UKC

Hey all seeking advice for which awards to aim for... Sorry if I have posted in wrong forum, I just thought it would get seen here

My situation is this.. I have only been climbing for a few years at uni getting really into it. To the point where I became president of my uni climbing club and a site trained climbing instructor for the sports centre I was working at during the time.
I have enough experience that I could get both the lead and climbing wall award... Trouble is I would much prefer to go for the SPA because even though I have only been into climbing for the past few years I really want to be a climbing instructor and start more mountain leader stuff bla bla bla..
Anyway I have virtually no out door crag experience except for an SPA training weekend that I did with an instructor i met on the Mountain training association site....
I find it hard to get to crags as I don't live local to anywhere (Sheppey, Kent) climbing (dont drive) and I don't know any climbers local since I left uni either

So my overall question is this.. Do I go for the lower awards or wait longer to try and get the SPA???

In reply to danmitchable:
Are the costs of doing both prohibitive, if not, the lower awards might come in useful, prove dedication if you really do want to be a climbing instructor. For outdoor experience, maybe find local club, or even post here for partners!

In reply to ceri:

In terms of money it's a bit of a tough desission... Do I pay for the awards? Or do I put more financial effort towards driving so I can get that out of the way? :/ sometimes I think "fvck it" and worry about money later as I use it as an excuse to many times.

Say I had the awards would I then regret not going for the SPA from the start? I feel like this is the sort of thing that I need to get right as I can't afford a mistake (financially)...

I have posted on here for climbers near me before and my local club say I am a bit out the way and I can't get a lift to the location they meet before going climbing haha

In reply to danmitchable:

SPA is obviously more versatile, but if you live somewhere without crags why bother?

CWA is still a really good award and if it's more appropriate then go for it.

Don't think of it as a lesser award, just more specific.

In reply to danmitchable:

Move from Kent. Chase the dream.

In reply to danmitchable:

Are you doing anything at Uni connected to an outdoor instructor career at all?

Given you haven't a clue about working in the outdoors, or even climbing in the outdoors how can you be sure y0u want to be a 'climbing instructor'?

In reply to danmitchable:

If you're staying in Kent do the CWA and the CWLA as you can use those to get work at local indoor walls. You will likely find that a car is going to be necessary if you continue to live in Kent so use some of your earnings to learn to drive, it's a faff and it's not cheap but obviously the investment keeps on paying for a long time.
As far as I am aware SPA doesn't cover instruction for lead climbing at all so if you're purely working on indoor walls would be less versatile than CWA combined with CWLA.
Having done the living out of the way from my local club thing without a car for the last couple of years I would suggest that you try again while being flexible with where you meet people, you could always catch a train to somewhere on the way for the drivers? When I lived in Orpington I usually met people in either north or west London to get lifts. If you really want to climb outdoors you will put in the effort necessary to do so, if not you won't.

In reply to spenser:

You can do the CWLA if you have your SPA.

In reply to danmitchable:

Surely if you want to be a mountaineering instructor, you shouldn't be doing awards at this point - you should be spending as much time climbing outside as you can?

In reply to danmitchable:

From people I know who have completed SPA, you need to be competent outside on rock.

In reply to climbwhenready:
Doing both would also be fine, I suspect. But I understand your point - no point thinking about SPA unless you are a competent trad climber. You don't need to be a good trad climber though as I just proved... being able to solidly and safely rock up any Severe you are handed is the challenge, not being able to just about sketch your way through a VS...

In reply to danmitchable:



Dan. If you have virtually no outdoor crag experience then the SPA is simply not for you at this stage. And assuming that you have sufficient experience on walls to allow you to 'get' the CWA and the CWLA is a bit misguided; they are assessed to ensure that it isn't only logbook entries that gets you the award.

So get the awards that are appropriate (NOT 'lower wards' please!!!) for you right now and then think about progression when you really do have the relevant experience. And if you have aspirations to be 'a climbing instructor and start more mountain leader stuff' then, I'm afraid you are just going to have to get out and do it.

For what it's worth I assessed an ML candidate from Great Yarmouth who was an absolute star. But then he did spend every possible weekend in Scotland.

In reply to danmitchable:

This may be a bit harsh but....... If you really want to do your SPA and Mountain Leader stuff then you will have to make an effort to get out and walk and climb outside. If you really wanted to I'm sure you could make the necessary sacrifices to get the experience. I do admit that Sheppey seems to be the worst UK location for climbing but if you are that keen you'd move.....

In reply to Andy Say:

All great advice thanks guys!

i feel more keen to aim for the CWA and CWLA as I feel like they are reasonable goals for me right now.

Don't get me wrong though I am not expecting to just go into ML stuff either it's just that my plan was to become a climbing instructor and do it while
training getting all my walking and mountain days after and then make future plans from there...

Currently it's a case of trying to limit the things I am focusing on Right now as my time is split between work, home commitments and have a girlfriend in London I visit as much as I can and driving lessons ect.. So ML stuff hasn't been happening simultaneously to other DLOG things as the focus was going go change after I am climbing instructor qualified... In theory haha!

I don't see the CWA and CWLA as 'lower qualifications' or anything less valid, that was just not well thought out wording. It's just if an instructor post gets emailed to me from a careers website for example employers are often working for SPA.

In reply to galpinos:

Trust me I am keen to move!! Haha I have always had Sheffield on my mind.. But there is often moving and mortgage talk with/around the girlfriend so it's an interesting topic waiting to be fully considered and talked about.. Do I rent? do I save and buy? and all :|

In reply to danmitchable:

I am in similar position in terms of living 'far' from climbing destinations. I am based in London and it's always at least 3 hours train journey to get to Portland or Peaks. Scotland is so far and expensive I never go there at all. It's cheaper and faster to get to Alps.

But somehow I do travel every weekend somewhere to climb or walk. With no personal car. Sometimes then I am working with a group I rent a minibus. To drive 9 seater you need only B category.

I would suggest to make up the plan before you go for awards. And set up targets. There are you going to work? How do you plan to find clients? Are you planing to work in mountains? Or in gym? That exactly you want to do (climbing can be very different from bouldering in gym to ice climbing frozen waterfalls)?

In reply to danmitchable:


That sounds about right


A lot of employers are behind the times. You still get the odd reference to the 'MLC'! BUT from an employer's perspective currently the SPA allows them to deploy you indoors or outdoors. However currently there is probably more work available on a casual basis on walls.

It may change in the nearish future to become separate indoor and outdoor awards. We will see.