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CTC Assessment Toolkit
Two files. Everything you need to run a structured client competency assessment before any technical objective.
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- CTC Client Questionnaire PDF
- CTC Scoring Spreadsheet Excel (.xlsx)
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How to use it — 3 steps
- 1
Send the questionnaire to your client
The PDF is ready to forward as-is. Ask your client to return it at least 5 days before the trip, along with a brief route history — grades, dates, whether they led or followed.
- 2
Enter the logbook data into the spreadsheet
Open the CTC Assessment tab. Enter each logbook entry — grade, discipline, date, environment, role, conditions, and whether guided. Grade conversion is automatic from the Grade Reference tab.
- 3
Set the objective type and read the output
Select the objective type (alpine ice, ski mountaineering, glacier travel, etc.) and — optionally — set minimum discipline scores for your planned route. The spreadsheet outputs a profile, composite score, discipline breakdown, and flags.
First assessment takes around 30 minutes. Subsequent assessments are faster once you have the grade reference memorised. The completed spreadsheet constitutes a structured pre-trip risk record that maps to ISO 31000.
Learn more about the CTC
How to Run Your First CTC Assessment
From sending the questionnaire to reading the output and acting on the flags. A complete walkthrough for guides and guide service owners. 6 steps, approximately 30 minutes total.
Our CTC Scoring System Explained
The Client Technical Competency framework scores what a grade list can't — recency, environment, role, conditions, and psychological readiness, calibrated to your specific objective. Here is exactly how it works.
The Problem With How We Assess Client Competency
Your client tells you they've climbed to 5.10. You write it down. But how current is that grade? In what environment? On lead, or as a second? The number alone tells you almost nothing — and yet most of us have been building trip plans around it for years.
Your Client Said They Climb 5.10. Here's What You Still Don't Know.
A grade tells you what someone once climbed. It says almost nothing about what they can do on your objective, on this date, in these conditions. Mis-read it and you create two problems — a risk you didn't see coming, and a client who had a terrible time.