Professional Development
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course
The AMGA Single Pitch Course (SPI) course is intended for recreational climbers who are already proficient in both top-rope and lead climbing. It was designed to benefit those who wish to facilitate outdoor climbing programs for groups such as those offered by guide services, camps, schools, universities, therapeutic groups, churches and climbing gyms. Those who wish to teach climbing in the outdoors tend to have a much higher success rate in obtaining employment as climbing instructors with SPI training and certification. The AMGA strongly suggests this course as a precursor to those interested in pursuing Multi Pitch Instructor or Rock Guide training and certification.
The SPI Program is a three day (27 hour) training course. Those seeking certification may sit for either the AMGA SPI exam (2 days) or PCIA SPI exam (1 day). Certification lasts for three years as long as the candidate maintains a current Membership and First Aid Certification. After three years current SPI’s can re-take the SPI Assessment or take any higher level AMGA Program to maintain the SPI certification.
Professional Climbing Instructors Association
The PCIA is a non-profit organization focused on providing quality education for new and existing climbing instructors. The PCIA Accreditation Program helps assure land managers, insurance providers, and the public that employees of PCIA accredited schools have been peer reviewed and demonstrate core competencies essential to climbing and climbing instruction. More about the PCIA here.
Climbing Site Belayer Course (CSB):
Length: ~10 Hours, 1-day
Pre-requisites: None
Cert: 1 year
Recertification: Retake the course or obtain a higher level of certification
Climbing Wall Instructor Course (CWI):
This course emphasizes the presentation of sound fundamental skills to climbing gym participants, the formation of risk assessment and risk management skills and basic problem-solving skills such as belay transitions and on-wall coaching and assistance techniques. Participants are assessed on both their core knowledge and their ability to effectively teach and coach related skills.
Length: ~20 Hours, 2-days
Pre-requisites: 5.8 climbing ability, owns personal climbing equipment, comfortable belaying with both aperture and assisted braking devices
Cert: 3 years
Recertification: 1-day refresher or obtain a higher level of certification
Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course (TRCI):
Length: ~30 Hours, 3-days with optional 1-day exam
Pre-requisites: 5.8 climbing ability, owns personal climbing equipment, comfortable belaying with both aperture and assisted braking devices
Cert: 3 years
Recertification: 1-day refresher or obtain a higher level of certification
Top Managed Climbing Instructor Course (TMCI):
Top managed sites hold different risks and require different skills from base managed sites to effectively manage climbing groups. The PCIA TMCI course addresses these needs in a one-day course designed to build upon skills acquired in the TRCI course. Like other PCIA courses, the course continues to reinforce the importance of teaching technically accurate information and debunks many common climbing myths.
Length: ~10 Hours, 1-day with optional exam for SPCI.
Pre-requisites: The candidate should be at least 18 years old and be a PCIA certified TRCI
Cert: 3 years
Recertification: 1-day refresher or obtain a higher level of certification
Single Pitch Climbing Instructor Course (SPCI):
The PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor (SPCI) can be taken as a stand alone course. However, upon completion of the all the TMCI course components and a demonstration of proficient 5.6 Traditional leading ability, graduates are upgraded to a certified PCIA SPCI. There is no separate exam for this level unless an individual is challenging the exam.
Length: ~50 Hours, 5-days
Pre-requisites: The candidate should be at least 18 years old and be a PCIA certified TMCI
Cert: 3 years
Recertification: 1-day refresher or obtain a higher level of certification
Understanding the PCIA Certification
Climbing Site Belayer and Climbing Wall Instructor are stand alone certifications. The Top Rope Climbing Instructor is a 3 day course, afterwards you may take a 1 day exam to become certified. A Top Managed Climbing Instructor has completed an additional day of training in addition to being a certified TRCI. A Single Pitch Climbing Instructor has passed the exam after completing the TMCI course.
Why take a PCIA course with AMGCS?
Jon Tierney, our owner, is currently on the board of the PCIA and maintains his avid involvement in the program. We take pride in producing instructors that will work with you and give you the feedback you need to progress your skills beyond. The PCIA courses focus on the instructors needs, generally pertaining to groups larger than two with different needs than small ratio guiding. The PCIA courses through AMGCS will broaden the scope of your core skills and, in turn, make them applicable in many aspects of climbing instruction and guiding. The skills you gain during an AMGCS course will be diverse, applicable, and adaptable to all vertical terrain. More about the PCIA here.
