Spa courses single pitch courses

Course description

 

SPA Training courses 2012

The SPA training course is aimed at climbers wishing to teach and instruct climbing on single pitch crags. It also aims to develop personal climbing skills.

Why do the SPA course with us?

We are both MIC Qualified and spend a lot of time thinking about current practice and striving to be the best that we can be. As a result, we believe candidates on ours courses have a depth of current knowledge to draw upon.
We aim to deliver courses in a clear, thought through style that is progressive and structured and yet flexible enough to allow discussion and new ideas.

We understand that candidates have different learning styles and aim to deliver our courses to reflect this.
As current SPA session providers we work with a wide variety of groups on a regular basis delivering SPA sessions in various locations e.g. scouts, school, young families, beginner climbers, teaching leading and rigging to university students, adult groups. This allows us to stay current and continually assess our course delivery.

What is the SPA?
The two day course covers many skills designed to turn climbers into instructors who are able to motivate & coach rock climbing to a wide range of groups. One day focuses on group sessions, rigging, abseiling and coaching. The second day focuses on personal climbing skills.
Please look at the course programme for an in-depth list of all we cover.
If you would like any more information please either call or email to chat through the course

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Course programme

Spa Training courses 2012

Day 1
We meet at 9am on the morning of the first day at the crag venue (venue arranged around the weather)
Eve of day 1
We visit the indoor wall.

Day 2
We meet again at 9am at a diffenet crag venue. Debriefs and course review and finished by 5pm.


Spa Training course outline
Day 1

Group rigging and abseiling session.

Initial introduction:
" Outline of the SPA scheme training and assessment
" Aims of the course
" Group dynamics
" What constitutes an SPA crag
" What the SPA remit covers
" Types of group
" Seasonal restrictions at crags
" Weather and rock type
" What makes a fun and challenging group session

Crag session:
We encourage the sharing of ideas and knowledge between candidates as well as the main input from ourselves as course deliverer
" Bouldering and strategies to teach/coach movement on rock
" Encouraging environmental awareness and assessing group impact at the crag. Instructor professionalism and role modelling
" Games and fun strategies to encourage groups to be comfortable in the new environment.
" Teaching groups about harness's and helmets
" Setting up appropriate rope systems and instructor safety
" Rope systems:

1. Bottom rope, bottom belay.
Skills include different belay techniques, involving the group in the belay system/pier belaying, tying on vs crabbing on, climbing calls, ground anchors, avoiding problems, techniques for safe lowering, simple problem solving if things go wrong
Ensuring the static rope is over the edge of the crag, use of rope protectors, different attachment methods for the dynamic rope pros and cons e.g. single or double crabs, pulleys, figure eights. Anchor choice and type, different knots, critical angles.
Fast and effiecient ways of rigging.

2. Top rope top belay.
Setting up a system where the instructor is out of the system. Different methods. Climbing calls and tying on. Belaying using plate and Italian hitch. Access above crag for groups. Hand lines.

Pro's and Con's of each system and when each is appropriate.
Dealing with nervous or difficult clients.

" Group abseiling rig and sessions
Setting up a group abseil with safety and abseil rope, locking off the Italian hitch, releasability, ease of access and take off point, instructor safety and different rope systems, what happens at the bottom of the rope, group safety before and after abseiling, tandem abseil and abseil pick ups, simple problem solving e.g stuck coat/hair etc.

" Discussion of different venues. We aim to go to two different venues in the morning and afternoon session.

Evening session

Indoor climbing wall session covering:
" Safe use of a climbing wall and other users
" Warming up and mobility stretching and its importance
" Bouldering: games, teaching and coaching movement, spotting, paired climbing, challenges and route setting,
" Roped climbing: using harnesses, tying on and wall policy, belay techniques and ground anchors, different types of climb, coaching movement, blind fold climbing and quiet climbing etc as techniques to improve awareness of the body, teaching climbing moves for different situations, safe lowering, group games.
" Warming down/stretching


Day 2
Personal climbing

Each candidate to lead climbs they feel comfortable on.
Focusing on:
" Instructor appearance and role modelling to show best practice
" Choice of crag and route
" Using a guide book
" Seasonal restrictions at crags
" Climbing calls and instructions to the novice second before leaving the ground e.g. nut key use etc
" Where the second should stand and teaching belaying to a novice second
" Good gear placement appropriately spaced
" Awareness of rope line
" Awareness of length of runner to be used
" Placement of the first runner
" Rigging at the top including anchor choice and rope system. Independence of anchors etc.
" Correct use of belay plate
" Lowering of climber
" Locking off the belay plate
" Simple problem solving
" What to do with the second at the top
" Dealing with additional climbers
" Retrievable abseil
" Coaching where possible to improve the candidates climbing ability and confidence and to improve their skills and efficiency

 

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Course dates & prices

SPA Training courses 2012
Course duration: 2 days
Course cost: £140
Course Ratio: 1:4

If you have friends who would like to do the training course at the same time we could run a course on dates to suit you. The minimium number for an spa training course is 4 people.
Please see our private guiding / instruction section of the website for more details. Or please give us a call or email.

Booking Form

suggested accommodation

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Contact details

Climb365,
Dales Cottage,
111 Milnthorpe Rd,
Kendal,
Cumbria,
LA9 5HH.

Tel: 01539 739 186
Mobile: 07880 742799 ( Stuart ), 07968 706498 ( Anna )

email: carter@climb365.net

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SPA Training