Chris Ensoll Mountain Guide


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Single Pitch Award


Stages of the Scheme | Programme | Dates | Venues | Costs | Accommodation | Equipment | Insurance | Booking Conditions

There are a huge number of SPA providers throughout Britain, so why should you book with us? We present the course syllabus in a relaxed, fun atmosphere, with the emphasis on interactive learning to encourage you to ask questions and get the most out of your time with us. The Single Pitch Award (SPA) scheme has been designed to provide a level of basic competence for those who are in a position of responsibility during single pitch rock climbing activities. It focuses on good practice which allows safe and quiet enjoyment of the sport, and it is valid throughout the UK and Ireland. There are five stages to the scheme:

1. Pre-registration. Before registering for the award, you must:
  • have a genuine interest in rock climbing and the supervision of groups on single pitch crags
  • be eighteen or over at the date of registration
  • be an individual or club member of one of the Mountaineering Councils in the UK, eg the British Mountaineering Council
2. Registration with the MLTB (tel 0161 445 4747). You will be issued with a logbook for recording your climbing and supervising experience.

3. The Training Course is at least two days, and may include evening sessions. Before undertaking the course you must have at least twelve months experience of rock climbing, and have led a minimum of 15 graded outdoor climbs with leader-placed protection. The course emphasises skills which candidates might have difficulty in learning without expert guidance. You will be given individual recommendations for the consolidation period. Experienced climbers with substantial experience of supervising groups on single pitch crags and climbing walls may apply for exemption from the training course.
spa
4. The Consolidation Period should be used to practice and evaluate new ideas and techniques seen on the training course. You are advised to climb at as wide a range of venues as possible, both as an individual and when assisting the supervision of others. A minimum of six months between training and assessment is recommended by the MLTB, but your trainer will advise you on this. There is no time limit on the consolidation period - you can take as long as you need between training and assessment.

5. The Assessment Course is again at least two days, and may include evening sessions. Before you undertake the assessment, you should have:
  • led a minimum of 40 outdoor climbs (at any stage in the training process) using leader-placed protection on a variety of rock types, some of which must be Severe grade or above
  • assisted with the supervision of climbing for approximately 20 sessions (half days or evenings) at a variety of locations, at any stage in the training process
  • attended a first aid course and obtained a valid first aid certificate.
Your result will be either pass, deferred (complete proficiency has not been demonstrated in one aspect of the syllabus), or fail (performance generally weak, or necessary experience and attributes not shown).

Outline Programme for Training and Assessment Courses
We operate a flexible programme, allowing us to make the most of the weather conditions. We send you a question paper to complete at home and bring to the course.
Day One Start 9.00am. Crag 1: group session skills - top & bottom belays, anchors, abseil set up, problem awareness and solving, bouldering
Evening session: use of climbing walls, discussion of climbing ethics. Finish around 8.00pm
Day Two Start 9.00am. Crag 2: personal skills - leading, stance management. Uses and abuses of equipment. Review of the weekend as needed. Finish around 4.30pm

spa Dates
Training Courses:
Tuesday 30th September & Wednesday 1st October 2008
Assessment Courses:
Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th August 2008
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th October 2008
Please contact me on info@chris-ensoll.com, or complete the enquiry form if you would like to know about other forthcoming dates.

Costs
Training & Assessment £125 each. Both non-residential.

Accommodation
All course fees quoted are non-residential. Check out the Travel and Accommodation page if you're looking for somewhere to stay.

Venues
All our listed courses are run in the South Lakes area. We use single pitch crags in the Langdale Valley, Little Langdale, Tilberthwaite, Lower Eskdale, North Yorkshire and Lancashire. Our choice of crag varies with each course, depending on the weather conditions and the participants. We can also provide courses in other parts of the country on request.

Equipment List
  • full set of waterproofs
  • walking boots or strong trainers
  • warm clothing
  • rucksack
  • packed lunch and drinks for each day
  • helmet
  • harness
  • climbing rack, including slings and belay plate
  • rock boots
  • chalk bag
  • ropes - bring rigging and climbing ropes if you have them
Insurance
We strongly recommend that all our clients take out personal insurance to cover against cancellation and curtailment, loss of personal belongings, etc. We can advise about this - please ask.

Booking Conditions
Please send a £50 non-refundable deposit cheque for each person with your booking form. The balance of the course fee will be due 14 days before the start of the course. If the booking is made within 14 days of the course start date, please send the full fee with the booking form. If you cancel for any reason and we cannot fill your place, we will expect you to pay the full fee as arranged and claim from the insurance company as appropriate. If we fill your place, we will refund your fee less the deposit. If we cancel, we will refund any money paid in full.


Contact me with your ideas - call on 07775 630 488 or send me an email to info@chris-ensoll.com or fill in and send the enquiry form