The Mountain LEAD (Leadership, Education, and Development) Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educator program is designed to give experienced recreational climbers the knowledge and skills to organize and facilitate the full scope of a Single Pitch Traditional and Top Rope Climbing activity as well as formally instruct on topics relevant to Single Pitch Traditional and Top Rope Climbing. The program is for recreational climbers with a genuine interest in rock climbing who are also inspired to share their knowledge and experience with others.
Participants who successfully complete the Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educator Course and Assessment are recognized as Mountain LEAD Certified Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educators. This certification is a quality benchmark set and recognized nationally by the Mountain Education Alliance and is recognized internationally by the UIAA.
The Mountain LEAD Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educator Course is a four-day experiential outdoor program developed specifically for the Mazamas. The course is typically held over two consecutive weekends. Course instructors known as Mentors will teach students using scenarios they will commonly encounter as a facilitator or educator in Single Pitch Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educator terrain.
The course will review knowledge, skills, and techniques involved with recreational single pitch Traditional and Top Rope climbing. Additional new skills and techniques suited to facilitating formal group activities will be presented alongside topics such as risk management, group dynamics, and decision-making. The formal aspects of teaching, including lesson planning and instructing to people with different learning styles will also be presented. Students will have the opportunity to create lesson plans of their own and will practice presenting these lessons to their peers. Finally, daily group debriefs will be held to ensure that expectations are aligned between students and Mentors. Individual debriefs at the end of the course will provide students with course evaluations and recommended areas of practice prior to engaging with the Traditional and Top Rope Climbing Educator Assessment.
