Rock Climbing Instructor Training
From: £275.00
Course dates – 17th to 19th March 2025. Mountain Training Scotland provider Richard Bentley runs this course in conjunction with Active Outdoor Pursuits – based at our outdoor centre (Cairngorms Adventure Centre, Craigower Lodge, Golf Course Road, Newtonmore).
Rock Climbing Instructor – Training Course
The Rock Climbing Instructor Award (RCI) training is a 3 day course. Before booking your RCI training please ensure you have read and met the pre-requisites in the Award Handbook. It is your responsibility to ensure you have registered with Mountain Training for the award and logged the required climbs before booking on for the training course.
This qualification is all about taking people climbing and abseiling on single pitch crags and artificial structures. Whether you’re a parent, a volunteer or an outdoor centre instructor, the Rock Climbing Instructor qualification trains and assesses experienced rock climbers to instruct climbing. This is the entry point for outdoor climbing instructors. This used to be called the Single Pitch Award but was changed in 2018.
Before booking a course, you will need to ensure:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You should be an experienced indoor and outdoor rock climber.
- You should have a genuine interest in climbing and the supervision of groups.
- You must be a member of a mountaineering council: BMC, Mountaineering Scotland or Mountaineering Ireland (you can join one when you register if you’re not already a member) – find out why.
- You must be registered on the course – we do not cover personal registration fees or membership fees which need to be done prior to the course through Mountain Training.
You must have an up to date logbook (preferably DLOG) with evidence of the following:
- 15 led routes which must be graded rock climbs with traditional protection.
- 15 led routes at a climbing wall.
- 5 led routes which must be outdoor bolt protected sport climbs.
RCI Syllabus
Rock Climbing Instructors should be competent in the following key areas, all of which will be covered, to a greater or lesser extent, during your training course.
- Technical Competence (including equipment, anchors, belaying, personal skills, abseiling, background knowledge)
- Management and Decision Making (including planning, organising, managing other staff, managing participants, knowledge and demonstration of techniques)
- Teaching Skills
- The Climbing Environment (including access, conservation, etiquitte and ethics)
What do you need to bring for your Rock Climbing Instructor Training?
As a trainee working towards your Rock Climbing Instructor Award it would expected for you to bring at least some of your own equipment:
minimum expectation would be harness, helmet, belay device, chalk bag and climbing shoes .
The course instructor will check that the equipment you bring is appropriate. Active Outdoor Pursuits will supply ropes for the course duration and can supply racks if required.
- The Rock Climbing Instructor Training Course is ran by Course Provider Richard Bentley (MIC), Mountain Motion.
If you are interested in becoming an Outdoor Instructor, then why not take a look at our Outdoor Instructor Training Courses?
Take a look at the Mountain training webpage on the Rock Climbing Instructor to find out lots more information and have a look at the handbook which is basically the bible for the course.
FAQ's for the Rock Climbing Instructor Training
For the purposes of this scheme, a single pitch route is one which:
- is climbed without intermediate stances.
- is described as a single pitch in the guidebook.
- allows climbers to be lowered to the ground at all times.
- is non-tidal and has little objective danger.
- presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as route finding, scrambling or navigating.
Overseas sport climbing routes can count as all or part of the minimum number required for training or assessment.
Overseas trad climbing routes can count for 50% of the minimum number required for training or assessment.