Top Rope Climbing Instructor Certification - Affinity Program

The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and its partner Arc’teryx, believe in enriching, strengthening, and invigorating the outdoor community in ways that benefit historically under-represented mountain enthusiasts. To further this value, we’re excited to share this funded (no charge) affinity program initiative.

The Affinity Top Rope Climbing Instructor Training and Certification program is specifically targeted towards members of the BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities who are interested in pursuing careers in the outdoor climbing instruction field through ACMG certification. It prepares students for a career in the experiential outdoor top rope climbing sector of the adventure tourism industry and is comprised of a 3 days of field-based training, followed by 1-day of instructor-supported independent student learning, and a 2-day practical exam.

Top Rope Climbing Instructor scope of practice details are outlined in the ACMG Scope of Practice document.

ACMG Scope of Practice

Prerequisites

Students entering the Affinity Top Rope Climbing Instructor certificate program must be 19+ years of age and possess the following recreational rock climbing experience:

2 years of outdoor rock climbing experience on a variety of rock types;
15 outdoor lead routes (minimum 5.9) flashed in the past year; and
15 outdoor top rope routes (minimum 5.10a) flashed in the past year.

Additional prerequisites include:

a current intermediate first aid and CPR certificate.

Affinity Top Rope Climbing Instructor Certification Course

The Affinity Top Rope Climbing Instructor certification course is a 6-day blended instruction and assessment program that introduces students to the preferred methods and best practices that are common to instructing clients, managing groups, and supervising outdoor experiential top rope climbing and rappelling activities. The curriculum and assessment process emphasize the following:

teaching experiential top rope climbing skills;
teaching experiential rappelling skills;
risk management;
front-country client care;
basic environmental stewardship;
anchor configurations and applications; and
worker safety and anchor access methods.

Students who successfully complete the Top Rope Climbing Instructor certificate are eligible to become recognized as Association of Canadian Mountain Guides members, under the Top Rope Climbing Instructor designation.

Application Information

Adventure tourism activities and the environments in which they occur are inherently dangerous. When preparing and training independently for ACMG Training and Assessment Program courses and exams, choose objectives that are within your abilities, experience level, and individual risk tolerance.

Application Notes:

You will receive an automated response when your application has been successfully submitted.
You will be notified of the status of your application within 2 weeks of the application deadline.
Do not apply until all prerequisites are met in full. Incomplete applications are not accepted.
Additional course information and logistics will be shared with you 4 weeks prior to the course date.

To apply for entry in the Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course, complete the Affinity Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course Application Form and submit the following:

An education and employment resumé;
Attest to meeting the following prerequisites:
- 2 years of outdoor rock climbing experience on a variety of rock types;
- 15 outdoor sport routes (minimum 5.9) flashed in the past year; and
- 15 outdoor top rope routes (minimum 5.10a) flashed in the past year.
A current intermediate first aid and CPR certificate.

Course Locations, Dates, Tuition and Deadlines

Course Title	Location	Start Date	End Date	Application Deadline
Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course - Affinity Program	Squamish, BC	2026-06-29	2026-07-04	2026-05-15
Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course - Affinity Program	Bow Valley, AB	2026-08-06	2026-08-11	2026-05-15
Top Rope Climbing Instructor Course - Affinity Program	Collingwood, ON	2026-08-24	2026-08-29	2026-05-15