Rock climbing

The requirements for activity leaders are adequately covered by the national awards. The national award most commonly required in the south west is the Single Pitch Award (SPA) which covers both climbing and abseiling. In other areas of the country where the climbing is in very remote locations the relevant walking qualification is also a requirement.

For anyone seeking to assist or to lead on very simple single pitch local crags then a specific endorsement may be granted after SPA training. (apply to the Outdoor Education Adviser). In all other circumstances a leader must have the relevant national award supported by a current relevant First Aid Certificate and appropriate recent experience as well as their employer or manager’s approval.

For Climbing Wall Supervisors there is an award in the south west mountain and moorland scheme for which details are in the 2005 syllabus to be found in the documents table below.

For introductory rock climbing levels the Single Pitch Award applies, which is managed by the Mountain Leader Training England. There is a handbook which can be downloaded from this site.

For higher levels of rock climbing, winter and European mountain walking and climbing outside of the United Kingdom the details can be found through the Mountain Leader Training United Kingdom website. Activity at this level is very rare in Plymouth and therefore extensive details are not provided here. Anyone who develops this capability or seeks to include it during an expedition overseas is required to notify the Outdoor Education Adviser and get specific support.

Any equipment used for this activity when it is delivered by a member of staff must comply with European Economic Community (EEC) safety marking and be purchased, used, stored and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Documents

To view these documents you might need to download some software. Visit our downloads page for more information.

South west mountain and moorland leader training scheme - details and syllabus of training schemes. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 91KB