MASTERCLASS COACHING COURSES FOR CLIMBING INSTRUCTORS at the Westway climbing centre in London
(in association with Climber magazine)
FAQ
Note
This page is not intended to provide exhaustive information. Such things as directions
to the centre, bus routes, train lines, hotel addresses, food and taxi information will be communicated to
the individuals who book on to the course.
Who is the course for?
The course is aimed at climbing instructors of all levels, who are involved in teaching climbing technique
for performance and or competitions. The course is suitable whether you are teaching juniors or adults.
The course is open to those aged 18 years of age and above.
Do I have to be a climbing instructor to take part in the course?
No. It would be helpful, but is not essential. Some organisations may wish to send one or two key people
on the course, and then have them teach their own staff.
What is the course ratio?
There will be a maximum of 8 students to 1 instructor for the four-day training course, and 4 students to
1 instructor for the assessment.
Dates?
Look out for the next course dates on this site and in Climber magazine.
For more information, please email us
or contact John Gibbons at the Westway Climbing Centre on 0208 969 0992
Do the course students have to be climbing at a certain grade?
No, but during the assessment part of the course students will need to prove that the elements learnt
during the course have been incorporated into their own climbing, at whatever grade that is.
Are there any safety aspects to the course?
It is assumed that all those who attend the course are already fully conversant with best practice
surrounding the activity of indoor lead climbing and bouldering, including putting on a harness, tying in
to the harness, lead belaying using a variety of different devices, and indoor sport lead climbing.
What equipment will I need to bring?
You will need all of your usual climbing equipment. The Westway will provide lead ropes for the course.
What is involved?
The course is aimed at helping the course students to teach their customers movement skills, develop
programmes for improvement, and provide supporting theory. The course is delivered over a four-day period
split as follows:
- Day one: Climbing Technique
- Day two: Strength/Power (bouldering)
- Day three: Endurance (leading and circuits)
- Day four: Supporting theory
What about accommodation?
The course is a residential course, and accommodation will be provided at one of the local Travel Lodge's
for the three nights during which the course will run. Full board is provided from the morning of the first
day, to the afternoon on the day that the course finishes. Taxis will be laid on to and from the Travel Lodge,
and breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided during the course. Any private expenses will have to be met
by students. The booking of, and payment for hotel rooms will be the responsibility of The Westway Climbing
Centre. Rooms are family rooms, with three adults sharing.
What is excluded from the price?
Accommodation on the night before the course is due to start is not included. An evening meal and
accommodation after the last day of course is not provided. Travel to and from your home to London
is not included in the price.
Can I attend on a non-residential basis?
Yes. There will be 2 spaces on the course reserved for those who do not need accommodation for the
duration of the course. The cost will be £275.00. For this type of booking there will be no
evening meals, no transport to and from the centre each day, and no accommodation provided.
These 2 places will be allocated on a first come - first served basis.
Can I use the Westway Climbing Centre outside the time of the course?
During the four days you can have free use of the Westway Climbing Centre outside of the time of the course.
Is the course run for profit?
No. There is no element of profit for the course provider, even if all places to the course are fully booked.
Is the course run by the BMC / MLTB?
No. The course is a private initiative introduced at the Westway Climbing Centre in co-operation with
Neil Gresham and Climber Magazine. Although the course follows a well-known formula in terms of delivery,
i.e. training, consolidation, then assessment, and also includes pages for your MLTB logbook, the course
is in no way sanctioned by the BMC or MLTB. The provision of pages for a student's logbook is purely for
convenience, in order that the student may keep all their climbing training records in one place.
Is the course designed to supersede existing BMC / MLTB courses?
No. The course is seen to fill a big training gap currently existing in UK Climbing Training. In terms
of coaching courses for climbing instructors at present, only the FUNdamentals course has been completed.
The FUNdamentals course was rolled out in 2003. The BMC Operational Plan included the rolling out of the
next course, "Training to train", in 2005/06, with further developments of the programme in 2007 to 09.
So far, for various reasons, this has not come about. This course introduced at The Westway is in no way
seen as replacing these courses intended for future release by the BMC, but should be seen as
"filling the gap" in the immediate term, and then supplementing any courses that may be released by the
BMC in the future.
How do I make a booking?
Simply download, print and fill out the PDF booking form (34Kb) and return it to the Westway Climbing
Centre, together with a cheque for the full amount of the course fees.
What happens then?
Within 7 days of receipt of a booking form and payment, each student will be sent the complete course pack,
together with insert pages for their logbook, and a receipt. The course pack will contain a booklet with all
the course details, schedule, and other organisational information.
What happens if I need to cancel the course?
Although each student will make payment up front, at the time of the booking, if for any reason a student
needs to cancel the course this can be done with over 14 days notice, and a full refund will be sent.
At this stage The Westway Climbing Centre will make an assessment to endure that there are enough students
to make the course viable, and if not, a full refund will be sent to all students.
If between 8 and 14 days notice of cancellation is given by the student then a 50% refund will be made to
cover the cost of the hotel booking and instructor fees. If less than 8 days notice is given then no refund
can be offered, however the places are transferable, therefore any person in need of cancelling the course
can nominate another person to go in their stead with no charge.
Contact details.
John Gibbons
Westway Climbing Centre
Westway Sports Centre
1 Crowthorne Road
London
W10 6RP
Switchboard: 0208 969 0992
Direct line: 0208 968 2632
Fax: 0208 968 2638
Web address: www.westwayclimbingcentre.com
Email: climbing@westway.org