The Climbing Wall Award (CWA) is the eighth award that Mountain Training has developed, and is designed for people working with groups on artificial climbing walls and boulders.

During 2006 and 2007, Mountain Training engaged in lengthy consultations and discussions with partner organisations such as the BMC and the Association of British Climbing Walls, as well as potential user groups from across the UK. The consultation process has taken a long time but as with all awards, it is important that the CWA is fit for purpose.

After a long wait, the CWA is now here! A syllabus and prospectus has been finalised; a Handbook for the scheme produced and vetted; Providers are being recruited and the administration systems for candidates to register are being put in place – much of this work being thanks to support from Sport England via funding sourced by the BMC.

So who is it for?

Like other Mountain Training awards. the CWA is aimed at those who have a depth of personal involvement and commitment to climbing indoors, meaning candidates who can and do climb! Mountain Training will continue to support the development of suitable site-specific schemes, as the CWA has been largely designed to meet the needs of those who want something that is transferable and will allow them to take groups to a variety of venues.

The CWA encompasses all of the skills required to run bouldering and bottom-rope climbing sessions, and there is an additional module for those wishing to run climbing activities and abseiling sessions on top-access walls and towers. Progress through the scheme will follow the familiar Mountain Training pattern of registration, training, consolidation and assessment.

Training courses will be run over at least two days although there may well be many who prefer an series of evening class sessions delivered over a longer period. The assessment course may well be completed in a single day. Providers will have the latitude to offer the base award and the abseil module as separate components or as parts of a single course, though candidates wishing to complete the abseil module assessment must have already passed the main award assessment.

So who provides it?

The CWA will be administered in the same way as the existing Award schemes by the four Home Nation Training Boards of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with providers recruited in line with existing quality assurance procedures. All providers will hold at least the Mountaineering Instructor Award (MIA), possess experience of involvement in training and assessing others and have links with suitable facilities. Register for the scheme with Mountain Training.

There is further information on our website about qualifications .

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