SOUTH AFRICAN MOUNTAIN TRAINING STANDARDS

Abseil Supervisor Award

ASA
Download PDF Manual
Instruction Duration:
2 days
Consolidation Period:
Assessment Duration:
1 day

The award covers:

  • Equipment usage and care
  • Personal and group safety at edges
  • Belay techniques
  • Artificial (bolted) anchor points and bollards, trees and spikes
  • Group management
  • Non-releasable abseils
  • Releasable abseils
  • Retrievable abseils
  • Ascending the rope
  • Hauling systems and Pick-offs
  • Passing knots
  • Rope types and uses, and equipment care
  • Considerations and equipment for longer and complex abseils
  • Emergency Procedures
  • MDT and NQF training and qualification structure and skills
  • Scope and remit of the qualification

The award does not cover:

  • The skills needed to approach and retreat from mountain crags
  • Access to any location where escape is not easily possible from the top and the bottom of the abseil site
  • Multiple abseils, or abseils that involve intermediate stances

‍

Other Supervisor Awards

Courses (and associated assessment) aimed at the abseiling, hiking and rock climbing supervisor responsible for group activities.

Wall Climbing Supervisor Award
(
WCSA
)
Instruction:
Category:
Climbing & Abseiling
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
1 day
Program:
Supervisor Training 
The Wall Climbing Supervisor Award provides training and assessment for those who supervise indoor gym climbing as well as bolted top rope and leading on artificial walls and easily accessible natural crags.
Single Pitch Supervisor Award
(
SPSA
)
Instruction:
4 days
Category:
Climbing & Abseiling
Consolidation Period:
3 months
Type:
Award
Assessment:
1 day
Program:
Supervisor Training 
The Single Pitch Supervisor Award provides training and assessment for those who supervise single-pitch traditional and sport rock climbing.
Multi Pitch Supervisor Award
(
MPSA
)
Instruction:
Category:
Climbing & Abseiling
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
2 days
Program:
Supervisor Training 
The Multi-pitch Supervisor Course provides training for those who supervise those wishing to learn to lead multi-pitch climbs. The course covers both Sport and Traditional climbing in a single and multi-pitch context. The M.P.S.A is the Feeder Course for the Rock Climbing or Mountaineering Instructor Award.
Rock Climbing Instructor Award
(
RCI
)
Instruction:
Category:
Climbing & Abseiling
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
4 days
Program:
Instructor Training 
The Instructor Awards provides a comprehensive assessment for individuals working as instructors privately or at mountaineering centres. The awards are primarily concerned with candidates’ ability to run MDT courses and assessments in line with the organisation’s requirements.
Mountaineering Instructor Award
(
MIA
)
Instruction:
Category:
Climbing & Abseiling
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
± 2 days
Program:
Instructor Training 
The program provides assessment in the skills required to teach and assess, general mountaineering, mountain hiking, mountain leadership and rock climbing and to conduct all courses and assessments of the MDT. Some instructors will not teach certain aspects and can therefore omit the KLOOFING aspect, in which case the award will be endorsed with NO KLOOFING.
Walking Group Leader Award
(
WGLA
)
Instruction:
3 days
Category:
Hiking & Walking
Consolidation Period:
3 months
Type:
Award
Assessment:
2+ days
Program:
Supervisor Training 
The Walking Group Leader award is designed for people who want to lead groups in hill and mountainous areas, on non-technical terrain. With a strong focus on navigation, the award provides the leadership skills required to feel confident about taking people out walking. The award also includes expedition organization skills for multi-day trips.
Mountain Leader Award
(
ML
)
Instruction:
5 days
Category:
Hiking & Walking
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
± 6 months + 3 days in-field
Program:
Skills Training 
The Mountain Leader Award provides training and assessment in the technical and group management skills required by those who wish to lead groups in the mountains, hills and wilderness areas of southern Africa. Mountain Leaders are equipped to lead others in all mountainous regions in South Africa in both summer and winter conditions.
Mountain Leader Instructor Award
(
MLI
)
Instruction:
4 days
Category:
Hiking & Walking
Consolidation Period:
Type:
Award
Assessment:
4 days
Program:
Instructor Training 
The Instructor Awards provides a comprehensive assessment for individuals working as instructors privately or at mountaineering centers. The awards are primarily concerned with candidates’ ability to run SAMT courses and assessments in line with the organisation’s requirements.
Courses are designed to flow in a complimentary system toward each level. Some systems (R.I.A / K.I.A) require additional modules as their scope of operation overlaps with those programs. For example a Rock or Kloofing Instructor requires Walking Group Leader as a supplement. Likewise an M.I.A can have Kloofing exclusion.
M.I.A
|
I.M.L
R.C.I
K.I.A
|
|
|
M.L.I
M.L.A
K.L.A
|
|
|
M.L.A
M.P.S
M.L.A
|
|
|
W.G.L
S.P.S
A.S.A
|
A.S.A
|
W.C.S

Legend

M.I.A
Mountain Instructor Award
R.C.I
Rock Climbing Instructor Award
I.M.L
International Mountain Leader
K.I.A
Kloofing Instructor Award
M.L.I
Mountain Leader Instructor
K.L.A
Kloofing Leader Award
M.P.S
Multi Pitch Supervisor Award
M.L.A
Mountain Leader Award
W.G.L
Single Pitch Supervisor Award
S.P.S
Single Pitch Supervisor Award
A.S.A
Abseil Superviaor Award
W.C.S
Wall Climbing Supervisor Award

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