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AMGA Rock Instructor working "hard"! |
AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) Contracted Rock Instructor Course
The ten-day Rock Instructor Course is designed for those with a strong rock climbing back-ground who aspire to become professional rock climbing guides, and for instructors and guides who are interested in improving their skills and increasing their knowledge.
What is taught in the Rock Instructor Course?
This course will demonstrate where climbing with a partner stops and where guiding begins. The course addresses the skills and techniques used to guide and instruct on routes up to and including Grade III in length and 5.10a in difficulty. Emphasis is on maximizing client rewards while effectively managing risk. It will include instructional clinics and hands-on guiding practice. In addition, the concepts of application and transition will be introduced along with the following topics:
• Client orientation and preparation
• Equipment and protection selection
• Time and pace management
• Anchor construction as it relates to guiding
• Choosing appropriate belay methods and stances
• Rope and station management
• Rappelling and lowering with clients
• Multiple client guiding
• Short rope and short pitch techniques
• Belay escapes
• Performing improvised ascending methods
• Raising systems for guiding
• Evaluating risk and risk management in your own guiding
• Environmental consciousness
• Review of certification exam testing procedures with optional mock scoring
Prerequisites | Additional Information
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Prerequisites:
You meet the prerequisites for the Rock Instructor Course if you:
- are a current Associate Member or above of the AMGA;
- have at least five years of rock climbing experience;
- provide a personal climbing resume of at least 50 climbs, showing each of the following;
a) that you have led or shared lead on at least 50 different traditional, multi-pitch routes,
including at least 5 routes Grade III or longer and at least 4 routes Grade IV or longer;
b) that you have led at least 10 traditional routes rated 5.10a or harder;
- can safely and comfortably lead crack and face climbs rated 5.10a at the time of the course;
- know the prerequisite skills (see list below)
- are at least age 18;
Prerequisite Skills for the Rock Instructor Course
Before the course, you must have complete mastery and expertise in the use of the following:
• Knots: figure-8 (follow-through, and on a bight), bowline (single, double, on-a-coil), clove
hitch, Munter hitch, prussik, double fisherman’s, Klemheist;
• Traditional protection: hexes, stoppers, Tri-Cams, SLCD’s;
• Belay methods: mechanical (more than two types of devices) and non-mechanical (hip belay);
• Multi-pitch rappels using a carabiner brake, figure-8 and plate device (ATC, Pyramid, Tuber,
etc.);
• Improvised, non-mechanical ascending;
Additional Information
Required reading
- Technical Handbook for Professional Mountain Guides, June 1999, ACMG and AMGA. Sections
1,2,3,5, section 6 pages 6-1 to 6-89, section 7, pages 7-1 to 7-4 and section 8.
- Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills; 6th Edition; Chapters 6-8, Ch. 10-12, Ch. 14 (pgs. 353-
360 only), Ch. 20 (pgs. 464-473 only), Ch. 21, and Ch. 23-24
Suggested reading
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TRIP DETAILS
2008/09 Dates:
October 3- 12 2008
June 19-28, 2009
October 2-11, 2009
Custom Dates
Trip Length:
10 days
Ratio:
3 to 1
Cost:
Please contact the AMGA
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