Climbing Wall Instructor FAQs

1/ Does experience gained in climbing walls outside the UK/Ireland count?

Yes it does count but at least 50% of the minimum required experience must have been gained in the UK or Ireland.

2/ Does the Climbing Wall Instructor qualification include abseiling?

No. The Climbing Wall Instructor Abseil Module covers abseiling and top-roping. Climbing Wall Instructor course providers may run an Abseil Module training or assessment course straight after the main course so it's worth checking with them.

3/ Does the Climbing Wall Instructor qualification train me to teach people to lead on indoor walls?

No, you will need the Climbing Wall Development Instructor qualification for that. You must be either a Climbing Wall Instructor or Rock Climbing Instructor to access the Climbing Wall Development Instructor qualification.

4/ I just want to work on an abseil tower; can I just do the abseil module?

No, you must have passed the Climbing Wall Instructor assessment before attending an Abseil Module assessment, but some courses provide these concurrently.

5/ The school I work at has just had an indoor wall built; do the staff who are going to work on the facility need to be qualified Climbing Wall Instructors?

No, we would suggest that school staff working on one venue probably only need to undertake some site specific training. Generally this will take the form of 6 – 8 hours training for up to 6 – 8 people and will allow staff with limited experience to undertake appropriate training rather than several staff having to become qualified Climbing Wall Instructors.

Qualified Climbing Wall Instructors have a broader skill set than those who are site-specific trained.

6/ Who can I get to deliver some site specific training for my staff?

The appropriate qualifications to deliver site specific training are Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI) holders, Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (WMCI) holders or British Mountain Guides (BMG). The person delivering this training should have experience of similar work at a variety of facilities. The Site Specific Climbing Wall Guidance Notes will help you set up a site specific training scheme for your staff. See below to download these or click the link to order from our shop.

7/ When did the qualification change its name and why?

Mountain Training reviewed all of its climbing qualifications during 2015-2017. Amends were made to all schemes and some, including this one, were renamed. This qualification was previously called Climbing Wall Award and was revised and relaunched on 2nd April 2018.

8/ If I want to become a Rock Climbing Instructor do I have to attend the full training course?

The Rock Climbing Instructor training course lasts for three days and includes one day of training at an indoor climbing wall. Providers can offer a two day training course which misses out the indoor day if ALL candidates have completed Climbing Wall Instructor training as a minimum. These courses will be advertised on the course finder as Rock Climbing Instructor 'Training (outdoor only)'.

It is NOT possible to attend only two days of a traditional three day course.

9/ If I am a qualified Climbing Wall Award holder, can I order a Climbing Wall Instructor certificate to replace my existing one?

If you would like one, you can order a new certificate for the renamed qualification. The date on the certificate will be 2nd April 2018 and the provider will show as the national Mountain Training organisation that awarded your original qualification (for example Mountain Training England). This is to reflect the fact that you originally gained the Climbing Wall Award and the Climbing Wall Instructor qualification only came into being on 2nd April 2018.

More information about replacement certificates can be found here.

10/ First aid for Climbing Wall Instructor and Climbing Wall Development Instructor?

You must have attended and completed a first aid course which involved at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and included an element of assessment.

For full details on first aid please see the First Aid FAQs page.