Professional Development and High Standards

As I've noted before, one of the best things about starting up this new business is that I am learning a ton, in a lot of different areas. It all adds up to a great deal of professional development for me, and much of this is stuff I will also make sure my employees get a chance to learn. To me this is an important way to set the standards high for this new gym.

The Conference
The big start for me was the Climbing Wall Association Summit conference in Boulder at the end of April. 3 days of sessions about starting/building a climbing business, routesetting, marketing and other aspects of the industry. Those few days gave me the knowledge and the confidence I needed to decide I could do this. I will be back at the CWA Summit conference next May, and at some point I'll make sure some of my staff get a chance to attend as well.

Learning to Lead
I recently learned to lead climb. I had felt I was almost, but not quite ready for this for some time. Some of my climbing friends gave me a nudge, saying that if I intended to open a climbing gym, I ought to be a lead climber. So I took the course in August, and was surprised to discover that lead climbing is not only more challenging than top rope, it's also more fun! I wish I had done this a long time ago.

First Aid
The law requires that there be someone on duty in my gym at all times who has First Aid training. I decided to push that a little further and so I will insist that all of my staff have this training. That will simplify the scheduling and make sure we never get caught short if someone has to miss a shift. It also will be good for all those employees to have this qualification. As the first employee of True North Climbing Inc, I insisted that I take the class myself! I recently took the St John Ambulance Standard First Aid with CPR course, which lasted 2 days. It covered basic first aid, CPR and also the use of an EpiPen and an Automatic External Defibrillator machine. It's a good course, and while I'll admit I don't remember absolutely everything I learned, I feel a lot more prepared to help when necessary. This class must be refreshed every 3 years to keep my status current. Having all employees at True North Climbing trained in First Aid is a message to my customers that we put safety first, and also that we care about the professional development of our staff.

Instructor Certification
There is a second reason why I took the First Aid training: it's also a prerequisite for certification as a Climbing Gym Instructor (CGI) by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). I have made it a goal of the gym to have all of my instructors certified at an appropriate level:

• Level 1 for those teaching beginner classes and basic movement/technique
• Level 2 for those teaching lead classes, and intermediate technique
• Level 3 for my Head Instructor, and for anyone teaching advanced classes

This won't be easy to achieve, and I'm pretty sure I won't be there when the gym opens. The prerequisites for each of these are pretty high. For example, to get my Level 1 CGI certification (which I'll need because I figure I ought to be able to teach the beginner classes in my own gym, and as the first instructor at True North Climbing Inc., I insisted that I get certified!), I will need all of the following:

• at least 2 years of climbing experience (I've got 5 1/2)
• have climbed in at least 2 gyms (I've climbed at 11)
• able to climb 5.10 on top rope. This is somewhat ambiguous, as the ratings vary from gym to gym. I can do some 5.10s at some gyms, so I feel I 'm pretty close here.
• able to lead 5.9. I have led a few 5.9s already, so I'm probably about right on this one too.
• the first aid training
• 8 hours observing/shadowing others giving instruction, including some movement/technique. I have started to do this (a few of the other gym owners are being very cooperative here).

That's a pretty high bar to hit just to be certified as ready to teach beginner lessons. I've decided that's a good thing, and getting all my instructors certified is part of setting a high standard for climbing excellence and - more important - safety.

There are not a lot of people who are already certified. The ACMG site lists 71 people certified as CGI Level 1, 21 at Level 2, and only 14 at Level 3. I certainly believe there are lots of other people whose qualifications are roughly equivalent, and who would have no trouble getting certified. So I am definitely not saying that instructors who have not obtained this certification are unqualified, or even that a certified instructor will always be better than one who is not. But I think the certification assures me (as the gym owner) and our customers of a high standard.

I'll need to allow some time for my instructors to get this certification, especially at the higher levels, because one typically needs to do each level of certification in order, with additional prerequisites inserted at each level. In the meantime I will use these criteria as a guide when hiring, and assess how prepared each instructor is to obtain the appropriate level of certification within a reasonable amount of time. So on the one hand, I'm imposing a burden on my staff to get the certification (though the gym will pay the costs of the certification class for those who need to take it). But on the other hand, I'm providing a push to get important professional development that I think will be a benefit to those who obtain it, as well as to my business and our customers.