Rockclimbing Instructor Assessment

Before you attend a Rock Climbing Instructor assessment, make sure you have done the following:

• You must have attended a Rock Climbing Instructor (or Single Pitch Award) training course or been granted exemption from training.
• You must be familiar with the syllabus.
• You must be competently leading Severe grade climbs on outdoor crags with leader-placed protection.
• You must 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).
• You must be proficient in the use of climbing walls and have a minimum of 30 climbing wall leads graded at F4 or above.
• You must be proficient in outdoor bolt protected sport climbing and have a minimum of 10 sport climb leads graded at F4 or above.*
• You must 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. At least five of these sessions must have personal reflective comments recorded on DLOG.
• You must hold a current first aid qualification which involved at least two days of training and an element of assessment.

*Mountain Training Board Ireland recognises that these changes to the prerequisites may present challenges for those who have already completed their Single Pitch Award training and wish to attend 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 prerequisites of the scheme will have to be met by all Rock Climbing Instructor candidates.

This Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment is a two-day and two-evening course which will assess the syllabus requirements of candidates within the scheme.

Suitable qualified and experienced assessors will observe candidates operating at an appropriate level with regard to the scheme. This will include the following:

• Ability to lead climb proficiently at severe standard on an outdoor crag
• Prevent and solve basic problems
• Demonstrate an awareness of risk and manage it appropriately
• Manage a group of novice students at a crag
• Understanding of leadership styles and issues
• Knowledge of related equipment
• Use of climbing walls
• Environmental understanding of the crag environment

This Rockclimbing Instructor Assessment is for those who wish to take responsibility for climbing with students at the crag. Candidates should ensure they have fulfilled all course pre-requisites for the scheme.

• REC Level 2 Emergency
• Rockclimbing Instructor Training

As you can see from the programme we will spend full days at crags potentially in a range of weather conditions so bring your waterproofs, thermals and boots for the walk in.

Whilst packed lunches and meals are provided as part of the course we do not supply flasks or water bottles.

Although Tollymore stores has a full range of all necessary climbing equipment it is expected at this stage of the scheme candidates will have much of their own personal climbing equipment.

Tollymore will supply all group equipment and ropes for the course.

The Rockclimbing Instructor Assessment course fee includes kit, equipment, in course transport, coaching, food and accommodation.

Course accommodation will be in shared twin ensuite rooms. If you would prefer not to share a room, single occupancy may be available for an additional charge.

• A Manual of Modern Rope Techniques Nigel Shepherd, Constable, 1998
• Knots Booklet, BMC
• Ropes Booklet, BMC
• Rock Climbing Book UKMTB Libby Peter