UMD Hosts Climbing Instructor Course

I’m not really sure what got into my head but there I was at UMD’s North Shore Climbing Wall, yelling in an Australian accent and pretending that the climbing wall was a game preserve and I was cautioning new participants about the dangers of feral climbers and swarming dingbats. This was part of my climbing wall orientation, rules and waivers presentation this past weekend at the Professional Climbing Instructors Association’s Climbing Wall Instructor certification course.

As part of the course, we had a chance to try different instructional methods and creating an Australian alter-ego seemed to be an engaging way of teaching new climbers that they should boulder above the red line and that climbing is inherently. Max Brown, an Elementary Education student from St. Cloud State University, may have bested me though with his rap that taught us how to put climbing harnesses on.

Throughout the course, our group of 13 practiced teaching lessons, demonstrated climbing techniques, learned new knots, discussed risk management, and practiced a number of other climbing skills. Kaija Webster, Climbing Coordinator at UMD, taught the course along with Ty Atwater, an instructor who had flown in from Oregon State University. Over half of the participants were volunteer climbing staff from UMD but others came from Bemidji State University, St. Cloud State, and UW Superior.

Everyone in the course seemed to have a good time, even with the underlying nervousness that pervaded the activities. From teaching to safe climbing technique to rescue skills, we all knew we were constantly being assessed to see how we measured up. I wasn’t especially worried about coming up with creative teaching ideas but Friday night’s climbing demonstration had me spooked.

We had to climb a route while we narrated our movements, as if instructing to beginners. The climb was rated 5.9, which is an easy grade for lots of climbers but at the upper-end of my range. I cautiously made a practice climb up the wall, while my friend Nick Rorem belayed me. I felt relieved to complete the route cleanly, but wasn’t sure how it would go while being watched by our instructor, Ty.

I stepped on the wall about ten minutes later and talked through my movements. “Here I’m edging my feet…Now I’m matching my hands on this larger hold…Here I’m going to throw in a Gaston to stay centered over my feet.” You realize how cardiovascular climbing can be when you have to talk through everything you’re doing. I was pretty worn out by the top of the climb but climbed it cleanly again! Ty pointed out my ‘herky jerky’ foot movements among some critiques of my skills but I was elated just to get through it.

I was able to get certified at the Climbing Wall Instructor level but the requirements for lead climbing, where you clip in to the wall as you climb up rather than having a top-rope set, eluded me. I’ll be tackling these skills over the rest of the semester, but for now I’m hoping this sunny weather sticks around, since I had to spend all of my weekend indoors!