The Rock Climbing Instructor scheme enables experienced rock climbers to instruct climbing on single pitch crags and artificial climbing walls and towers.
Course Director
All courses must be delivered by an approved course director. For course director responsibilities please see the Leadership Schemes Quality Manual.
Scope of the scheme
A qualification holder can operate on:
- Single pitch trad and sport crags
- Indoor and outdoor bouldering venues
- Climbing walls & towers
A single pitch venue is:
- Described as single pitch in a guidebook
- Allows climbers to be lowered to the ground
- Non-tidal and has little objective danger
- Presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as route finding, scrambling or navigating
The scheme does not cover:
- General mountaineering
- Multi-pitch rock climbing
- Teaching lead climbing skills
- Access to tidal sea cliffs or any other location where retreat is not easily possible
Registration
Candidate registration requirements
- Be 18 years old
- Be an experienced indoor and outdoor rock climber.
- Have a genuine interest in climbing and the supervision of groups.
- Be a member of a mountaineering council (British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland)
Training course
Candidate requirements
- Led at least 15 graded rock climbs with traditional protection.
- Led at least 15 climbing wall routes.
- Led at least 5 outdoor bolt protected sport climbs.
Minimum Course Duration
- 24 hours.
- Delivered in a 3 day programme. Courses can be split into 3 indvidual days (maximum) if delivered within a 3 month period. 8 hours must be spent in a climbing wall.
- If all candidates are Climbing Wall Instructor/Climbing Wall Award trained (not necessarily asssessed) providers can deliver a 2 day Rock Climbing Instructor training course. This must be placed on CMS as a seperate course 'type'. Do contact us for further information.
Group size
- 2 candidates minimum.
- 8 candidates maximum.
Staffing ratio
- 1 staff : 4 candidates.
Additional course staff requirements
Rock Climbing Instructor or higher. Please see course staff requirements in the Leadership Schemes Quality Manual area for further guidance.
Assessment Course
Candidate requirements
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have attended a Rock Climbing Instructor (or Single Pitch Award) training course or been granted exemption from training.
- Be familiar with the syllabus.
- Be competently leading Severe grade climbs on outdoor crags with leader-placed protection.
- Have led 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. 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.
- Hold a valid first aid certificate.
Minimum Course Duration
- 16 hours (with at least 4 hours delivered in a climbing wall).
- Delivered in a 2 day programme. Programme can be split into 2 x 1 day events delivered within a one month period.
Group size
- 2 candidates minimum.
- 8 candidates maximum.
Staffing Ratio
- 1 staff : 4 candidates.
Additional Course Staff requirements
Rock Climbing Development Instructor or higher.
Please see Course Staff Requirements in the Leadership Schemes Quality Manual area for further guidance.
