• Acadia AMGA

AMGA SPI Programs

Whether you are looking to enter the guiding world on a professional level or are looking to increase your personal skillset at the crag, the SPI program with provide you professional level skills and instruction.

The Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) Program teaches climbing instructors to proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting. The SPI is the only internationally recognized single pitch climbing instructor certification program in the United States. It was developed to fit in the AMGA Rock program. Benefits:

  • It significantly improves the instructor’s skill sets and integrates into the next level of training, which includes the AMGA Rock Guide Course and the Multi-Pitch Instructor certification.
  • The program is for current, active rock climbers who have a real desire to teach rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting.
  • The SPI Course is a 27-hour training course that normally runs as three consecutive nine-hour days or day classes with evening sessions.
  • The SPI Assessment is a minimum of 16 hours run over a two-day period.
  • Certification lasts for three years as long as the candidate keeps current AMGA Membership and First Aid Certification.
  • After three years current SPI’s can re-take the SPI Assessment to regain the SPI certification.
  • Taking any higher level AMGA Course also recertifies the SPI certification for another three years.

2025 OFFERINGS

SPI Courses ($695):

  • Saturday, May 24th – Monday, May 26th
  • Saturday, August 30th – Monday, September 1st

SPI Exams ($515):  

  • Wednesday, June 18th & Thursday, June 19th
  • Saturday, October 4th & Sunday, October 5th

SPI Exam Prep Day ($180):

After running a number of these in a private setting, we decided to create some public offerings for those who’d like a little additional feedback/professional support as they prepare for their assessments.

  • Saturday, May 3rd
  • Minimum of 2 participants required to run.

SPI Skills Day – Within the Scope, Beyond the Curriculum:

Push those skills a little further and add some additional tools to the kit.  Practically speaking, this will feel like a 4th day of your SPI Course, with a heavy emphasis on technical skill development.

  • Dates and details coming soon!

Contact Grant for more information:

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AMGA SPI
SPI Course Prerequisites:
  • You are a Professional Member of the AMGA.
  • You have a genuine interest in rock climbing and instructing novices on single pitch crags.
  • You are at least 18 years old at the time of the course.
  • You have at least 12 months prior climbing experience.
  • You are an active climber with traditional lead climbing experience (leader placing pro).
  • You have led a minimum of 15 traditional rock climbing routes (any grade).
  • You are capable of comfortably climbing 5.8 while on a top rope.

The above prerequisites are absolute minimums. Without having at least this amount experience you are unlikely to make best use of the training.