So What's The New Rock Climbing Instructor Qualification All About?
/WRITTEN by ANNE ENSOLL
The new Rock Climbing Instructor qualification replaced the Single Pitch Award on 2nd April 2018, following a review of all the climbing awards by Mountain Training. Both awards are national qualifications which provide a level of basic competence for those who are in a position of responsibility on single pitch crags and artificial structures. So what’s the same, and what's different?
Key syllabus areas
The key syllabus areas are mostly the same, with one or two changes:
ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
Technical competence
- Equipment
- Anchors
- Belaying
- Abseiling
- Personal climbing skills
- Background knowledge
Management and Decision Making
- Planning
- Organizing
- Managing other staff
- Managing participants
- Knowledge and demonstration of techniques
The Climbing Environment
- Access
- Conservation
- etiquette and ethics
Teaching Skills
SINGLE PITCH AWARD
Technical competence
- Equipment
- Anchors
- Belaying
- Abseiling
- Personal climbing skills
- Background knowledge
Group management and supervision
- Organisation
- Supervising sessions
- Group management
- Risk assessment
The Climbing Environment
- Access
- Conservation
- Professional codes and ethics
Before the training course
What's the same?
You need to:
- be at least 18 years old
- have a genuine interest in climbing and the supervision of groups
- register on the scheme at Mountain Training and have an account on Mountain Training’s Candidate Management System, which includes a digital logbook (DLOG)
- join a Mountaineering Council (the British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Council of Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland)
- enter your climbing experience in your DLOG
What's different?
The main difference is the inclusion of outdoor sport climbing in the new award. To reach the minimum number required before training and assessment, you can have all UK sport routes, all overseas sport routes, or a mixture of the two.
ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
You must:
- be an experienced indoor and outdoor rock climber
- have led at least 15 graded rock climbs with traditional protection
- have led at least 15 climbing wall routes
- have led at least 5 outdoor bolt protected sport climbs
SINGLE PITCH AWARD
You must:
- have at least twelve months rock climbing experience
- have led at least 15 graded rock climbs outdoors on routes where the protection is leader placed
The training course
What's the same?
Course providers: Mountaineering Instructor Award or higher
Additional staff: Single Pitch Award or Rock Climbing Award or higher
Maximum group size: 8
Maximum ratio: 1:4
What's different?
The really big difference is this:
Anyone who has not completed a training course for the Climbing Wall Award or the Climbing Wall Instructor does a three-day Rock Climbing Instructor training course, which includes a full eight-hour day at a climbing wall. If you've already completed a training course for the Climbing Wall Award or the Climbing Wall Instructor, you can choose to do a two-day Rock Climbing Instructor training course, without the climbing wall day.
The other differences:
ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
Minimum group size: 2
Length of course: 24 hours over 3 consecutive days or 16 hours over 2 consecutive days (see above)
Time spent at a climbing wall - three day course 8 hours over one day, two day course none
SINGLE PITCH AWARD
Minimum group size: 4
Length of course: 20 hours over 2 consecutive days
Time spent at a climbing wall: not specified
Before the assessment course
What's the same?
You must:
- have a current first aid certificate, minimum 16 hours and relevant to your work as an award holder
- update your climbing and supervising experience in your DLOG
What's different?
The main difference is the inclusion in the new award of a specified number of outdoor bolted routes. However, Mountain Training recognises that these changes to the pre-requisites may present challenges for those who have already completed their Single Pitch Award training and want to do a Rock Climbing Instructor assessment. Therefore there will be leeway given on the outdoor sport climbs requirement for Rock Climbing Instructor assessment for those who have already completed their Single Pitch Award training, until 31st December 2018. The minimum requirement of 10 outdoor sport climbs can be waived for such candidates during this period, provided that they have met the minimum indoor climbing requirement. It should be noted that this does not affect the standard of the assessment and candidates may be asked to complete a lead sport climb on their assessment course. From 1st January 2019 all of the pre-requisites of the scheme will have to be met by all Rock Climbing Instructor candidates.
ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
You must:
- attend a Rock Climbing Instructor or Single Pitch Award training course or been granted exemption from training.
- competently lead Severe grade climbs on outdoor crags with leader-placed protection.
- lead and log a minimum of 40 graded rock climbs with traditional protection at a variety of venues (of which at least 20 MUST be at Severe grade or above).
- be proficient in the use of climbing walls and have a minimum of 30 climbing wall leads graded at F4 or above.
- be proficient in outdoor bolt protected sport climbing and have a minimum of 10 sport climb leads graded at F4 or above.
- have assisted in the supervision of 20 instructed sessions post training. These sessions should be at a variety of different venues with 10 being on indoor climbing walls and the other 10 on outdoor crags. A session is a half day or evening.
SINGLE PITCH AWARD
You must:
- attend a Single Pitch Award training course or be granted exemption by Mountain Training
- lead and log a minimum of 40 lead climbs, outdoors on leader-placed protection at a variety of venues (a substantial number of these must be at least Severe grade at on a variety of rock types)
- be proficient in the use of climbing walls
- have assisted in the supervision of approximately 20 instructed sessions at a variety of locations, some outside and some inside (a session is a half day or evening)
The assessment course
What's the same?
Course providers: Mountaineering Instructor Award or higher
Additional staff: Mountaineering Instructor Award or higher
Minimum group size: 2
Maximum group size: 8
Maximum ratio: 1:4
What's different?
ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR
Length of course: 16 hours over 2 consecutive days
Time spent at a climbing wall: minimum 4 hours
SINGLE PITCH AWARD
Length of course: 20 hours over 2 consecutive days
Time spent at a climbing wall: not specified
Interested in doing a Rock Climbing Instructor training or assessment course?
Take a look at our Rock Climbing Instructor page and check out our course dates on the online calendar. Got questions? Send us an email or give us a call on the number below. We're looking forward to hearing from you!
