• Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI)

Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI)

Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) Assessment in partnership with Adventure Expertise

In short

The Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI) is a 2-day course delivered by one of our specialist training partners in the Peak District (Various Locations), and booked through Pure Outdoor. It costs £205 per person, is open to ages 18+ and runs at a maximum ratio of 1:4.

Summary

There are many reasons for doing the Rock Climbing Instructors Course. 'Giving back to the climbing Community', An exciting career change or just benchmarking your existing technical skill and knowledge. This scheme will be both challenging and rewarding and will surprise with the amount of new learning no matter how long you have been climbing. Good Luck!

Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI)

Price : £205.00 per person

Location : Peak District (Various Locations)

Duration : 2 Days

Ratio : 1:4

Minimum age : 18

What's Included :

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Highlights

  • Excellent facilities in the heart of the Peak District
  • Complete your journey to become a Rock Climbing Instructor
  • Experienced Instructors

Course Overview

The Rock Climbing Instructor Award is about supervising safe climbing and abseiling sessions on non-remote, single pitch crags and in climbing walls. The Rock Climbing Instructor Award has been designed to prove competence in the supervision of safe and effective climbing sessions.

Mountain Training England provider Adventure Expertise in conjunction with Pure Outdoor is offering the opportunity to participate in a RCI Assessment. The scheme is open to all climbers who are at least eighteen years of age and interested in introducing people to the sport of rock climbing. Candidates must ensure that they have fulfilled all prerequisites of the course and are expected to provide their own personal climbing equipment.

Stages in the Rock Climbing Instructor Scheme 

1. Gain personal rock climbing experience. This should amount to at least fifteen lead climbs on traditionally protected routes. 

2. Register for the RCI scheme with Mountain Training. In order to do this you will need to be a current British Mountaineering Council (BMC) member. Registering for the scheme will give you access to a digital logbook where you can record your rock climbing experience. 

3. Attend a RCI Training course. 

4. Consolidate experience between training and assessment courses. 

5. Attend a RCI Assessment course. 


About the Rock Climbing Instructor Course

This award trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to supervise climbers on single pitch crags and climbing walls. Common activities undertaken by an RCI holder will be roped climbing and bouldering. The RCI does not include the skills and techniques required to teach lead climbing.

Course Timings

Day 1: 9am – 7.30pm (including 4 hours at a climbing wall in Sheffield)

Day 2: 9am – 5pm

Booking with our partner provider

Upon completing your booking on the Pure Outdoor website, your details will be forwarded to our partner provider, who will contact you with final course information details and payment information. 

Course Outcomes

  • Technical competence (including equipment, anchors, belaying, abseiling, personal climbing skills, background knowledge of rock climbing) 
  • The climbing environment (including access, conservation, etiquette) 
  • Supervising climbing sessions (including organisation, group management, supervising the session, personal safety and working with children and vulnerable persons)

Course Information

A full kit list is provided upon booking

- You must have attended a Rock Climbing Instructor (or Single Pitch Award) training course or been granted exemption from training.

- You must be familiar with the syllabus.

- You must be competently leading Severe grade climbs on outdoor crags with leader-placed protection.

- You must have led (and logged) a minimum of 40 graded rock climbs with traditional protection at a variety of venues (of which at least 20 MUST be at Severe grade or above).

- You must be proficient in the use of climbing walls and have a minimum of 30 climbing wall leads graded at F4 or above.

- You must be proficient in outdoor bolt protected sport climbing and have a minimum of 10 sport climb leads graded at F4 or above.

- You must have assisted in the supervision of 20 instructed sessions post training. These sessions should be at a variety of different venues with 10 being on indoor climbing walls and the other 10 on outdoor crags. A session is a half day or evening.

- You must hold a valid first aid certificate (see our outdoor specific First Aid courses here)

FAQsFAQsFAQsFAQsFAQsFAQs

FAQs

Start time: 09:00 - Finish time: 17:00. Please note, these times are approximate and could be subject to minor changes. Please leave plenty of time when booking public transport.
We are exceptionally lucky to be located a 5 minute walk from Bamford Train Station on the railway line that links Sheffield to Manchester. This also means we are very easy to get to from London.

We have noticed that the first connecting train from London is often around 09:36am, and courses often start at 09:30am, if you let us know that you are coming in on the train, we will happily delay the course start to suit.

We try to stick to our published course finish times but occasionally conditions on the day mean we overrun slightly. If you are travelling home by train please ensure that you have left sufficient time after the course end time and inform your instructor on the day of your travel plans.

Bookings can be made online or over the phone. All of our courses can be booked in 3 ways:


a) Attend a scheduled course. 

These are open to the public to anyone that meets the pre-requisites. We often advertise many dates for each course, we generally always list 12 months of available dates. This is the most popular and often works out the most cost-effective way of attending our courses.


b) Add a date to our schedule. 

On some courses, we can add extra dates to our schedule, providing you are booking for a certain minimum number of participants, this could be as low as only 2 people. To give us plenty of time to assign staff to your course, you can only add a date to the schedule if it is more than 7 days in advance.


c) Make a private booking.

All of our courses can be booked privately, with a private instructor just for you or your group. This gives you the flexibility to book any date that suits you and also it means the instructor can fine-tune the course content to suit your aspirations. To make a private booking, you just need to fill out a booking request, we will then get back to you with availability and a price. 


d) Book our premium 'Private Booking Plus+' service.

All the benefits of the private booking service, with lots of additional extras including meet & greet at your hotel, luxury picnic hamper including Champagne, digital photo pack, flexible booking arrangements and a pre-activity consultancy to allow your first-class instructor extra time to design your special day. To make a private booking plus+ booking, you just need to fill our a booking request, we will then get back to you with availability and a price. 

Almost all courses begin and end at our base, The Adventure Hub, where you will have access to complimentary tea and coffee. 

We do not provide food as part of our courses and you will need to bring a packed lunch along for each day. There is a cafe on-site that can provide you with sandwiches, cakes and drinks. If you pre-book a lunch with them they will deliver it fresh to our offices first thing each morning. Taste Buds cafe can be reached directly on 01433 208008.

Anyone aged 13 or over can attend any of our scheduled courses with the exception of Mountain Biking and Winter Skills where the minimum age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent.

We hold an AALA license and are able to take out children who are younger than 13, however we only offer this on a private guided basis. See our private guiding rates, as this can work out very competitive, especially when booking as a family. There is no maximum age, if you feel young enough to attend then you are very welcome!

Yes of course, you are welcome to leave anything (luggage) at the training centre during your course with us.
It is essential that you let us know about any medical condition or injury when booking and that you also let your instructor know on the starting day of your course. This information will remain completely confidential but is essential to allow us to tailor our activities to suit you and to ensure the safety of other group members.
As much as many of our instructors are dog lovers, this often isn't suitable if you are booking onto a scheduled course, as we can't guarantee that other members of the group don't have an allergy or problem with dogs. If you do want to bring a pet, we will happily accommodate you if you book a private instructor for you or your group.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI) cost?
The Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI) costs £205 per person.
How long is the Rock Climbing Instructor Assessment (RCI)?
The course lasts 2 days.
What is the group size and instructor ratio?
This course runs at a maximum instructor to client ratio of 1:4, so you get plenty of individual coaching.
Do I need any previous experience?
- You must have attended a Rock Climbing Instructor (or Single Pitch Award) training course or been granted exemption from training.- You must be familiar with the syllabus.- You must be competently leading Severe grade climbs on outdoor crags with leader-placed protection.- You must have led (and logged) a minimum of 40 graded rock climbs with traditional protection at a variety of venues (of which at least 20 MUST be at Severe grade or above).- You must be proficient in the use of climbing walls and have a minimum of 30 climbing wall leads graded at F4 or above.- You must be proficient in outdoor bolt protected sport climbing and have a minimum of 10 sport climb leads graded at F4 or above.- You must have assisted in the supervision of 20 instructed sessions post training.
What equipment do I need?
A full kit list is provided upon booking
When does the course start and finish?
Start time: 09:00 - Finish time: 17:00. Please note, these times are approximate and could be subject to minor changes. Please leave plenty of time when booking public transport.
How can I get to you on the train?
We are exceptionally lucky to be located a 5 minute walk from Bamford Train Station on the railway line that links Sheffield to Manchester. This also means we are very easy to get to from London. We have noticed that the first connecting train from London is often around 09:36am, and courses often start at 09:30am, if you let us know that you are coming in on the train, we will happily delay the course start to suit. We try to stick to our published course finish times but occasionally conditions on the day mean we overrun slightly. If you are travelling home by train please ensure that you have left sufficient time after the course end time and inform your instructor on the day of your travel plans.
How do I book?
Bookings can be made online or over the phone. All of our courses can be booked in 3 ways: a) Attend a scheduled course. These are open to the public to anyone that meets the pre-requisites. We often advertise many dates for each course, we generally always list 12 months of available dates. This is the most popular and often works out the most cost-effective way of attending our courses. b) Add a date to our schedule. On some courses, we can add extra dates to our schedule, providing you are booking for a certain minimum number of participants, this could be as low as only 2 people. To give us plenty of time to assign staff to your course, you can only add a date to the schedule if it is more than 7 days in advance. c) Make a private booking.All of our courses can be booked privately, with a private instructor just for you or your group.
Do the course prices include food and drink?
Almost all courses begin and end at our base, The Adventure Hub, where you will have access to complimentary tea and coffee. We do not provide food as part of our courses and you will need to bring a packed lunch along for each day. There is a cafe on-site that can provide you with sandwiches, cakes and drinks. If you pre-book a lunch with them they will deliver it fresh to our offices first thing each morning. Taste Buds cafe can be reached directly on 01433 208008.
What's the minimum/maximum age for participation?
Anyone aged 13 or over can attend any of our scheduled courses with the exception of Mountain Biking and Winter Skills where the minimum age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent.We hold an AALA license and are able to take out children who are younger than 13, however we only offer this on a private guided basis. See our private guiding rates, as this can work out very competitive, especially when booking as a family. There is no maximum age, if you feel young enough to attend then you are very welcome!
Can I leave kit at the centre?
Yes of course, you are welcome to leave anything (luggage) at the training centre during your course with us.
Do you need to know about medical conditions?
It is essential that you let us know about any medical condition or injury when booking and that you also let your instructor know on the starting day of your course. This information will remain completely confidential but is essential to allow us to tailor our activities to suit you and to ensure the safety of other group members.
Can I bring my dog?
As much as many of our instructors are dog lovers, this often isn't suitable if you are booking onto a scheduled course, as we can't guarantee that other members of the group don't have an allergy or problem with dogs. If you do want to bring a pet, we will happily accommodate you if you book a private instructor for you or your group.
Can I buy this course as a gift?
Yes. You can buy this course as an e-gift voucher from this page, and the recipient chooses their own date.
Do course customers get a discount on kit?
Yes, every Pure Outdoor course includes a 10% discount on equipment at The Adventure Hub shop (in store and at adventure-hub.com).
Booking & general
What if the weather is bad?
Our courses run in a range of weather, that's part of learning in the UK hills, so come prepared for the conditions. If the weather is genuinely dangerous we may modify or cancel a session, in which case you'll be offered a refund or an alternative date.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations must be made in writing (email is fine). Charges are based on the original course start date: more than 4 weeks before, 25% of the total course fee; between 4 and 2 weeks before, 75%; within 2 weeks, 100%. As courses run on fixed dates, the statutory 14-day cooling-off period doesn't apply.
Is there parking?
Yes, free parking. Park next to The Adventure Hub building if there's space, or use the overflow area in the back corner of the main Hope Valley Garden Centre car park, about 200m away.
Can I get there by train or bus?
Yes. Bamford railway station on the Hope Valley line is about a 5-minute walk from The Adventure Hub, and the nearest bus stop is 'Shatton Lane' (see traveline.info for times). Course times are arranged to fit public transport timetables where possible.
Do you need to know about medical conditions?
Yes. Please tell us about any medical condition or injury when you book, and let your instructor know on the first day. It's kept confidential, and it lets us tailor activities to you and keep the group safe.
Do I need my own insurance?
For UK courses we strongly recommend your own personal accident insurance, including cancellation cover. For overseas courses you must have specialist rescue, medical and repatriation insurance, and send us the details by the final payment date. The BMC and Snowcard both offer suitable mountaineering insurance.

More answers in our FAQs or call 01433 424164.

There are currently no course dates listed for this course, please contact us if you are interested and we can let you know when dates will be published.

Our instructors can be booked privately to deliver this course. Benefit from private tuition, pick a date that suits you and your instructor can design the day to suit your needs. You can hire one of our instructors from just £250 inc vat per day. (Click here to book a private course)

£205.00 per person

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