Climbing Wall Instructor courses
Thinking about becoming a climbing instructor? The Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) qualification will allow you to run top roping and bouldering sessions on purpose built artificial climbing walls and boulders. The majority of UK climbing walls will require you to have this qualification to be able to instruct for them. We run these courses in both Bristol and London, scroll down for dates and booking.
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This takes place over two days at two different climbing walls. The syllabus covers:
Group management and session planning
Equipment
Knots and belaying
Personal climbing skills
Background knowledge
Techniques and coaching
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This is your time to build upon your experience, both through your own personal climbing and by shadowing or assisting in sessions. It is recommended that you allow minimum six months for consolidation.
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Taking place over one day, you will be assessed on the following:
Background knowledge
Technical competence
Group management
You will be awarded either a pass, defer or fail. Deferrals require you to retake part of the assessment, after a minimum three month wait.
How does it work?
The CWI consists of three parts:
Prerequisites
Training
To register for training, you must:
Be over 17 years old
Have visited at least 3 different climbing walls on at least 15 different occasions
Have led 10 routes at grade F4
So basically you need some experience as an indoor climber, but not exhaustive! You must also be registered for the scheme with Mountain Training:
Assessment
Once you have completed your consolidation period, you can register for an assessment. In order to do so you will must:
Be over 18 years old.
Have attended a CWI training course or have been granted exemption from training
Have logged a minimum of 30 personal climbing visits to at least three different climbing walls.
Have led a minimum of 40 climbs, at least grade F4
Have assisted in the supervision of at least 15 instructed sessions on at least two different walls (at least five of which must have personal reflective comments recorded on DLOG)
Have physically attended and completed (i.e. not online) a first aid course, minimum eight hours
Prices and Booking
Please note wall entry costs are not covered in the course fees
Prices and booking
Training
Day 1: Redpoint
Day 2: TCA ‘The Church’
Click here for more info
Day 1: Redpoint
Day 2: TCA ‘The Church’
Day 1: Mile End Climbing Wall
Day 2: The Reach
Click here for more info
Day 1: Mile End Climbing Wall
Day 2: The Reach
Assessment
Redpoint
Mile End or The Reach
Reviews
“One of the best things I've ever done! Well structured, learnt so much, even things I wasn't expecting to learn. The course went above and beyond my expectations.”
“Very professional and approachable. While Ed and Ben clearly had a wealth of experience between them, I didn't feel patronised at any point.”
“Edmund is a respectful person and an experienced trainer and climber who delivered the information in clear and engaging ways. Before, during, and after these two days of training, Edmund was very helpful. It’s now very clear to me what I need to do to complete my qualification.”
“Engaging, fun and welcoming, with some very high but respectable standards.”
“The combined delivery from Ben and Ed was outstanding, I learned so much and was thoroughly entertained throughout”
“I thought the course was engaging, really well presented and run. There was a lot of information to digest, but it didn't feel tedious at any point.”