Name: AMGA SPI Course
Brand: Kaf Adventures
Price: 675.0 USD
Availability: InStock

$675.00

Location

Smith Rock

Mt. Erie

Vantage (Frenchman Coulee)

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The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Single-Pitch Instructor (SPI) Course is the first in the AMGA sequence of climbing instructor and guide training programs. The SPI course was designed to help recreational climbers transition into capable and effective climbing instructors. The course focuses on the technical and teaching skills required to instruct rock climbing in a single-pitch setting.

For the purpose of the SPI Program, a single-pitch climb is climbed without intermediate belays and presents no difficulties on approach or retreat. This includes skills such as route finding, scrambling, or navigating.

In addition, the course addresses the essential educational and environmental tenets required to teach climbing. Those seeking certification may go on to take a two-day field examination following the course or at any time within three years after successfully completing the course.

The SPI course is intended for climbers who are already proficient in both top rope and lead climbing. It was designed to benefit those who wish to teach outdoor climbing skills to groups such as guide services, camps, schools, universities, therapeutic groups, religious groups, and climbing gyms. Those who wish to teach climbing in the outdoors tend to have a much higher success rate in obtaining employment as climbing instructors with this training and certification. The AMGA strongly suggests this course as a precursor to those interested in pursuing Rock Instructor or Rock Guide training and certification.

Certified Single-Pitch Instructors are expected to demonstrate the technical and educational proficiencies necessary to instruct a variety of single pitch rock climbing skills in a safe and effective manner in all settings. While not all students are fully prepared for the exam by the end of the course, every participant will have the training to practice and prepare for an exam in the future.

Check out these resources and the tabs below to learn more and see if this course is right for you!

AMGA SPI Course and Exam
2024 AMGA SPI Program Handbook

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Duration

3 days
8 hrs/day

Season

Spring
Summer
Autumn

Client:Guide Ratio

6:1

Minimum Participants

4

This course will run 8am-5pm all days, rain or shine. You are responsible for your own lodging and food. Campsites are available nearby the climbing area.

The course is focused on top rope site management and will demonstrate new skills and tricks from the industry. Participants will spend most of their time in small group discussions with breakout sessions to practice the skills taught and will debrief at the end of each day.

Day 1 - We will start the course in ground school, going over equipment, knots, hitches,belaying, traditional gear placements, and anchoring.

Day 2 - Today we will focus on base-managed climbing sites. This involves site organization and group management, plus lead climbing, top rope set up, instructor rappels, rescue techniques, and risk management.

Day 3 - Today we will focus on top-managed climbing sites. We'll discuss anchors, lowering, hauling, student rappels, and climbing movement. In the last session there will be time to review anything you need more time on before the final debriefs.

Please see the AMGA SPI Program Manual for a more detailed curriculm flow.

AMGA Requirements for this course:

Have a genuine interest in rock climbing and instructing novices on single-pitch crags.
Are at least 18 years old at the time of the course.
Have at least 12 months prior climbing experience.
Are an active climber with traditional lead climbing experience (leader placing pro).
Have trad lead climbed a minimum of 15 graded rock climbing routes (any grade).
Are capable of comfortably climbing 5.8 while on a top rope.
Are able to comfortably set-up climbs, belays, and rappels without guidance.
Have a solid foundation of anchoring principles and can demonstrate building solid anchors using natural and artificial protection (wires, hexes, passive and active cams).
Ability to be moderately active in all weather conditions for 3 days in a row.

Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email full of important information - make sure to read it thoroughly!
Expect to hear from your guide or our team about a month before your trip or course. You will receive an email containing even more details, including exact meet up location and time and any other pertinent precourse information.
Leading up to your course, make sure to eat healthy, drink extra water, and get plenty of sleep.
Please arrive on time and ready to go at your pre-arranged meeting location. To get the most of our day, we'd like to begin right at the designated start time.
All along the way, our office team is available via email or phone to answer any questions you may have.

This course will leave you with knowledge and practical application of:

AMGA and Rock Certification Process.
Climbing equipment and its role to the instructor.
Review of necessary knots and hitches.
Instructor and student belay techniques.
Management of climbing sites.
Institutional anchors and rock protection.
Instructor teaching techniques and risk management.
Professionalism in climbing instruction.
Practical skills for top-managed sites.
Climbing site organization and group management.
Discussion and practice of lowering techniques.
Assistance skills for top-managed sites.
Practical skills for bottom-managed sites.
Techniques for climbing movement instruction.

Payment & Cancellation Policies

Travel Information & Trip Insurance

Meet the Team

Gratuities

FAQs

Equipment Lists

Required Gear

Head/face protection
-sun hat *baseball cap is great
-neck gaiter *buff
-sunglasses
Climbing pack 40-70L
Climbing harness and helmet
Water bottles with at least 2L capacity
50M static rope
Waterproof/protective layer
Cords
-1 18ft. piece of 5.5mm tech cord OR
-1 18ft piece of 7mm nylon cord
Climbing hardware
-active protection
-passive protection
-quickdraws or alpine draws
-10 non-locking carabiners
Dynamic rope *60-80m
Approach shoes or trail runners
Personal kit
-sunscreen *SPF 40 or higher
-lip balm
-headlamp and extra batteries
-toiletries *please bring a plastic baggie for waste
-personal medications and first aid
Runners of varying lengths
-2-4 single length (24”)
-2 double length (48”)
-1 quad length (96”)
Belay gear
-ATC Guide
-auto-locking belay device *like a GriGri
-belay gloves
Climbing shoes
6 locking carabiners

Not Pictured/Optional Gear
☐Lunches and snacks ☐ *leather work gloves acceptable as belay gloves ☐ Wind-breaker + pant ☐ Note pad/pencil ☐ Camera ☐ Watch ☐ Half foam pad to sit on ☐ Shorts/t-shirt ☐ Bandana ☐ Trekking poles