Awarding Body

Mountain Training

Scheme

British Mountain Guide

Course

Summer Rock Assessment

Type

Training

Award Description

This international award trains and assesses candidates in the skills required to guide climbing (including the coaching of lead climbing) skiing and mountaineering on rock, snow & ice, and in alpine terrain. It is administered by the BMG to the standards set by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). The Guide’s carnet is an extensively used professional award.

BMG UK Summer Rock Assessment 

15th - 20th  September 2024

Convenor: Dave Rudkin

Staff: Andy Teasdale, Graeme Ettle, Libby Peter, John Orr, Paul Warnock, Tim Neill.

Assessment Venue: Arete Centre, Llanrug

Meeting Time: 19:00, Saturday 14th September 2024 (evening before assessment). 

I’ll meet you all on this evening to frame the week ahead, and provide opportunity for any questions.

We have exclusive use of the West Wing of the Arete Centre in Llanrug. I have booked self catered accommodation for you all from the evening 14th to morning 21st September 2024 (check-out 10:00). You are booked in for the night of the 20th, so there will be no need to move out on the final morning of your assessment and you can enjoy your last evening there together. Finalising the results often takes until the evening to conclude.

Course Outline

The objectives for each day will be discussed at a briefing each morning, taking into account the weather and day’s requirements. Possible venues for the week include; Llanberis Pass, Dyffryn Ogwen, Tremadog, Gogarth, Glyderau, Carneddau, Y Wyddfa, Moelwynion. 

Sunday 08:15 Initial meeting and course briefing. Guiding Trad multi-pitch key skills, personal rock climbing assessment at E1 5b. 

17:00 Return to centre. 

17:30 Written paper and review.

Monday 08:15 Improvised Rescue.

17:00 Return to centre. Prepare for expedition.

Tuesday 09:00 2 day mountaineering expedition, climbing up to VS, with overnight bivy and night navigation.

Wednesday 16:00 Return to centre. Prepare for the following two client days. Details of clients background experience and aspirations are made available this afternoon.

Thursday 08:30 Teaching client day.

08:45 Clients will arrive.

17:00 Return to centre.          

Friday    08:30 Guiding client day. 

16:00 Return to centre.

19:00 - 22:00 Results and Debriefs.

Course Details

Sunday: Personal Rock Climbing and Guiding

Meet at 8.15 am for a briefing. Trainees will be assessed on their ability to climb at the grade of E1 5b on a multi pitch mountain crag or sea cliff. Trainees will be expected to demonstrate the necessary skill required to guide these routes. During the day each trainee will be asked to lead an entire climb and manage a multi pitch descent.  Trainees need to make preparations to lead with their own racks and ropes. Trainees should provide suitable single ropes for use on this day. Two trainees will be assessed by one assessor.

Written Paper 5.30pm to 6.30pm. The paper will be reviewed between 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

Monday: Improvised Rescue

Meet at 8.15 am. Trainees will be asked to solve problems associated with climbing on multi pitch climbs. Trainees will need to demonstrate how to evacuate a crag with an casualty. We will be on multi pitch routes of up to E1 5b in standard.

Expedition preparation. This is likely to be based around the two day expedition plan that you bring to the assessment. See Pre course preparation section below.

Tuesday / Wednesday: Expedition with overnight bivouac

Meet at 9 am. The aim of this expedition is to assess your general UK mountaineering experience and ability. It will include multi pitch rock climbs at VS which should be climbed in big boots with a rucksack on mountain crags. You should also show that you can to look after clients in the UK summer mountains, for example; short roping a team through complicated ground and navigating efficiently and accurately over complex rocky terrain. Good knowledge of the environment will be expected, eg, birds, flowers, geology.

Trainees must be prepared for an overnight bivi during which you will be expected to carry food and cook for the assessing Guide i.e. prepare an evening meal and a breakfast for the following morning. Assessors will carry their own packed lunches and overnight sleeping equipment. 

Trainees must provide a suitable single rope and their own maps for the trip. It is expected that Ordnance Survey scales 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 (Eryri sheets) will be used. The expedition will return by 4pm on the second day.

Preparation for the client days. 5pm. Details will be made available about the mock clients you will be with for the next two days at this point. This will allow a small amount of  planning to take place before meeting the clients the following day, when a more detailed plan can be formulated. It is hoped that the first day will be a teaching day, followed by a guiding day. In the event of adverse weather, these days might be reversed to allow for the guiding day to be on the better weather day.

Thursday: Teaching multi pitch rock climbing

Meet at 8.30am. The trainee will be asked to run a day of teaching rock climbing on multi pitch climbs. It is intended that the same client will stay with the trainee for both days. If this changes, then you will be made aware of your new clients background experience with time to prepare. Emphasis is placed on appropriate teaching strategies, progression, rapport, pace of day, venues and grades of climbs chosen.

The two client days should show a good teaching and guiding   progression. The group will need to be back at the centre for 5 pm.

Friday: Guiding multi pitch rock climbing 

Meet at 8.30 am. The trainee will be expected to take a mock client and an assessor up multi pitch rock climbs. The grade will be suitable to the mock client’s ability and aspirations. The emphasis of the day is about giving them a guided ‘mileage day’ with some inspirational climbing and positions, plus any teaching and top tips to support the routes and terrain you are on. Typically the students will second between VS 4b and E1 5b.

The Trainee is expected to provide two suitable single ropes and a rack for the day. You should be back at the centre for 4pm.

Friday evening 7pm to 10pm. Results will be delivered.

Please refer to the BMG course syllabus handbook for more information on what will be assessed. This is available online http://www.bmg.org.uk under Guide training.

Pre Course Preparation

Please produce a route plan for taking 2 adults on a two day expedition in Northern Eryri, this should include a night out at a suitable bivouac location. The clients are good mountaineers and climbers that can second VS and will expect to do some technical climbing at this standard in big boots. 

Your route plan should be detailed and contain a route description, expected timings, vertical gain/loss, horizontal distance covered, and plan B’s for poor conditions. The route plan will be submitted at the start of the assessment and may be used as a basis for the overnight expedition. 

Assessment Structure

The assessment will be treated holistically (i.e. your performance will be taken into account for the duration of the week and not for just each day in turn, not a pass/fail approach to each day). The assessment does not just include your technical ability but also your professionalism and manner. 

Feedback will be given to you when it is appropriate, this maybe during the day and will definitely be at the end of each day. 

The Course Convenor is available every day to discuss any logistics, issues etc.

Results

The trainees result is at the discretion of the assessment panel, as mentioned, based on the whole assessment performance.

The final results will be given in the form of a verbal debrief by the Course Convenor, followed by a written report shortly after the end of the course.

There are three results: - 

Pass – The trainee is at or above the standard in all syllabus areas.

Deferral – The trainee has a weakness in one or two syllabus areas. 

Deferred trainees will be advised on how to improve their areas of weakness and will be required to take a re-assessment at a later date. A one day deferral can be re-assessed during the same season. A two day deferral will be assessed the following year (usually during the following years Assessment week).

Fail - The trainee is weak in many areas of the syllabus.

Another full Assessment will need to be completed.

Internal Course Transport 

It is expected that the trainees will provide a suitable vehicle to transport themselves and two other persons for the duration of the course. Trainees will cover the cost of this transportation.

Course Cost

The cost of this course is £1980.00. The payment is due by 4th August 2024 (6 weeks before the course start date).

Booking

Please contact Rich Snaith at guiding@bmg.org.uk for advice and help if necessary.

Please send an email to myself and Rich at the BMG Office to confirm that payment has been made. 

Rich Snaiths: guiding@bmg.org.uk

Dave Rudkin: dave.rudkin@hotmail.com

Insurance

It is advised that you have cancellation insurance as no refund is possible after the final payment date. BMC insurance cover is recommended especially for cancellation e.g, a personal injury that means you cannot attend the course.

Equipment

All trainees must provide all their own equipment for the whole week including safety and group emergency gear such as ropes, group shelters, first aid kits, mobile phone and spare clothing. 

Trainees will provide two single ropes in good condition for use during the climbing days. Trainees must bring their own 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale maps of North Wales.

Trainees may need to provide some additional climbing equipment such as locking carabiners, belay device, nut key etc for their mock clients.

Accommodation

It is important for all trainees to be resident together during the Assessment. Accommodation is included in the above cost.

You have been booked into the Arete Centre in Llanrug for the whole week, from evening Saturday 14th to morning Saturday 21st (check out 10am) . It is a self catering booking so you will need to manage your own food for the week, there is a kitchen available at the accommodation, and good pub-grub just down the road.

BMG Cancellation Policy

Cancellation by attendee:
Course attendance cannot be cancelled online; attendees need to call the Mountain Training office.
If a booking is made in error and a cancellation is made within 14 days of booking, a full refund will be made.
All refunds made, except those made within 14 days of booking, will be subject to a minimal charge due to CMS transaction charges incurred which cannot be reclaimed. This charge is £7.50 for refunds up to £300 and 2.5% of refunds above £300.

If cancellations are received up to eight weeks before the course, attendees will get a full refund (less CMS transaction fee); less than eight weeks, but more than four weeks before the course: 50% refund (less CMS transaction fee); less than four weeks before the course date: no refund unless a reserve is able to fill the slot.
Late non-attendance due to unforeseen circumstances needs to be reported ASAP direct to the course provider, so that arrangements can be made to allow reserves to attend.

Cancellation by the BMG:
The BMG will cancel workshops/courses which do not meet the minimum attendance criteria no less than four weeks before the course date, and a full refund will be given. Every effort is made to deliver all of the advertised courses, however as these are non-profitmaking, the BMG reserves the right to cancel a course should there be insufficient attendees to cover the costs.

Cancellation by trainer:
If the provider cannot run the course at the last minute due to injury or illness, and cannot find an alternative provider, it is their responsibility to notify candidates of the last-minute cancellation. The BMG will refund the candidate in full and no payment will be made to the provider.

Start

15/09/2024

End

20/09/2024

Total Days

6

Maximum Bookings

7

Bookings

7

Venue

Arete Outdoor Centre

Town

Llanrug

County

Gwynedd

Country

UK

Name

British Mountain Guides

Phone

07376299241

Email