Climbing Wall Development Instructor Training
The Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI) qualification trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to develop climbers beyond the basic skills. This includes teaching lead climbing on indoor or outdoor artificial climbing walls and structures with fixed protection.
It builds on the skills gained through either the Climbing Wall Instructor or Rock Climbing Instructor qualifications, one of which must be held in order to access the scheme.
We use some of the best walls in the UK to train on, and, naturally for Beyond the Edge, some of the best and most experienced instructors in the UK.
Who is it for ?
The course is suitable for climbers who want to develop their teaching skills beyond normal group work and, teach the progressions for getting climbers of all ages, to lead climb in a safe manner.
Climbing Wall Development Instructor – Course Overview
We break down lead climbing into its component skills. We then examine and practice a range of ways of teaching these skills so we can coach climbers of varied abilities how to progress.
At the end of the course you will receive detailed feedback on any areas that you may need to improve on together with an action plan and a realistic timetable to assessment.
Climbing Wall Development Instructor – Course Format
The course is largely practical in nature and will be spent at a major climbing wall.
A typical outline of the day is:
10am – Introductions, you, us and the course. We will then talk about structuring lead climbing sessions. This includes looking at and assessing the infrastructure, the climber and the progressions required. We develop our understanding of teaching these progressions practically with lots of examples. We also look at the movement skills so there is a thorough understanding of how to coach them in warm ups, bouldering and roped climbing and we also discuss the lead climbing mindset and how to develop it safely in others.
We also look at falling, the inherent dangers and how to coach this skill in a safe and progressive manner.
At the end of the course, we will give individual feedback and help you to develop an action plan, including a realistic date for assessment.
Course Details
- Location: Sheffield
- Cost: £115 per person
- Duration: 1 day
- Ratio: 1:4
- Level: Instructor
More Information
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Course Dates
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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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Meeting Point
For our Sheffield based courses we meet at 10:00 at Awesome Walls climbing centre in Sheffield.
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Equipment Required
In addition to your normal climbing clothing, you will need to bring your personal climbing equipment and food 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 Development Instructor Joining Instructions.
- The Climbing Wall Development Instructor 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 YouTube channel BMC TV covering a range of walking issues.
- Mountain Training also have a YouTube channel, which can be found here.
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Eligibility
Before you attend a Climbing Wall Development Instructor training course, make sure you have done the following:
- You must be registered on the scheme (see below)
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 commentsrecorded on DLOG.
Some answers to frequently asked DLOG questions can be found on the Mountain Training website here.
Registration
This is relatively straightforward, currently costs £49 and can be completed online at:
https://www.mountain-training.org/qualifications/climbing/qualifications/climbing-wall-development-instructor
Here you can also find short videos explaining the award and other useful resources.To register, you must be a member of a mountaineering council (eg British Mountaineering Council, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland).
Please note you must register with Mountain Training specifically for the Climbing Wall Development Instructor scheme, in addition to other schemes you may have registered for.
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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.
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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 request an invoice or pay. If your course is under six weeks away you must pay the full amount.
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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Does the course include accommodation ?
Not usually! We prefer to let you choose where you will be most comfortable. This may be in a tent or in a luxury hotel.
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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.
