I've looked back at my earlier post and realise that I misread Chuck's "altitude" as "attitude".
Isn't the real problem with training in hilly areas the problem of teaching how to maintain a constant attitude? If the nose is constantly moving up and down in relation to the (notional) horizon, maintaining altitude is very much a scondary consideration it seems to me.
My assumption (without personal experience) would be that, by reference to visual indicators outside the cockpit:
a. Maintaining angle of bank is a lesser difficulty even with a hilly horizon, but
b. Maintaining constant attitude must be really difficult for a student.
If I'm correct, how is maintaining attitude taught in those circumstances?
An experienced pilot will maintain attitude by the feel of back pressure on the controls, monitored by regular reference to the ASI. Are students taught the same way?
It seems to me that altitude must be a secondary consideration until the student has got these two nailed. Losing altitude could be caused by failure to add enough power (if bank and attitude are maintained constant), or by allowing the nose to drop which could be caused by insufficient back pressure on the controls (steady bank), or increasing bank (steady back pressure), or a combination of both.
What's the trick to teaching turning in the hills?