SPA Syllabus

1.4 REGISTRATION

Candidates wishing to register with the Award must: 

• have a genuine interest in rock climbing and the supervision of groups on single pitch crags

• have at least twelve months' experience of rock climbing and

• have climbed at least 20 graded rock climbs, at least some of which should be Severe grade

• be not less than 18 years of age at the date of registration

• be an individual or club members of a Mountaineering Council

1.5 TRAINING

Before attending a training course, candidates must be registered with the Single Pitch Award (SPA) (See above).

Training courses are run by approved course providers and are at least two days long and include evening sessions (20 hours contact time). The training course will have a minimum of four candidates present, and a maximum of eight. The maximum trainer/candidate ratio is 1:4. Larger courses have dual benefits: the varied experience of the candidates enables an individual to have a better chance of seeing how their own skills compare and they also get the opinion of two trainers Lists of all approved providers are available from the Training Boards

The Director of Training will give oral comments to each candidate and will endorse the appropriate page of the logbook with comments about the programme, crags and walls used and conditions encountered. Candidates will receive individual recommendations for the consolidation period. The training course does not involve any written reports concerning the performance or standard of candidates. The title page of the logbook will be endorsed after a training course with an approved sticker. This will show the date and course provider number specific to your trainer. In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to register on, or immediately after, the course, but the trainer is obliged to submit a report to the Training Board containing all registered candidates’ details within 30 days.  Candidates are encouraged to use the skills checklist in the logbook to evaluate their current skills and to plan, with their trainers, their particular route

towards assessment.

1.6 LOGBOOK

Experience gained by candidates should be recorded in the logbook. Entries

should be concise and easily read, and should include all rock climbing and

other relevant experience.

The logbook is divided into five sections:

• Pre-training experience

• Training course

• Consolidation period

• Assessment course

• Post-assessment experience

The logbook is designed to help you demonstrate your previous experience to others. If you fill it in before a training course you enable the trainers to discuss your particular training needs and to agree which areas of the syllabus you may need to concentrate on before taking an assessment. Few of us can remember every detail of every climb we have done, but this is no reason to avoid using the logbook. List examples of the variety of experiences you have gained and give details of the most notable (or exciting) days out. The information you give does not have to be verified by a third party but will form the basis for discussion at training and assessment

1.7 CONSOLIDATION PERIOD

Candidates will generally see many new ideas and techniques during training and will therefore need some time to practise and evaluate these before taking the assessment. During this period of consolidation, candidates are advised to climb at as wide a range of venues as possible, both as an individual and when assisting the supervision of others. The UKMTB recommends that all but the most experienced candidates allow a minimum of six months between training and assessment. There is currently no time limit on the validity of a training course and some candidates may take several years to complete the award.

1.8 ASSESSMENT

Before attending an assessment course, candidates must:

• have registered

• have attended a training course

• have gained further experience (see Appendix III)

• be proficient in the use of climbing walls

• be competently leading Severe grade climbs

• hold a valid First Aid Certificate

During the assessment course, which is two days long and includes evening sessions, candidates will be tested in accordance with the syllabus requirements. The assessment takes twenty hours (often a concentrated weekend) and is run by an approved course provider who is either a Mountain Instructor or a Mountain Guide. Lists of all approved providers are available from the Training Boards.

Assessors work on a ratio of 1:4 (or less). The overall course size can range from two candidates to eight. Larger courses have dual benefits; the varied experience of the candidates enables an individual to have a better opportunity of seeing how his/her own skills compare and they ensure that you receive the opinion of two assessors.