I want to be a professional climbing. What studies / career do I need to qualify?
When it comes to wanting to dedicate professionally to climbing, there are many people who have doubts about what to do to start training. Here we leave you this small article so that all those who want to work in this sector, you have a guide of the steps to follow in order to qualify.
Let's start by defining what a professional is:
Professional is a person whose life purpose is specified through practice of a specific work activity. The term also, is associated with educational standards and preparation that allow members of a profession to perform the specific roles that characterize it. The professionals, mostly, are subject to strict codes of conduct, rigorous professional ethics, Y moral obligation to society.
As you can see, we have highlighted some words; in our opinion, we believe that they are the standards that summarize a fundamental value: respect.
There are two ways to pursue climbing professionally:
Be a professional athlete, train to reach the highest levels in climbing and compete for achievements. These athletes become professional and some get to make a living by receiving sports scholarships, having sponsors who pay them on cambio of your image… They do not work in the field of climbing directly offering training, guiajes, training as they do not have legal powers, but he has his remuneration from the brands to have his image and create wide publicity for his sports results. If we look for the example in the sport of soccer, it would be a professional like a soccer player.
Another way to be a professional in the sector, is to find the way to be:
Guide, climbing trainer or trainer.
It is The path involves carrying out studies implemented by the Ministry of Education as notified in the Royal decree 318/2000, of 3 of March.
Being a special studies, some access tests to be able to take them. The entrance exams to be a sports climbing technician, currently in the 2019 are the same as in 2003 (we will talk about it in another post).* But now in the next access tests they will have some changes.
The tests so far have been: (we repeat this in the following tests it will be different)
Carry out a 7a route in sport climbing, climb a 7th grade route without falling without and without having rehearsed it before (climbing on sight).
Carry out a 6b route of self-protection at sight, climbing a grade 6b route without any fixed protection on the rock that guarantees that in the event of a fall you will remain suspended in the air; the locks that will be put on the rock will be floating mobile locks, (wedges, friends) and its reliability will depend on the skill and knowledge of the climber.
Carry out an A2 route on sight, perform a route of an artificial A2 difficulty in a specific time demonstrating their skill in putting insurance on the rock and progressing with them.
The official access tests that are repeated every year in different autonomous communities. In the case of Catalonia, one year they take place in the Ripollés and the other in the Pobla de Segur.
In order to pass these tests, a practice time is needed, training and education. Some companies dedicated to climbing, Climb in Catalunya is one of them, we are dedicated to help future professionals to pass the entrance exams with physical training and training at the level of climbing typology and materials. It is important to be aware that to climb seventh grade athletic routes, self-protection and artificial routes requires a personal climbing shoot of a few years.
Once the access tests have been passed, you can start training at a theoretical and practical level. This cv is outdated as it has currently been changed but we are waiting for the publication, the cv so far was this:
|
First level |
Hours | |
| Theoretical | Practices | |
| Common block: | ||
| Anatomical and physiological bases of sport | 15 | – |
| Psychopedagogical bases of teaching and training | 10 | – |
| Sports training | 10 | 5 |
| Sociological foundations of sport | 5 | – |
| organization and legislation of sport | 5 | – |
| First aid and hygiene in sport | 10 | 5 |
| 55 | 10 | |
| Block hourly load | 65 | |
| Specific block: | ||
| Professional development | 5 | − |
| Mountaineering technical training | 15 | 20 |
| Mountain environment | 5 | 5 |
| Safety in mountaineering | 10 | 10 |
| 35 | 35 | |
| Block hourly load | 70 | |
| Complementary block: | ||
| Block hourly load…………….. | 15 | |
| Practical training block: | ||
| Block hourly load…………….. | 80 | |
| Hourly load of the minimum teachings. | 2 | |
Once Level I is passed, we have not yet acquired the skills to be able to dedicate ourselves professionally to climbing, it is necessary to take a Level II.
| Second level | Sports Technician in | |
| Climbing | ||
| Theoretical
− Hours |
Practices
− Hours |
|
| Common block: | ||
| Anatomical and physiological bases of sport II | 25 | − |
| Psychopedagogical bases of teaching and training II | 15 | − |
| Sports training II | 15 | 10 |
| Organization and legislation of sport II | 5 | − |
| Theory and sociology of sport | 10 | − |
| 70 | 10 | |
| Block hourly load. | 80 | |
| Specific block: | ||
| Driving on climbing | 5 | 10 |
| Driving in the middle mountain | − | − |
| Professional development of the specialty Technician | 5 | − |
| Climbing training | 5 | 5 |
| Mountaineering training | − | − |
| Technical training for mountain progression | − | − |
| Technical training and teaching methodology of climbing | 5 | 55 |
| Mountain environment II | − | − |
| Mountain environment in climbing | 10 | 10 |
| Sports modality safety | 5 | 15 |
| 35 | 95 | |
| Block hourly load: | 130 | |
| Complementary block: | ||
| Block hourly load: | 25 | |
| Practical training block: | ||
| Block hourly load: | 110 | |
| Hourly load of the minimum teachings: | 345 | |
After all training is complete, a few hours of practice will be necessary.
Once Level II is finished, you can now enter the professional world of climbing. Approximately, doing a calculation, these studies require 1.050 hours plus the time necessary as an athlete to exceed the levels established for the entrance exams to achieve the level required by the Ministry of Education. It is calculated that a time of 2 years of pure dedication to climbing.
Where can you study Climbing Sports Technician:
At present, this training is private or arranged, In Catalonia we have two schools that carry them out annually; the Pobla de Segur School and the Pia de Sarr Schooliat.
In the Pobla de Segur, It is a Public-Concerted school; the town is close to great climbing areas of the Pyrenees, Many of the teachers who teach this course come from the world of mountaineering and have a high level of experience in high mountains. To study, It is necessary to live there during the course since depending on where you are from, it is incompatible to go and return daily.
The Pia de Sarria School It is a private-concerted school and is located in the city of Barcelona. It also has good climbing areas nearby and the famous Montserrat massif a 30 minutes. The teachers who teach the studies, they are all senior climbing technicians and are professionally engaged in training, training and climbing guides and contribute their experience in training. Barcelona is located in a more accessible point for most people and it is more feasible to be able to go to and from the place of residence every day.
It is true that studies in private schools are a little more expensive than in public-concerted schools; But you have to assess everything that involves studying in one place or another at the level of accommodation costs, transport, the availability to work…
Currently the Pia de Sarria School try to do all the specific training on weekends to better adapt to the work path of the students.
For any questions you have in relation to the studies, you can write to us info@climbincatalunya.com
