Bouldering Wall Instructor Training
The Bouldering Wall Instructor award is a new, nationally recognised qualification for people interested in teaching bouldering skills on indoor and outdoor artificial bouldering venues.
This is a one day training course and should be completed in addition to the online learning modules.
Who is it for?
Experienced boulderers who want to instruct others. The minimum age for this course is 16, so it is a good starting point for young leaders who would like to develop their climbing and work in the future.
As a Bouldering Wall Instructor you will not be qualified to manage roped climbing (for that, see Climbing Wall Instructor).
Bouldering Wall Instructor Training Course Overview
The course will look at the following:
- The specifics of the climbing wall environment
- Personal bouldering skills
- Instructor responsibilities
- Leadership and decision making
- Bouldering safe practice
- Managing / supervising other staff
- Etiquette and ethics
You will find more information on the scope of the course in the candidate handbook.
Bouldering Wall Instructor Training Course Format
This is a practical course and we’ll spend a lot of time on the wall.
The course begins at 10am with introductions (us, you, the scheme) and a discussion about your roles and responsibilities as a Bouldering Wall Instructor. From here we’ll head to the wall to explore safe use, etiquette and other users. Next we’ll cover equipment, including when to use what, checking climbing kit and how to correctly size it to an individual.
After the basics, it’s time to get into the format of running a climbing session, from warm ups through to bouldering, and supervising novice belayers.
Towards the end of the day, we’ll look ahead to how you can progress from the award. Before you leave we’ll have individual debriefs where you can ask questions or discuss any points with your trainer so that you have a clear picture of how to prepare for assessment.
You will be ready to depart at 17:00.
Course Details
- Location: Sheffield
- Cost: £105
- Duration: 1 day
- Ratio: 1:6
- Level: Instructor
More Information
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Course Dates
The scheme will open in late March and dates will be available then.
Please contact the office to book a course.
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
If there are two or more of you that want training, and you would like some different dates or a different location please contact the office and we will arrange something to suit your diary.
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Equipment Required
In addition to your normal bouldering clothing, you will need to bring your shoes, chalk and food / drink for the day. A full equipment checklist together with a lot of useful links, recommended reading and other useful information is included in the course joining instructions.
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Recommended Reading
We give some suggestions below, but more detailed suggestions together with a host of helpful links and videos are contained in our Climbing Wall Instructor Instructor Training Joining Instructions
The Indoor Climbing Assistant handbook contains all the details of the syllabus and the remit of the award.
The official handbook of Mountain Training’s climbing schemes is:
Rock Climbing essential skills & techniques. Libby Peter.The BMC have a range of useful articles and a dedicated video site BMC TV covering a range of climbing issues.
Mountain Training also have a YouTube channel which is here.
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Eligibility
You must be registered on the Bouldering wall Instructor scheme before attending this course. This costs £20 and can be completed online at:
https://www.mountain-training.org/qualifications/climbing/bouldering-wall-instructorYou must be at least 16 years old.
You must have at least three months experience of using indoor/artificial bouldering walls.
You must have an up-to-date logbook (preferably DLOG) with evidence of the following:
- Visits to 3 different indoor/artificial bouldering walls on at least 15 different occasions; this must include at least one major public bouldering centre.
- Personal bouldering at V2 or above.
*Some answers to frequently asked DLOG questions can be found on the Mountain Training website here.
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Accommodation Options
This Beyond the Edge course is non-residential to allow you to select between a thermarest or 5 star hotel as you require. There is lots of accommodation in the Sheffield area to suit a range of budgets.
FAQs
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How do I book?
The best way is via this webpage. Choose the date from the options on the above and then submit your booking and pay the deposit.
For bespoke events get in touch first so we can check diaries and if required give you a quote. Get in touch by either calling the office on 01142 631 155 or emailing us.
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Children, Parking, Dogs, COVID and everything else...
You will find all of the most frequently asked questions and their answers on our FAQ webpage.
