STANFORD OUTDOOR EDUCATION
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL
ROCK CLIMBING DAY TRIPS
The professional staff of Stanford Outdoor Education (SOE) and a leadership team consisting of Stanford
Alpine Club Instructors and the Stanford Outdoors Council Trip Facilitator Summit have developed a set of
guidelines for determining the training, certification, and approval requirements for those interested in
assisting with organized rock climbing instruction under the auspices of SOE. Different requirements are
outlined for various levels of personnel classification, as defined in the document below. We will also be
exploring possible ways to challenge any of the in-house training requirements for students who enroll at
Stanford with a significant amount of experience. No challenge process will be developed for any of the
certification requirements outlined in this document.
Personnel Classifications
In order to appropriately establish training guidelines for Trip Facilitators conducting rock climbing day trips,
the personnel involved with instructional trips are classified into different categories as listed below:
Trip Facilitators
1. Head Instructors: Focal for instruction related aspects of the trip. Any instructional rock climbing
trips must have at least one Head Instructor.
2. Instructors: Provide instructional, organizational, and/or operational support to Head Instructors
during instructional trips. Any instructional rock climbing trip must have at least one additional
Instructor (or higher classification) in addition to the Head Instructor.
Other Involved Personnel (Not Trip Facilitators)
3. Apprentice Instructors: People who are not official SAC instructors may help out on SAC trips at
the discretion of the head instructor. They may not meet all the technical requirements listed below
but may be qualified to monitor belay techniques and other safety factors. They may also be the ones
who coordinate the logistics and gear for the trip.
4. Students/Class Participants
Trip Facilitator Training/Approval Guidelines
Nomination by Common Adventure Club (Stanford Alpine Club)
All potential Trip Facilitators for alpine club instruction must be nominated for Trip Facilitator Summit
approval by the Stanford Alpine Club representative. If a nomination is made by someone other than the
Stanford Alpine Club representative, the Trip Facilitator Summit must obtain secondary nomination from the
officers of the Stanford Alpine Club prior to approving the nominee as a Trip Facilitator.
General SOE Training Requirements
Prior to approval, all Trip Facilitators must complete any Stanford Outdoor Education in-house training
required for general day trips. For instructional trips involving overnight camping (car camping or
wilderness), the Stanford Outdoor Education Training Requirements for Guided or Instructional Overnight
Experiences in a Camping Environment must be satisfied by at least one of the trip facilitators on the trip.
Skill Specific Certification Requirements
Head Instructors: Focal for instruction related aspects of the trip. Any instructional rock climbing trips
must have at least one Head Instructor.
Wilderness First-Aid (SURG 224): Must be current. Can be taken through Stanford Wilderness
Institute of Medicine, but any current Wilderness First-Aid card from a recognized provider will
suffice.
CPR (SURG 110): Must be current. Can be taken through Stanford Wilderness Institute of
Medicine, but any current CPR card from a recognized provider will suffice.
In-house Certification of Head Instructor Skills: All potential lead instructors must demonstrate
that they posses all of the skills outlined in Appendix A to an externally certified climbing guide
(current PCIA certification, AMGA certification, etc.) in an outdoor climbing environment for
certification. Equivalent certification with PCIA, AMGA, or other reputable mountaineering
association will be considered. To ensure current best practices continue to be followed, funding
(i.e. 1 or 2 yearly scholarships) will be made available for external certification to potential Head
Instructor candidates as well as current Head Instructors in a process that has yet to be determined.
Self-Rescue Certification: Must be current. May be through PCGI or other mountaineering/alpine
association.
Instructors: Provide instructional, organizational, and/or operational support to Head Instructors during
instructional trips. Any instructional rock climbing trip must have at least one additional Instructor (or
higher classification) in addition to the Head Instructor.
Wilderness First-Aid (SURG 224): Must be current. Can be taken through Stanford Wilderness
Institute of Medicine, but any current Wilderness First-Aid card from a recognized provider will
suffice.
CPR (SURG 110): Must be current. Can be taken through Stanford Wilderness Institute of
Medicine, but any current CPR card from a recognized provider will suffice.
SOE In-House Rock Climbing Specific Instructor Training: Internal training and check-off
procedures will be put in place to ensure instructors have required experience for the course of
interest (course requirements included in the Appendix B.). Check-off will be contingent upon
demonstration of instructional, rescue, and organizational skills in climbing environment with two
current Head Instructors.
Apprentice Instructors: Provide operational support to Trip Facilitators during instructional trips at the
Head Instructor’s discretion. No Apprentice Instructors are required for instructional trips.
No special training is required of apprentice instructors since they are not Trip Facilitators. The
required qualification/experience level of apprentice instructors is at the Head Instructor’s discretion.
Appendix A: PCIA Competency Requirements for Base-Managed Climbing Instructor Certification
Base Managed Climbing Instructor™ Component Skills
Professional Skills
Presents themselves with a professional demeanor and appropriate attire.
Presents themselves with essential and well-maintained personal equipment.
Discusses differences between recreational climbing and climbing instruction and supervision.
Continuously practice and illustrate a high level of Leave No Trace understanding.
Understand various legal and administrative aspects related to outdoor climbing.
Designs and demonstrates professional client greeting and facility introduction.
Discusses options for working with youth populations vs. adult populations.
Able to discuss professionalism, professional training programs, and the role of organizations
like PCIA, CWA, ACCT, AMGA…
Appropriately choose terrain to meet client needs and match terrain from a guidebook or base
of cliff with appropriate anchor at the top of the cliff.
Climbing Ability
Model a top rope climb at the 5.6 standard illustrating confident, smooth, and controlled
movement.
Demonstrates a variety of basic and intermediate physical climbing movement skills.
Technical Understanding
Demonstrates ability to correctly identify and discusses (in depth) a selection basic climbing
gear including various carabiners, belay tools, webbing and cordage materials and ropes.
 Possesses a working knowledge of and an ability to inspect basic climbing gear such as
ropes, anchor cordage and webbing, harnesses, belay devices, carabiners, climbing
shoes, belay tools and artificial forms of protection.
 Ability to confidently demonstrates and discusses appropriate use of the following knots:
Figure 8 Follow Through, Figure 8 on Bight, Double Bight Figure 8, Overhand on Bight,
Overhand Follow Through, Bowline.
 Demonstrates and discusses appropriate use of the following hitches: Clove Hitch, Munter
Hitch, Blocked Munter, Block Belay Plate, Prussik Hitch, Klemheist Hitch, Auto Block.
 Demonstrates construction of a sit harness with webbing or rope. The harness must
include leg loops, a swami and be redundant such that if the closure knot loosens, the
harness remains secure.
 Demonstrates rope coiling into a mountaineer’s coil and a backpack coil.
 Demonstrates confident and competent belaying using a variety of belay methods including
aperture devices, assisted locking devices, and a Munter Hitch with both right and left hand
as break hand.
 Demonstrates the proper placement of artificial protection including tapers (Stoppers),
Hexentrics, Tri-cams, and Spring Loaded Cams. May evaluate as part of other anchor
evaluations.
 Demonstrates the use of various methods of slinging natural features with rope or webbing
and the pros and cons of each.
 Articulates how to assess bolts and pitons.
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Constructs an effective master point using more than one natural anchor point and the
joining material of their choice. The master point must be within 12 inches of a location
chosen by the course provider. Time Limit: 10 minutes.
Demonstrates the ability to efficiently build a variety of adequate anchors with artificial gear
as well as a mix of natural and artificial gear. Time Limit: 10 minutes / anchor.
Demonstrates the set up and use of an instructor belayed rappel utilizing one or two ropes.
Demonstrates the set up and use of a releasable instructor belayed rappel utilizing one or
two ropes and discusses situations when this set up is warranted.
Demonstrates set up of a base managed climb with easier edge access and rappel down
the redirected rope demonstrating protecting themselves adequately both while
descending over the edge and while rappelling. Time Limit: 15 minutes.
Demonstrates set up of a base managed climb with difficult edge access and rappel down
the redirected rope demonstrating protecting themselves adequately both while
descending over the edge and while rappelling. Time Limit: 15 minutes.
Demonstrates a variety of base managed student belays – anchored, unanchored, direct,
indirect – and articulate appropriate use of each.
Demonstrates the ability to supervise a base managed site with at least two climbs
operating.
Demonstrates how to take a weighted and un-weighted indirect belay from a student
belayer at the base of a climb.
Demonstrates counter-ascending to assist a client and counter-rappelling to the ground
with the client using an assisted locking device.
Demonstrates a variety of belay transitions.
Demonstrates multiple alternatives for protecting a belayer from both an upward pull and
falling backward.
Safety Skills
 Present a sample site safety briefing.
 Discusses selection of safe climbing routes for varying abilities and styles of climbing.
 Evaluate and problem-solve the need for back-up belays and the use of anchors.
 Performs basic rescue skills such taking over a loaded belay, counter ascending /
rappelling, and a climber pick off.
 Prepares a risk management and emergency plan for a sample location.
 Demonstrates effective supervision of both bouldering and roped climbing areas.
 Demonstrates effective spotting techniques.
 Demonstrates effective construction of a chest harness with webbing or rope. The harness
must attach to the rope in such a way as to not compress the torso or fully weight the chest
harness.
 Continuously demonstrates adequate personal and student safety.
Educational Ability
 Designs and demonstrates a 20-30 minute lesson on harness application, knot use,
belaying and communication.
 Designs and demonstrates a 20-30 minute lesson showing effective coaching of movement
skills through activities, verbal direction and modeling.
 Designs and demonstrates a 30-45 minute lesson on artificial gear placement.
 Designs and demonstrates a 30-45 minute lesson illustrating essential considerations
master point creation with various materials.
 Facilitates a 10-30 minute educational presentation on carabiners, belay tools, climbing
grades, reading route top, webbing and cordage material specs and use, how to select a
rope /rope dynamics, Leave No Trace practice.
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Designs a demonstrates a 30-45 minute on knot and hitch tying including figure 8s.
overhands, clove hitch, block Munter Hitch and Prussik Hitch.
Appendix B: Course Specific Instructor Requirements for use in Development of In-House Instructor
Training
ROCK CLIMBING – INSTRUCTOR HARD SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Years
# of anchors
set (all
types)
# of
bottom
belay TR
anchors
set
# of trad
leads
(pitches)
# of multipitch trad
leads
(pitches)
Comfortable
trad lead
level
Knows
selfrescue
skills
Adequate
teaching
ability
Intro
-
20+
6+
-
-
-
-
yes
Anchors 1
-
30+
15+
-
-
-
-
yes
Anchors 2
(ground)
-
50+
-
10+
-
-
-
yes
Anchors 2
(leading
followers)
>1
50+
-
30+
10+
5.6
yes
yes
Lead
wkshp
>1
50+
-
50+
15+
5.7
yes
yes