Climbing Wall Development Instructor
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Climbing Wall Development Instructor

This qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to teach lead climbing skills on indoor or outdoor artificial climbing walls and structures with fixed protection in the UK & Ireland.

It builds on the skills gained through either the Climbing Wall Instructor (formerly the Climbing Wall Award) or Rock Climbing Instructor (formerly the Single Pitch Award) qualifications, one of which must be held in order to access the scheme.

Course Director

All courses must be delivered by an approved course director. For course director responsibilities please see the Provider Handbook.

Scope of the award

A qualified award holder can:
  • Support an indoor climber’s progression
  • Foster an indoor climber’s independence
  • Teach indoor lead climbing skills
A qualified award holder can operate on:
  • Indoor and outdoor artificial bouldering venues
  • Indoor and outdoor climbing walls
The scheme does not cover:
  • The rock climbing skills needed to climb and/or supervise others on natural crags and quarries (these are covered in the Rock Climbing Instructor scheme)
  • The supervision of high or low ropes courses
  • The assessment of candidates’ personal qualities

Useful Resources

CANDIDATE HANDBOOK                                                                                                                                                    THE BOOK - ROCK CLIMBING
SKILLS CHECKLIST                                                                                                                                                         FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BOULDERING GUIDANCE                                                                                                                                                                                     PROVIDERS

Getting Started

Before registering for the Climbing Wall Development Instructor candidates must:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Hold either a Climbing Wall Instructor (formerly Climbing Wall Award) or Rock Climbing Instructor (formerly Single Pitch Award)
  • Have led at least 50 routes
  • At least 25 of the above must be at grade F6a or above
  • Have climbed at at least 3 major indoor climbing walls
  • Have belayed a leader on at least 50 climbs
  • Have at least 20 supervising sessions post CWI(CWA)/RCI(SPA) qualification. At least 5 of these sessions must have personal reflective comments recorded in the Logbook.
  • Be a member of one of the three Mountaineering Councils; Mountaineering Ireland, the British Mountaineering Council or Mountaineering Scotland.

Candidate Requirements

It is now the course director's responsibility to ensure all candidates satisfy the minimum requirements as follows (i.e Dlogs are not vetted by Mountain Training);
  • Have led 50 routes
  • Have climbed at 3 different major climbing walls
  • Have belayed a lead climber 50 times
  • Have lead 25 routes at grade F6a on indoor climbing walls
  • Have 20 supervising sessions after passing either Climbing Wall Instructor or Rock Climbing Instructor qualifications. At least 5 of these sessions must have personal reflective comments recorded on DLOG.
If you can meet all of the above requirements, here's what to do next:
  • Register for the Climbing Wall Development Instructor scheme (this costs €71)


Training

Climbing Wall Development Instructor training typically lasts for one day (minimum 8 hours contact time).

Before you attend a Climbing Wall Development Instructor training course, make sure you have done the following:

  • You must be registered on the scheme.
  • Be a current member of a Mountaineering Council: Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland or the British Mountaineering Council. €35 for training candidates.
You must have an up to date logbook (preferably DLOG) with evidence of the following:
  • 50 led routes.
  • Climbed at 3 different major climbing walls.
  • Belayed a lead climber 50 times.
  • 25 lead routes at grade F6a on indoor climbing walls.
  • 20 supervising sessions after passing either Climbing Wall Instructor or Rock Climbing Instructor qualifications. At least 5 of these sessions must have personal reflective comments recorded on DLOG.
A variety of cost packages are available depending on what's included; food, accommodation etc. so you can choose one that's right for you.

The Syllabus

Climbing Wall Development Instructors should be competent in the following key areas, all of which will be covered, to a greater or lesser extent, during your training course.
  • Technical Competence (including equipment, belaying and personal skills)
  • Management and Decision Making (including planning, managing participants, decision making, knowledge and demonstration of techniques)
  • Teaching and Learning Skills
  • The Climbing Wall Environment (including access, etiquette and ethics)
Detailed information on each of the above topics can be found in the Climbing Wall Development Instructor handbook and the onus is on you to be competent in all of them by the time you come to assessment - use the Skills Checklist to help with this.

Minimum Course Duration

  • 8 hours.
  • Delivered in a day.

Group Size

  • 2 candidates minimum.
  • 8 candidates maximum.

Staffing Ratio

  • 1 staff : 4 candidates.

Additional Course Staff

Climbing Wall Development Instructor or higher. Please see course staff requirements in the Leadership Award Quality Manual area for further guidance.

Guidance notes for trainers and assessors.

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