Outdoor Education - Schools
| Climbing Wall Award (CWA) | Training | Assessment |
| Single Pitch Award (SPA) | Training | Assessment |
Thornbridge Outdoors offers training and assessment in two nationally recognised rock climbing qualifications which are accredited by Mountain Leader Training England (MLTE) - the Climbing Wall Award (CWA) and the Single Pitch Award (SPA).
The process for the CWA and SPA schemes is as follows:
- Personal experience: The courses assume a basic level of climbing experience which is detailed below. If you don't have enough personal experience you may want to consider our Skills courses.
- Registration: Before undertaking a training course you should register on the appropriate scheme with the training board of the country in which you live:
• Mountain Leader Training England (MLTE)
• Mountain Leader Training Wales (MLTW)
• Mountain Leader Training Scotland (MLTS)
• Mountain Leader Training Northern Ireland (MLTNI)
You can book onto your training course before you have registered, but it is best to be registered before you attend the course itself. - Training course: Attend a training course - details below.
- Consolidation period: You will learn a great deal on your training course and will need some time to practice and put your new knowledge into action. Your course trainers will advise you as to how long you may want to take to do this.
- Assessment course: When you feel that you are competent in all areas of the award syllabus and meet all of the award requirements, book onto an assessment course.
Climbing Wall Award
The Climbing Wall Award enables holders to supervise people on climbing walls. The course syllabus includes group management, bouldering, injury prevention, belaying techniques, personal climbing skills, coaching movement skills, equipment and climbing wall etiquette.
Training:
Duration:
2 days
Cost:
£120
Dates and booking:
Sat 24th & Sun 25th April 2010
Thurs 10th & Fri 11th June 2010
If you wish to book a place on a course please complete and return a booking form, along with a deposit cheque or purchase order.
- Download CWA Training Booking Form (to fill in on your computer and print)
- Download CWA Training Booking Form (to print and fill in)
- Download Courses Booking Conditions
Course information:
For further information on the CWA scheme please click here to visit the MLTE website.
Requirements include:
- Minimum 17 years of age.
- At least 6 months experience of using a variety of climbing walls, including at least 15 visits to 3 different walls.
- Have successfully led climbs on artificial walls.
Please see the scheme handbook for more details.
Assessment:
Duration:
1 day
Cost:
Please contact us regarding the course cost.
Dates and booking:
Sat 24th April 2010
Wed 9th June 2010
- Download CWA Assessment Booking Form (to fill in on your computer and print)
- Download CWA Assessment Booking Form (to print and fill in)
- Download Courses Booking Conditions
Requirements include:
- Minimum 18 years of age
- Have attended a training course or been granted exemption from training.
- Have logged a minimum of 30 visits to at least 3 different climbing walls.
- Have assisted a qualified supervisor on at least 15 instructed sessions
- Hold a valid first aid certificate
Please see the scheme handbook for more details.
Course information:
For further information on the CWA scheme please click here to visit the MLTE website.
Single Pitch Award
The Single Pitch Award enables holders to supervise people on single pitch crags and climbing walls. The course syllabus includes safe group management (indoors and out), crag etiquette, environmental responsibilities and more.
Training:
Duration:
2 days
Cost:
£110
Dates and booking:
Sat 27 - Sun 28 Mar 2010
Sat 22 - Sun 23 May 2010
Sat 26 - Sun 27 Jun 2010
Sat 16 - Sun 17 Oct 2010
If you wish to book a place on a course please complete and return a booking form, along with a deposit cheque or purchase order.
- Download SPA Training Booking Form (to fill in on your computer and print)
- Download SPA Training Booking Form (to print and fill in)
- Download Courses Booking Conditions
Requirements include:
- Minimum 18 years of age
- Minimum of 12 months rock climbing experience
- Have led at least 15 outdoor routes of any grade, using leader placed protection.
Please see the scheme handbook for more details.
Course information:
For details about our SPA training courses please download and read the information booklet.
For further information on the SPA scheme please click here to visit the MLTE website.
Assessment:
Duration:
2 days
Cost:
£120
Dates and booking:
Sat 26 - Sun 27 Jun 2010
Sat 16 - Sun 17 Oct 2010
If you wish to book a place on a course please complete and return a booking form, along with a deposit cheque or purchase order.
- Download SPA Assessment Booking Form (to fill in on your computer and print)
- Download SPA Assessment Booking Form (to print and fill in)
- Download Courses Booking Conditions
Requirements include:
- Minimum 18 years of age
- Have attended a training course or been granted exemption from training
- Have logged a minimum of 40 climbs outdoors on leader placed protection (including some at severe).
- Have assisted with the supervision of climbing for approx 20 sessions at a variety of locations (some outdoors and some indoors).
- Hold a valid first aid certificate
Please see the scheme handbook for more details.
Course information:
For details about our SPA assessment courses please download and read the information booklet.
For further information on the SPA scheme please click here to visit the MLTE website.
If you have any questions about the above courses please call us on 01629-640491 or fill in the enquiry form for more information.
Courses and Outdoor Leadership News
Sheffield LA Bookings - 2010/2011
All Sheffield LA schools should have received their booking forms for the next academic year. If not, you can download them from the links below.
Spring 2010 Newsletter
The Spring 2010 newsletter is now avaliable to download, which provides information on the site, notices and events, what's new for 2010 and much more...
First 'Rock Action' course is a great success!
Seven young people from across the UK joined Katherine Schirrmacher, Jules Barratt and Jill Whittaker (from Thornbridge), for a week's climbing in the Peak District and the first ever Rock Action course.
Creative Art in the Outdoors
Thornbridge have hosted 3 creative arts workshops this summer for Sheffield schools, in partnership with SAE (Sheffield Arts Education).

