Bouldering Wall Instructor Training
The Bouldering Wall Instructor training course is a relatively new (March 2025), 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, you need Climbing Wall Instructor.
Bouldering Wall Instructor Training Course Overview
The course will look at the following:
- The specifics of the bouldering wall environment
- Personal bouldering skills
- Bouldering Wall Instructor responsibilities
- Leadership and decision making
- Bouldering safe practice
- Managing / supervising other staff when bouldering
- Bouldering wall etiquette and ethics
You will find more information on the scope of the course in the Bouldering Wall Instructor candidate handbook.
Bouldering Wall Instructor Training Course Format
The BWI is a practical training 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.
After the basics, it’s time to get into the format of running a climbing session, from warm ups through to bouldering, and supervising novices.
Towards the end of the day, we’ll look ahead to how you can progress through the Bouldering wall Instructor scheme. 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 BWI assessment.
You will be ready to depart after 17:00.
Course Details
- Location: Sheffield
- Cost: £105
- Duration: 1 day
- Ratio: 1:6
- Level: Instructor
More Information
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Course Dates
Please contact the office to book a bespoke Bouldering Wall Instructor training course.
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
If there are two or more of you that would like to attend a Bouldering wall Instructor training course, 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 Bouldering Wall Instructor training. A full equipment checklist together with a lot of useful links, recommended reading and other useful information is included in the BWI Trg 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 Bouldering Wall Instructor Training Joining Instructions
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 training scheme before attending this course. This costs £67 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
The Bouldering wall Instructor training 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 a Bouldering Wall Instructor training Course ?
The best way to book your Bouldering Wall Instructor training is via this webpage. Choose the date from the options above and then submit your booking and pay.
For bespoke Bouldering Wall Instructor training courses 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.
