Single Pitch Award (SPA)
This award enables holders to supervise people on single pitch crags and climbing walls. To gain this award you need more than just good personal climbing skills. Our approved Course Providers will teach you about safe group management, indoors and out, crag etiquette, environmental responsibilities and more. You will learn how to become an effective supervisor, encouraging others to enjoy their climbing safely, whilst also improving some of your own climbing skills.

Climbing Wall Award (CWA)
The Climbing Wall Award was introduced in January 2008.
Prior to the launch of the CWA the nationally recognised minimum qualification for working in climbing walls was the Single Pitch Award (SPA) which was created in 1992.
Since then there has been a steady development in wall design, and a massive increase in the number of walls and participants. Many regular climbing wall users had no intention or desire to climb outdoors but are keen and competent climbers, frustrated by the lack of a suitable national qualification that recognises their competence's.
With assistance from MLTE guidelines, many local authorities have developed their own site-specific schemes over the last few years. People who have completed such schemes can apply for exemption from the training course and will be able to proceed straight to assessment.

The Climbing Wall Award training and assessment courses are delivered at suitable walls that offer a variety of features and teaching facilities. The main award is aimed at the typical top roping and bouldering facility. The course focuses on party supervision, safety and coaching movement skills. Because of the variety of facilities available, we have taken the step of offering an additional “bolt-on” module for facilities that include top access belay stations and abseiling.

Some walls may choose to train both elements during the same course programme, which will typically be a weekend but may also be a series of evening sessions.

Climbing Wall Leading Award (CWLA)
The CWLA has been designed to train and assess those who wish to teach lead climbing skills on indoor or outdoor artificial climbing walls and structures with fixed protection. This includes a wide range of structures (including, for example towers and mobile climbing walls) which will be referred to throughout as ‘walls’. These structures are deemed to have safety equipment, such as top anchors, in place and are maintained through a management regime. The award is concerned with ensuring good practice when developing leading skills. It covers the introduction, coaching and on-going development of the technical and movement skills required to lead routes.