with a kayak, camping trip, climbing expedition, or seeing animals outside
- IDEAL SURVIVAL GIFTS FOR HIKERS: During any emergency situation where you feel stuck or forget the way, this device can turn out to be a savior to make you out of depth. So, this BSA compass is an ideal gift for beginner cub scout and eagle scout, adults who love hiking, outdoors, girl & boy kids and fishermen's
Her advice to aspiring candidates is to find a support network and consider the Mountain Training Association mentor scheme. The practical point is that a demanding qualification need not be navigated in isolation: people who understand the training can share experience, help candidates work through setbacks and make the path feel possible.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
How Khouri navigates—and the Garmin fēnix she wears
Khouri’s approach starts with traditional navigation. “I’m old school in terms of using a map and compass – navigating without relying on GPS is one of my areas of expertise,” she told Stuff. She uses GPS on her smartphone as a backup, particularly when she is alone, and says modern smartphone satellite capabilities mean she does not feel she needs a separate GPS device.
Best Value
- KEY FEATURES: This manual magnet compass consists of Acrylic Baseplate with Azimuth bearing and 360 degree rotating bezel. With the help of a magnetic needle which consists of a liquid-filled capsule (bubble free) helps to swing fast and freely point you towards north. The Magnifying Glass is used for reading and navigating geological maps. Along with this, it has the compass Ruler Scale of 1:24000 for precise route mapping
- PORTABLE & LIGHTWEIGHT: Boy Scout compass is small in size and an essential piece of survival gear to have in your pocket or hiking backpack. Both children and adults can use it, easy to carry during your trips especially for field trips. Portable Handheld Compass with magnetic needle and directional arrow, orienting lines compass and lanyard
- PROFESSIONAL, ADVANCE COMPASS NAVIGATION: Our orienteering compass is constructed for accurate directions and making it an ideal all-around land navigation kit for hikers, campers, girl & boy scouts and survivalists
- HIGH QUALITY: On every outdoor journey, a vital and high-quality compass keeps you feeling secure and can read topographic maps. Ideal for use with a kayak, camping trip, climbing expedition, or seeing animals outside
- IDEAL SURVIVAL GIFTS FOR HIKERS: During any emergency situation where you feel stuck or forget the way, this device can turn out to be a savior to make you out of depth. So, this BSA compass is an ideal gift for beginner cub scout and eagle scout, adults who love hiking, outdoors, girl & boy kids and fishermen's
She recognizes the trade-off: a dedicated GPS unit may be more robust and offer longer battery life. For her own setup, she uses a phone case and power banks. That is her personal assessment, not a universal recommendation; equipment choices depend on the route, conditions, battery needs and the user’s experience.
Khouri says she wears a Garmin fēnix outdoors, but the interview does not identify its generation, size or variant. It would therefore be misleading to attribute specific features to her watch. For instance, Garmin’s fēnix E manual describes navigation features for that particular model; it does not establish which functions Khouri’s own watch has.
Why the Nantlle Ridge is her favourite walk
Asked where she would hike in the UK, Khouri chose the Nantlle Ridge in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia National Park. She describes it as a beautiful ridge walk away from especially popular trails and Snowdon itself, and calls it her favourite walk there.
That is a personal recommendation, not a complete route description. The interview does not specify a start point, distance, duration, difficulty, transport options or current conditions, so it does not establish whether a particular route or day would suit a given walker. Anyone planning to go should check authoritative local guidance and current mountain conditions, and choose a route appropriate to their experience and preparation.
Khouri’s enthusiasm for the ridge sits alongside a broader point: getting outdoors does not always require a trip to the mountains. She also finds nature in London’s green spaces, where she runs and enjoys linking parks and other green areas.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
