Fox Mountain Guides

and Climbing School

The Southeast's only AMGA Accredited Climbing School

Rock, Ice Climbing Guides and Rock Climbing Courses in North Carolina

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program

Click here for AMGA SPI Assessment Dates and Costs

Click here to book the SPI Assessment

Preface

Many people are introduced to the sport of rock climbing on single pitch cliffs across the country, a vast majority taking part in group climbing trips such as School, Church, Climbing Gym, Scout Groups or Summer Camp programs. Many will hire an Instructor from a guide service for their first climbing adventure or take a course from a nationally recognized organization. Through the Single Pitch Instructor Program the American Mountain Guides Association wishes to ensure a high standard of climbing instruction is provided in these programs and to attain a high level of safety and enjoyment for the participants while also protecting the finite resource of single pitch crags. High standards are achieved through experience, personal qualities, training and assessment.

Program Overview

The AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program is designed to enable instructors to ‘proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting’. The program is for current, active rock climbers that have a real desire to teach the rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting. Candidates should be passionate rock climbers that have their own equipment, regularly climb and have been rock climbing outdoors for at least 12 months. Candidates could be current University Professors that teach climbing, Climbing Instructors, Scout Leaders, Summer Camp Professionals or climbers that wish to achieve additional training, experience and certification to gain employment as a Climbing Instructor in the Outdoor Industry.

The SPI Course is not a ‘climbing’ course it is an instructor training course for current, proficient and active rock climbers and for climbing instructors who currently teach rock climbing that wish to gain the SPI Certification. The SPI is the first stage of the AMGA’s Rock Discipline guide training and certification program and will significantly help candidates that wish to work towards the next stage in the program, the AMGA Rock Instructor Course. The course teaches many instructor specific topics such as professionalism, teaching techniques, risk management, group site organization, climbing site conservation/LNT and assistance/rescue skills.

The SPI Program is a three day (27 hour) training course and separate two day (16 hour) assessment. Certification lasts for three years as long as the candidate keeps current AMGA Membership and First Aid Certification. After three years current SPI’s can re-take the SPI Assessment to re-gain the SPI certification.

SPI Terrain Guidelines

The SPI will be able to proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting. Single Pitch Instructors supervise and teach climbing at any single pitch cliff, working at the base or from the top. They can work at sites where the anchors are accessed by non technical terrain and also by leading. For the purpose of the SPI Program a single pitch climb is one which:

	Is climbed without intermediate belays
	presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as route finding, scrambling or navigating

The SPI Program does not cover multipitch guiding. These skills are taught in the AMGA Rock Instructor Course. SPI’s that guide clients in multipitch terrain would be guiding outside of their terrain guidelines.

SPI Assessment Candidate Pre-Requisites

The SPI Assessment can be taken directly following the SPI Course if the candidate successfully completed the course and meets the Assessment pre-requisites. However, it is highly recommended that the SPI Course graduate takes time practicing and consolidating the skills learned on the course before assessment (6-12 months).

You meet the SPI Assessment Pre-requisites if:

	You have successfully completed an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course or AMGA Top Rope Site Manager Course.
	You have trad lead climbed a minimum of 40 graded rock climbing routes. A large number of these should be at 5.6 grade and hopefully on a variety of rock types.
	You are capable of comfortably lead climbing 5.6 traditional routes (leader placing protection). You will demonstrate your leading ability on a variety of routes on the assessment.
	You are capable of comfortably climbing 5.8 while on a top rope.

Gaining SPI Certification

To gain SPI Certification candidates must:

	Successfully pass the SPI Assessment
	Hold current AMGA Membership at Associate level or higher
	Hold current First Aid Certification (see SPI Certification First Aid Requirements)

SPI Certification Upkeep and Recertification

SPI Certification is only valid with current AMGA Membership and valid current First Aid Certification. If you let your either of these lapse your SPI Certification is invalid until you rectify this by updating your AMGA Membership or First Aid Certification. It is your professional responsibility to ensure you have current AMGA Membership and First Aid Certification.

SPI Certification lasts for three years from the date of assessment. There are two options for renewal:

	Certified Single Pitch Instructors can take the two day SPI Assessment to renew their certification.
	Certified Single Pitch Instructors who successfully complete one of the following AMGA Courses: Rock Instructor Course, Advanced Rock Guides Course, Alpine Guides Course, or an Advanced Alpine Guides Course is granted SPI certification for three years from the course end date. After completing a course please contact the AMGA so they can update your records.

To keep SPI Certification current SPI’s should seek out recertification before the expiry date of their certification. Candidates that let their certification lapse can take part in the SPI Assessment but they will not hold any certification between their SPI expiry date and successfully passing an SPI Assessment. From a professional standpoint this is not advisable.

The SPI Assessment is:

A minimum of 16 hours.

	The Assessment should be run over a two day period. Candidates that meet the Assessment pre-requisites can take the Assessment directly following the Course if they desire although this is not recommended.
	SPI Assessment will not exceed a ratio of six students to one current SPI Program Provider.
	The maximum number of students on any SPI Program will be twelve.

Because the both the course and assessment address group leadership and site management, all providers should seek to have a minimum of three to four participants to better facilitate group concepts.

SPI Assessment Overview

Day 1

Session 1: SPI Assessment Orientation

Session 2: Lead Climbing and Top Rope Session

Session 3: Technical Components

Session 4: Debriefs

Day 2

Session 1: Teaching Components

Session 2: Group Management

Session 3: Debriefs

Click here for AMGA SPI Assessment Dates and Costs

Click here to book the SPI Assessment

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Rock Climbing Guides, instruction and courses offered by the Southeast’s only AMGA Accredited Climbing School,

Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School North Carolina NC.