Professional Climbing Instructor Association Programs

We have a course March 5 - 8, 2009. Please use the contact form to enquire or to sign up. 

Todd Vogel is a founding member and one of the senior instructors in the Professional Climbing Instructors Association program. This program is aimed at climbing instructors seeking to improve their skills and who truly want to work at a professional level in the climbing instruction world. Participants are often staff members of outdoor programs such as schools and university climbing programs, guides seeking to transition their skills to the educational realm, and aspiring climbing instructors who want to fast-track their skills as a teacher.

The PCIA has its roots in the old American Mountain Guides Association former Top Rope Site Manager Course, of which Todd Vogel was a key instructor and overseer of the program for the ten years of its existence. Late in 2007 the AMGA stopped offering the TRSM; many of us felt that this was a mistake and the PCIA was born to enable a replacement program to continue.

More history on the PCIA program can be found here.

There are three primary courses in the PCIA outdoor program offering.
The Base Managed Climbing Instructor course - "BMCI" program as we call it - is often the entry point for aspiring instructors into the world of professional climbing instruction and is generally offered as a three day program. The program transitions recreational-level climbing skills to the modern professional standard. Those wishing to become certified as Climbing Instructors can take the exam at the end of the course, an additional day, or come back to do so at a later date.

The Top Managed Climbing Instructor Course, TMCI, is a one day add-on module that extends one's capabilities to sites that are managed from the top, such as sea cliffs or canyon sides, or sites where bringing a group to the base would simply cause too much impact. Running a site from the top isn't extremely different than base managed but there are a few extra skills such as raising systems and safe lowering that are necessary. This course covers these topics. Participants who demonstrate lead ability at a 5.6 level will be awarded the PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor Certificate.

Finally, the PCIA Lead Climbing Instructor Course, LCIC, is a rigorous two day training for already proficient single pitch climbing instructors that enhances fundamental instructional skills. This course goes well beyond all single pitch courses to more thoroughly address critical skills associated with lead climbing and teaching leading.

We offer the Base, Top, and Lead Climbing Instructor programs throughout the year in both the Eastern Sierra and Joshua Tree. Custom dates and group rates are available. Please check our calendar or contact us for a course listing.