Activities
Rock climbing
An increasingly popular sport in the UK, both on indoor walls and on natural crags. Climbing can provide challenges for all abilities with an opportunity for visible progression in a short space of time in both confidence and skill.
Climbing is not only a fun and enjoyable participation sport, it can also meet a variety of personal and social educational goals. Participants, as well as having the opportunity to stretch their own boundaries, can learn trust and how to take responsibility for others.
Abseiling
This is the mountaineer’s and climber’s method of descending a cliff using a rope. It provides participants with a real sense of achievement where they must challenge their fears and have confidence in their own ability. At the same time, it presents a group with a strong opportunity to provide support and encouragement to all its members.
This activity can often be combined with a climbing session either outdoors on the crag, or on indoor walls. Abseiling is also possible from various man made structures such as bridges, buildings, specially built towers or tree platforms.
Canoeing
Open Canadian canoes are normally paddled by two people with a single bladed paddle. Developed by the North American Indians and Inuits, they were used as a means of transport to journey over long distances. 
Later, Europeans used canoes as an aid to exploration. Today their strength still lies in their design as a journeying boat that can be used for expeditions at any level. Canoes are equally at home on river rapids and stormy lakes, as they are on flat water.
Canoes have a versatility that allows them to be used in a range of situations. With a paddler of moderate ability, they can be paddled solo, or with younger children a small group can manoeuvre them. They can be rafted together to provide a very stable platform for groups with special needs, nervous groups, for sailing or when conditions would exclude canoeing in individual boats.
As well as their role in providing pupils with a sense of adventure, these boats rely on co-operation and communication between all the members of the crew. Participants will feel the exhilaration of control in a boat they first found difficult to operate.
Kayaking
Kayaks are single seated boats at home on flat water or rivers. Participants experience the thrill of movement across water and and learn how to control and manoevre their boat. Here a quick progression is visible and individuals develop self-reliance and confidence.
Gorge / Ghyll scrambling
This activity involves ascending a steep mountain stream, sometimes using ropes and buoyancy aids - the ultimate watery challenge. As well as being great fun, participants must co-operate, help each other over difficult sections and use effective communication to relay important information to the rest of the group.
Caving
Caving is a totally new world for most people, with adventures to be found in large caverns, underground streams, waterfalls and small tunnels.
Caving provides an opportunity to explore the geology of limestone and science of cave formation. At the same time it offers participants the chance to experience adventure, teamwork and co-operation in a very novel environment.
Coastal traversing
Similar to gorge scrambling but above the sea, with the waves teasing at your feet. Coastal traversing provides all the opportunities for co-operation and communication between team members, as it is necessary to help each other over difficulties.
Hill and mountain walking
The opportunity to spend a day or half day on a journey in the hill or mountain environment. Hill days will be tailor-made in terms of length, height and difficulty, to cater for the needs of individuals and the group.
Experience the satisfaction of successfully using a map to navigate, the reward of making it to the summit, and the enhanced self-esteem that comes from being able to look after and motivate yourself, and those around you, in sometimes difficult conditions.
Mountain biking
For most people, riding a bike isn’t a new experience. However, riding a bike off-road may present a different challenge. From flat forest trails to disused railways or bridleways, mountain biking is a great way to experience the outdoors. Participants enjoy the satisfaction of making it to the top of a steep ascent and the thrill of a downhill. There is the opportunity for groups to make self-reliant journeys.
Team building activities
By setting the team a range of tasks that are both physically and mentally challenging, it is possible to guide their learning towards achieving better teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills.
Sessions can be tailored to the needs of the group. Activities range from simple hands-on problems, to a complex scenario-based exercise, lasting from a couple of hours to full days or even multi days. Problem solving can be based anywhere from a scenic rural setting, to a school playground, assembly or sports hall.
Orienteering
A sport that involves both stamina and brains, orienteering involves travelling over rough terrain using a map to find control markers. Map reading skills will be introduced in a practical and progressive manner. Pupils will be encouraged to use their interpersonal skills, as well as being taught technical skills to aid navigation.
Orienteering is not only a fun and interesting way to introduce map reading skills, but an activity that can hone problem-solving abilities, decision making and planning skills. Participants can work in pairs, or in small groups practising team work and communication skills. Alternatively, participants can work individually, gaining independence and the opportunity to make decisions for themselves.
Raft building
Using barrels, wooden spars and rope, the group must build their own raft, launch it and successfully propel it on the water. Here is an activity where careful planning, good co-operation, co-ordination of effort and time keeping, have a very noticeable effect on the success of the task, i.e. how dry the team stay!
White water canoeing
Experience the thrill of controlling your canoe on moving water. Learn white water manoeuvres including ‘breaking in', 'breaking out', 'ferry gliding' and 'surfing'.
Whatever your experience, from total novice to expert, we can tailor the experience to fit your needs. We will coach you in the appropriate techniques, to enable you to use the water to take you where you want to go, rather than being controlled by the current.
Canoe expeditions
We specialise in running multi day journeys by open canoe, providing everything you will need for your group to have an enjoyable and worthwhile expedition.
Journeys can be tailored to your own route or we can use our expertise to suggest an itinerary that would suit your requirements. This could be anything from a weekend on a sedate canal, to a week crossing Scotland, negotiating rivers, sailing large lochs, camping in remote places and cooking over an open fire.
