Girlguiding Climbing Scheme

This scheme helps you give Girlguiding members their first taste of climbing and abseiling. You just need some climbing experience before you can get started with the scheme.

What will I learn?

After you’ve completed the scheme, you’ll be able to instruct and supervise up to 12 Girlguiding members while they’re climbing and abseiling.

What will I need to do?

There are two levels in the scheme. You can do them both, or you can go straight to level 2 if you already have experience equivalent to level 1.

Climbing scheme level 1 - includes how to instruct and supervise climbing and abseiling sessions on purpose-built climbing walls and abseil towers with fixed anchor points.

Climbing scheme level 2 - includes how to instruct and supervise climbing on some outdoor crags using in-situ anchor points such as trees, bolts and stakes.

For each level, you will need to:

• attend a Girlguiding-approved two-day training course
• gain further experience and record it in your log book as recommended by the Director of Training
• be assessed by an Mountaineering Instructor Award (MIA) or Mountaineering Instructor Certificate (MIC) holder.

If you are after a more advanced nationally recognised qualification, try the Climbing Wall Instructor qualification or Rock Climbing Instructor qualification which are run by Mountain Training.

Who can take this qualification?

Anyone who is interested in supporting girls and young women to climb and abseil. You do not have to be a Girlguiding member.

For level 1 - you must have previous experience of climbing or abseiling on purpose-built walls and abseil towers using fixed anchor points. You will also need to have an up-to-date 1st Response certificate or higher first aid qualification.

For level 2 - you must have experience of single pitch climbing and abseiling outdoors using in situ anchor points such as trees, bolts and stakes. You will also need to have an up-to-date first aid training, same as for level 1.

Level 1 Training

The training course runs over two days and spends as little time in the classroom as possible, focussing on practicing all the practical aspects of the scheme.

I’m happy to come to you, so if you’d like me to run a course at your centre please get in touch.

Scheme details

Read more about the scheme on the Girlguiding website where you can also download the scheme handbook.