Bouldering Wall Instructor Assessment

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 1/2 day assessment course should be completed in addition to the online learning modules.

Who is it for?

Experienced boulderers who want to instruct others and have already completed their Bouldering Wall Instructor training course.

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 Assessment Course Overview

The course will assess your ability to competently and safely demonstrate the following:

Understanding 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 Assessment Course Format

This is a practical assessment and we’ll spend a lot of time on the wall.

The course begins at 10am with introductions (us, you, the scheme) and normally a review of your home study paper. After this, we ask you to demonstrate your personal bouldering competency at V2 or above.

Once you have demonstrated your personal bouldering competency we ask you to demonstrate the range coaching, development and decision making skills you will need as an instructor. This is done by leading a structured, progressive and fun bouldering session. If you have any particular props you use to engage and entertain whilst you are on a session, please bring these with you.

At the end of the assessment you will be told if you have passed, deferred or failed.

You will be ready to depart at approximately 1pm.

Due to the ratio being 1:2, you may also be offered an afternoon slot 2pm – 5pm.

Course Details

Location: Sheffield
Cost: £65 per person
Duration: 1/2 Day
Ratio: 1:2
Level: Instructor

Select course date

More Information

Course Dates

The scheme will open in late March and more dates will be available then.

Please contact the office to book a course.

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.
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.
Recommended Reading

We give some suggestions below, but more detailed suggestions together with a host of helpful links and videos are contained in our Bouldering Wall Instructor Instructor Training Joining Instructions

The Bouldering Wall 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 video site BMC TV covering a range of climbing issues.

Mountain Training also have a YouTube channel which is here.
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-instructor

You 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.
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

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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