BSA climbing instructor training

[Lisabob]

Larry - thanks for the info. If the issue comes up again, I'll remember to let scouters know about what you've written.

 

Seattle, I'm sorry you appear to have reached that conclusion, although I don't see how you got there. This thread is 3 1/2 years old, but as the original poster, let me tell you - the scouter in question had NO interest in "punching" his "BSA ticket." He had a good deal of interest in being well prepared to help the troop participate in climbing activities. As for me, I simply had an interest in helping him identify the training that is required, and also other resources available, so he could do this. As I recall, as a result of this thread, one of the regular forum posters then helped me put the scouter in question into contact with a couple of local climbing folks, which worked out just fine (and thank you again to that poster). Frankly, I think you've jumped to the wrong conclusion on this one.

 

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Could be, Lisabob. If some is doing real climbs, it takes a good deal of training and a considerable depth of experience to be a competent leader.

 

Without that it's real easy for people to get killed.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago we had a woman cross country skiing alone in the backcountry, as she had done many times before.

 

She got to a beautiful overlook, took off her skis and poles and got a little closer to the edge to get a better view.

 

The next day the helocopters spotted the skis and poles, and a rescue team found her 600 feet below the viewpoint, where she fell when the cornice she was walking on broke off.

 

My 15 year old brother was killed in an avalanche in 1962 when he was on a climb with a Seattle Mountaineers group.

 

 

I've been in several parties involved in climbing accidents or rescues.

 

 

I suppose I'm a little sensitive on the subject, or perhaps it's just my own training and experience speaking.

 

 

[Eagle92]

This is my expereince as a former BSA certified climbing instructor, back in the day NCS certified COPE directors also were certified in climbing and rapelling, so the course may have changed.

 

The BSA certification is good for climbing walls and towers, but I would stongly recommend going to pros for climbing cliffs, rocks, etc.

 

 

[nolesrule]

Necro-ing a thread here, but I just wanted to add my two cents.

 

"The BSA certification is good for climbing walls and towers, but I would stongly recommend going to pros for climbing cliffs, rocks, etc. "

 

I just took the Instructor course over the weekend, and I would absolutely 100% agree with this statement.

 

I feel comfortable that I could help setup, run and tear down an event for the climbing and rappelling towers at our local camp, but I am not confident in my abilities to do the same for climbing/rappelling in a natural setting. However, I would trust any of the people who put on the course, most of whom are unit scouters, for that kind of climbing, including a former SWAT officer, a member of the state cave rescue team, and a chief of one of the local fire departments.

 

I did take the course as part of my Wood Badge ticket, but it's also because the council needs more instructors in its inventory to meet the demand for the climbing center. It was only the 4th course held since restarting the climbing program. Part of the commitment is to work multiple events during your certification period. We had 14 people in our class including 4 scouts getting their IIT training, and running the practical on Sunday for 40 cub scouts and families with all 3 levels of the rappelling tower and 3 lanes on the climbing tower open were a challenge.