the start of it all - project TOP OUT

The sport of climbing started in Singapore around mid to late 1980s with self-taught climbers exploring the cliffs of Dairy Farm Quarry.  In 1989, the first permanent artificial climbing wall was built in SAFRA Tampines, followed by the introduction of the national climbing competition series, which now is a significant national climbing event in our annual climbing calendar. 

This sport is now growing rapidly in Singapore, with increasingly more people taking up climbing and many climbing walls being installed in schools and premises of uniform organisations.  However, for the past decade, due to the fact that the sport was relatively young both nationally and internationally, we did not have in place a national climbing standards or guideline to help steer the sport. 

For the sport to develop and progress with safety and performance standards maintained at the highest possible level, the Singapore Mountaineering Federation initiated Project TOP OUT in 1996 to promulgate a set of national standards and guidelines for the sport of climbing.  The Project TOP OUT Committee drew upon the brain juice and experience of both SMF officials and experienced climbing instructors: Alvin Yong (Chairman), Anthony Seah, Mohd Amir Moostafa and Lim Kim Boon.  The SMF also engaged the professional service of Ms Anne Palmer, a NZ UIAGM mountain guide/climbing instructor/assessor as its Specialist Technical Consultant. 

The fruit of the 2-year Project TOP OUT effort was the Singapore National Climbing Standards (SNCS), officially launched on 18 July 1998 by COL(Ret) Kwan Yue Yeong, Executive Director of the Singapore Sport Council - an important milestone in the development of climbing in Singapore.  The SNCS was fully endorsed by the Singapore Sport Council and will be administered and regulated by the Singapore Mountaineering Federation.

To promote a safe and progressive enjoyment of the sport of climbing. 

To elevate the standards in climbing instruction to a professional level.

The SNCS will form the foundation upon which the sport of climbing can develop in a progressive and well-structured manner.  It comprises 2 key components: the Climbing Course Spectrum and the Climbing Instructor Scheme.  The former establishes the range of approved climbing courses, their standards, pre-requisites and syllabi; the latter formalises the training and assessment system, licensing and qualification of SNCS Climbing Instructors, as well as the standard operating procedure for the conduct of all SNCS-approved climbing courses.  The entire SNCS system and structure is best described by the SNCS Training Roadmap. 

The SNCS Training Advisory Board represents the highest technical advisory body with regards to the SNCS - the sport of climbing and its instruction - within the SMF (i.e. at a national level within Singapore).  The Board, comprising of a Chairman, a Secretary and 4 Members appointed by the SMF, advices the SMF Management Committee in all SNCS technical matters. The Board shall focus its attention on the following areas: 

• SNCS Climbing Course Spectrum 
• To review and improve the approved climbing course syllabi. 
• To develop new climbing courses. 
• SNCS Climbing Instructor Training Scheme 
• To review and improve the curriculum of instructor training. 
• To review and improve the system of instructor certification assessment. 
• To develop a promotion system for instructor to achieve advancement in instructional category. 
• SNCS Course Schedule 
• To plan and schedule the Sport and Rock Instructor Training Course, Sport Climbing Activity Supervisor Course and Instructor Certification Assessment. 
• To oversee the proper conduct of the abovementioned courses. 
• Other SNCS or Climbing Technical Matters

The entire SNCS certification system and structure is best described by the following Training Roadmap: