Application
This unit applies to those working as climbing instructors in a range of top rope natural conditions. This unit may also apply to leaders working for outdoor education or adventure providers; volunteer groups; not-for-profit organisations or government agencies. |
Prerequisites
Nil | ||
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan a climbing session. | 1.1. Establish participant's needs and characteristics. 1.2. Assess participant's current climbing knowledge in order to determine the session's aims and objectives. 1.3. Determine an appropriate instructional plan according to participant's needs and characteristics. 1.4. Develop a climbing plan according to participant's needs and characteristics, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.5. Identify potential hazards associated with climbing on restricted natural surfaces and minimise risks, according to organisational policies and procedures. 1.6. Access relevant sources to interpret detailed weather and environmental information and determine contingency plans. |
2. Select and organise equipment and resources. | 2.1. Select and access equipment and resources according to contextual issues and organisational policies and procedures, and check serviceability. 2.2. Check equipment for safety and suitability, according to manufacturer's recommendations, and adjust and fit to ensure personal comfort. 2.3. Check contents of first aid and repair kits to ensure suitability to the location and activity. |
3. Brief participants. | 3.1. Communicate instructions and relevant information about the climbing session in a manner appropriate to the participants. 3.2. Encourage participants to seek clarification, information and feedback as required during the session. 3.3. Establish a suitable communication system for participants to use while climbing and belaying. 3.4. Inform participants of known and anticipated hazards, safety checks and appropriate behaviour. 3.5. Check and confirm participants are properly equipped for the session. |
4. Instruct a top rope climbing session. | 4.1. Conduct introductory activities for participants to reduce the risk of injury. 4.2. Monitor individual participant's performance during climbing session. 4.3. Provide positive encouragement and or feedback to each participant throughout session and encourage feedback and questioning. 4.4. Apply clear and accurate instructional techniques to impart activity specific knowledge, top rope climbing skills and safety and rescue procedures. 4.5. Observe participants during climbing and belaying and adjust or refine individual and or group technique as required. 4.6. Inform participants of opportunities to further develop their climbing skills and knowledge. |
5. Complete post session responsibilities. | 5.1. Retrieve, inspect, repair and store equipment according to organisational policies and procedures. 5.2. Provide opportunities for participants to identify their personal progress and satisfaction with the session, and give feedback as required. 5.3. Evaluate relevant aspects of climbing session, and determine the level of learning achieved. 5.4. Identify potential areas of improvement for future climbing instructional sessions. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: consult with participants to plan a climbing session that meets their needs convey information about the safety aspects of the session interact with participants to create a safe and positive climbing environment problem-solving skills to: plan a suitable climbing session according to participant's needs and characteristics address participant difficulties in developing climbing techniques anticipate and respond appropriately to non-routine situations planning and organising skills to: source, allocate and coordinate resources, equipment and a restricted natural pitch suitable for the participants monitor and evaluate progress organise participants into manageable groups for climbing and belaying language, literacy and numeracy skills to: produce climbing and instructional plans for the climbing session perform basic calculations to determine equipment needs based on height of pitch complete post session participant and self evaluations apply for permission or permits to use a restricted natural climbing site to instruct a group instructional techniques to suit a range of participant's needs and characteristics efficient and effective personal climbing skills to demonstrate and explain climbing and belaying techniques to participants first aid and emergency response skills appropriate to the location to enable initial response and or rescue in emergencies whilst instructing climbing on natural surfaces. |
Required knowledge |
relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of climbing session information about local site to assist in the planning process and enable management of potential climbing hazards, and any special restrictions applying to the site equipment types, characteristics and technology used for climbing on restricted natural surfaces, the advantages and disadvantages of the range of equipment, and factors affecting appropriate selection of equipment clothing and footwear requirements for climbing activities to ensure comfort and safety care and maintenance of climbing equipment to ensure prolonged life span and safety requirements instruction techniques and theories applicable to a range of ages and learning abilities climbing techniques and common communication methods and calls used between climbers and belayers to reduce risk during restricted climbing on natural surfaces belay systems, devices, knots and anchors appropriate for climbing on top rope natural sites technical climbing knowledge, such as techniques and procedures to suit the features of the surface weather and environmental information to ascertain possible conditions and their affect on the session hazards that may be experienced in a natural climbing environment emergency procedures, potential hazards and obstacles relevant to the location to ensure safety of self and others. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: plans and delivers precise relevant information, explanations and demonstrations for top rope climbing session to ensure activities are conducted safely according to participant's needs and characteristics observes and monitors the progress of participants, provides constructive feedback and intervention and modifies instructional techniques and or activities to improve climbing performance encourages and responds to feedback from participants and evaluates and reflects on own instruction performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas that need improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure instruction of climbing activities, using a variety of instructional techniques that reflect the needs and characteristics of a range of participants to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: resources and information regarding participants and location to accurately plan, instruct and document climbing sessions for a variety of participants instructional tools such as videos, DVDs, televisions, whiteboards, books, magazines, handouts and the internet a top rope natural climbing site with clearly defined operating procedures, suitable for the conduct of instructional sessions a group of participants to take part in the climbing session equipment such as harnesses, helmets, belay devices, ropes, karabiners, chalk, protection, climbing shoes, food and water, and safety and first aid equipment. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of all climbing activities during the session observation of safe climbing instruction, monitoring and adjustment according to participant's needs and characteristics review of climbing session plans third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SISOVTR301A Perform vertical rescues SISOCLN303A Establish belays for climbing on natural surfaces. |
Guidance information for assessment |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Participant's needs and characteristics may include: | age fitness level and physical capabilities climbing skills and knowledge injuries and illnesses. |
Session's aims and objectives may include: | developing climbing on natural surface skills education development therapy fitness targets recreation. |
Instructional plan may include: | top rope climbing activities and drills duration of activities and drills. |
Climbing plan may include: | session's aims and objectives date, time and duration location or site instructor and participant ratios resources and equipment weather details participant information: safety requirements risk management plan relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. rescue equipment rescue and evacuation plan. |
Relevant legislation may include: | occupational health and safety permits or permission for access environmental regulations. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | risk management procedures occupational health and safety time and budget constraints use and maintenance of equipment communication protocols confidentiality of participant information instructor and participant ratios code of ethics. |
Hazards may include: | temperature extremes slippery or unstable terrain dangerous animals and insects stinging trees and nettles dense vegetation group management hazards. |
Natural surfaces may include: | boulders cliffs. |
Risks may include: | hypothermia heat exhaustion injuries exhaustion lost party or party member equipment failure. |
Relevant sources may include: | Bureau of Meteorology media land managers or agencies local knowledge. |
Weather and environmental information may include: | satellite images daily and weekly forecasts maximum and minimum temperatures weather warnings event warnings river levels synoptic charts high and low tide predictions. |
Contingency plans may include: | poor communication conditions injuries escape or retreat options off route possibilities. |
Equipment may include: | climbing equipment safety equipment rescue equipment. |
Resources may include: | food and water teaching aids. |
Contextual issues may include: | weather conditions, including times season transport location trip distance and duration group objectives group size. |
Relevant information may include: | equipment requirements, selection and use safety procedures risk prevention possible hazards risk management lead climbing and belaying techniques communication objectives rules and codes responsible and safe behaviour. |
Feedback may include: | information on participant progress any improvements needed verbal written visual. |
Communication system may include: | calls radio hand signals whistles. |
Safety checks may include: | A - anchors - secure and suitable to application B - buckles - locked as per manufacturers recommendations C - connectors - locked, secured and orientated D - devices - threaded correctly and secured E - everything else including end of rope knots, friction hitches, belayer ready, helmet chin strap, clothing, jewellery and hair secured F - friend - cross check. |
Participant's performance may include: | use of appropriate communication system top rope climbing technique belaying technique attitude and behaviour negotiation of hazards use of equipment. |
Instructional techniques may include: | sequence of instruction: simple to complex part to whole chronological known to unknown D.E.D.I.C.T: demonstrate explain demonstrate instruct critique test E.D.I.C.T: explain demonstrate instruct critique test I.D.E.A: introduce demonstrate explain apply |
Activity specific knowledge may include: | relevant legislation organisational policies and procedures establishment of anchors and ropes factors to consider when planning a climb minimal impact practices risk and hazard management equipment selection, use and maintenance communication systems used in climbing. |
Top rope climbing skills may include: | top rope belaying techniques establishment of ropes for top rope climbing use and knowledge of different climbing techniques knots appropriate to top rope climbing rescue procedures relevant to top rope climbing communication between climber and belayer negotiation of hazards and ensure safety of self and group use and maintenance of equipment. |
Safety and rescue procedures may include: | emergency response procedures group management in emergency situations relevant legislation organisational policies and procedures emergency response equipment understanding of safety practices. |
Opportunities may include: | locations suitable to skill level range of equipment and clothing available climbing clubs or groups in the local area. |
Relevant aspects may include: | objectives planning process activity site weather equipment selection clothing selection food selection instructional content instructional technique assessment technique group feedback directing techniques rescue techniques employed. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Outdoor Recreation |
Competency Field
Climbing-natural surface |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor