This practical Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Course is specifically designed for climbing instructors, coaches and staff working in indoor climbing and bouldering environments.
The one-day, 8-hour course focuses on the first aid incidents you are most likely to encounter while supervising climbing sessions, from minor injuries and fractures through to serious medical emergencies, spinal injuries and cardiac arrest.
Rather than simply learning first aid in a classroom, you’ll work through practical scenarios based around incidents that can realistically occur within a climbing wall environment, helping you develop the confidence to assess an incident, provide appropriate first aid and manage both the casualty and the wider climbing session.
The course has been designed to meet the first aid requirements for the Mountain Training Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) qualification and is also suitable for candidates and holders of other indoor Mountain Training qualifications requiring a one-day first aid course.
Who’s the course for?
This Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Course is ideal for anyone working or volunteering within an indoor climbing environment, including:
- Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) candidates and qualification holders
- Bouldering Wall Instructor (BWI) candidates and qualification holders
- Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI) candidates
- Climbing coaches
- Climbing wall staff
- Indoor climbing assistants
- School and college climbing instructors
- Youth climbing coaches and volunteers
- Instructors working at activity centres
- Anyone supervising groups at climbing or bouldering walls
The course is particularly suitable for anyone preparing for their Climbing Wall Instructor assessment who needs to obtain or renew their first aid qualification.
Mountain Training currently requires Climbing Wall Instructor candidates attending assessment to hold a current first aid certificate gained through an in-person course involving at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and including an element of assessment.
First Aid Designed for Climbing Instructors
First aid incidents within a climbing wall can present different challenges to those encountered in a normal workplace.
A casualty may have fallen from height, sustained an injury while bouldering, be suspended on a rope, or become unwell while halfway up a climbing wall.
As the instructor, you may also need to continue managing other climbers, communicate with climbing wall staff and coordinate the arrival of the emergency services.
For this reason, our CWI First Aid Course places particular emphasis on practical incident management within the climbing environment.
You’ll learn how to quickly assess what has happened, identify life-threatening injuries, provide appropriate first aid and make sensible decisions about when further medical assistance is required.
What’s included?
The course combines essential first aid skills with climbing-specific scenarios and incident management.
You will also receive a regulated Emergency First Aid at Work certificate as well as a 8hr Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Certificate.
Topics include:
- Assessing an emergency situation
- Primary casualty assessment
- Managing an unresponsive casualty
- Recovery position
- CPR for adults
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use
- Choking
- Serious bleeding
- Shock
- Head injuries
- Suspected spinal injuries
- Fractures and dislocations
- Sprains and strains
- Soft tissue injuries
- Cuts and abrasions
- Burns
- Asthma
- Epilepsy and seizures
- Diabetes
- Anaphylaxis
- Heart attacks
- Sudden cardiac arrest
- Minor injuries commonly encountered at climbing walls
- When and how to call the emergency services
- Casualty monitoring
- Recording and handing over an incident
Climbing-Specific First Aid Scenarios
A major part of the course is practical scenario-based training.
Depending on the venue and group, scenarios may include:
- A climber injured following a bouldering fall
- Suspected ankle or lower-leg fractures
- Head injuries following a fall
- An injured climber on the climbing wall
- A casualty suspended in a harness
- Managing a potentially spinal-injured casualty
- Sudden illness during an instructed session
- Serious bleeding
- An unresponsive casualty
- Cardiac arrest and AED use
- Managing an incident while remaining responsible for other climbers
The aim isn’t simply to remember a sequence of first aid procedures. It’s to develop the confidence to manage the whole incident safely and effectively.
Mountain Training Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Requirements
This course is particularly suited to candidates working towards their Mountain Training Climbing Wall Instructor qualification.
Mountain Training requires CWI assessment candidates to hold a current first aid certificate gained from an in-person course involving at least one full day or eight hours of instruction, including an element of assessment.
This course has been structured around those requirements while making the training directly relevant to the type of incidents a Climbing Wall Instructor may encounter.
It is also suitable for those requiring first aid for:
- Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI)
- Bouldering Wall Instructor (BWI)
- Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI)
If you are working towards an outdoor Mountain Training qualification such as Rock Climbing Instructor, Mountain Leader or Hill and Moorland Leader, you will normally require a two-day / 16-hour first aid course instead.
Practical, Scenario-Based Training
We believe first aid is best learnt by doing it.
Throughout the course there will be plenty of opportunity to practise skills rather than spending the entire day sitting in a classroom.
You’ll work through realistic casualty scenarios and learn how to make decisions when you don’t immediately have all the information.
Scenarios help bring individual first aid skills together so you can practise:
Assess → Prioritise → Treat → Monitor → Handover
By the end of the course, you should feel considerably more confident dealing with a real first aid incident at a climbing wall.
Course Assessment
Assessment takes place throughout the course through practical activities, questioning and casualty scenarios.
The emphasis is on demonstrating that you can recognise a first aid emergency and provide appropriate treatment safely and effectively.
Full course information and joining instructions will be sent once your booking has been confirmed.
You will also receive any required pre-course learning materials before the course date.
Why Take a Climbing-Specific First Aid Course?
There are plenty of general first aid courses available, but working as a climbing instructor creates some very particular considerations.
You could be responsible for a group when an incident occurs. Your casualty could be several metres above the ground. Other climbers may need to be managed while treatment is provided. The mechanism of injury following a climbing or bouldering fall may also immediately raise concerns about head, neck, spinal or limb injuries.
A first aid course for climbing instructors allows these situations to be explored within the context in which you actually work.
This makes the training particularly useful whether you’re preparing for your CWI assessment or are an experienced instructor renewing your first aid qualification.
Already Hold an Outdoor Qualification?
If you also hold or are working towards an outdoor Mountain Training qualification, you may be better suited to our 2 Day Outdoor First Aid Course.
The 16-hour Outdoor First Aid course is designed for instructors and leaders operating in outdoor and remote environments and meets the longer first aid training requirement associated with qualifications such as:
- Rock Climbing Instructor
- Mountain Leader
- Hill and Moorland Leader
- Lowland Leader
- Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor
2 Day Outdoor First Aid Course
Group & Climbing Wall First Aid Courses
We can also deliver the Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Course specifically for climbing centres, schools, colleges, clubs and activity providers.
If you have a group of climbing instructors or staff requiring first aid training, we may be able to arrange a dedicated course at your own climbing wall.
Delivering the course within your normal working environment also allows scenarios to be adapted around the layout, procedures and equipment available at your venue.
Contact us to discuss a bespoke Climbing Wall First Aid Course for your staff or instructors.
OUR FIRST AID COURSES ARE GUARANTEED TO RUN!
| COURSE DATE | DAYS | LOCATION | COST | BOOKING |
| Mon 12th Oct | 1 | Bristol | £90 | Book Now |
| Fri 11th Dec | 1 | Bristol | £90 | Book Now |
Can’t see the dates you want or have a group for a bespoke date? – contact us
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Day 1
08.30 AM: Meet
9.00 AM – 6.00 PM: First Aid Training
First aid principles, casualty assessment and management of common climbing wall injuries and medical emergencies.
Practical demonstrations and hands-on first aid training throughout the session.
Lunch
Short lunch break.
Afternoon: Climbing Wall First Aid Scenarios
Practical climbing-related first aid scenarios including casualty assessment, trauma, medical emergencies and incident management.
Assessment & Debrief
Practical assessment, questions, course review and opportunity to discuss incidents specific to your own climbing or instructing environment.
6.00 PM: Depart
What first aid course do I need for Climbing Wall Instructor?
Mountain Training requires candidates presenting for Climbing Wall Instructor assessment to hold a current first aid certificate gained through an in-person course involving at least one full day or eight hours of instruction and including an element of assessment.
Our Climbing Wall Instructor First Aid Course has been specifically designed around this requirement.
Is this first aid course suitable for CWI assessment?
Yes. The course is an in-person, one-day / 8-hour first aid course including assessment and has been designed for people working towards their Climbing Wall Instructor qualification.
Is the course suitable for Bouldering Wall Instructor?
Yes. The first aid requirements for Bouldering Wall Instructor (BWI) also require an in-person course involving at least one full day or eight hours of first aid instruction with an element of assessment.
Can climbing wall staff attend if they aren’t doing CWI?
Absolutely. The course is suitable for anyone working in an indoor climbing or bouldering environment who wants relevant practical first aid training.
Is this course suitable for Rock Climbing Instructor?
No. Candidates working towards Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) require a longer first aid course involving at least two full days or 16 hours of instruction.
Our 2 Day Outdoor First Aid Course is the more appropriate option for RCI candidates.
Is the course practical?
Yes. Practical training and realistic first aid scenarios form a significant part of the course. Wherever possible these are based around the sort of incidents an instructor could encounter in an indoor climbing environment.
