The PCIA Climbing Wall Instructor Course provides instructors and potential instructors with an in depth, standardized understanding of the skills essential to teaching climbing in an indoor setting. It is the first step in a sequential approach to professional climbing instructor development. The course reinforces the importance of teaching technically accurate information and debunks many common climbing myths.

Course Length: ~20 hours
Cost: Determined by course host. 
Prerequisites: 5.8 Climbing Ability, owns personal climbing equipment, comfortable belaying with both aperture and assisted braking devices. 
Certification Duration: 3 years
Re-certification Criteria: 1-day refresher course, 10 hours Continuing Education Credits (CEUs), or obtain a higher level certification.

The course emphasizes the presentation of sound fundamental skills to climbing gym participants, the formation of risk assessment and risk management skills and basic problem solving skills such as belay transitions and on-wall coaching and assistance techniques. Participants are assessed on both their core knowledge and their ability to effectively teach and coach related skills.  Depending on performance, participants will earn 1 of the following certification levels.