HILL WALKING / MOUNTAINEERING
Walking in the Lake District is beautiful and amazing, with the scenery and splendour of the mountains. Whether you want to walk around the foothills or go for a bigger challenge like Helvellyn or Scafell Pike (the biggest in England) there is so much to see and do, there is something for everyone!
You can do a multiday trip taking in lots of summits and covering greater distances using tents, mountain huts or bivvying out! Sleep under the stars by the side of a mountain lake or on a summit! It’s a great way to spend the night.
If you would like to develop your navigational skills then courses are available to learn how to map read and use a compass correctly. Even learn night navigation, at night obviously!
Learning how to survive in the mountains is a skill in itself. This can be taught through the day and into the night when survival skills are essential in the mountain environment.
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WINTER MOUNTAINEERING
The mountains in winter are completely transformed into the most amazing landscape. With this comes a different set of techniques necessary to negotiate the terrain. Good fitness is needed and the ability to use an axe and crampons is essential.
On a one day course you can learn crampon technique, how to use an axe correctly and learn how to ice axe arrest effectively. This is necessary if you slip on ice and snow, so you can stop yourself quickly going into a big slide! You will get a summit in too and learn how different navigation is in winter.
On two or more day courses you will develop and consolidate these skills, become effective with your navigation and maybe even sleep in a snow hole overnight! Climb some grade 1 gullies and get several summits in.
These courses can be run in Wales, the Lakes and Scotland, weather dependent obviously!
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SCRAMBLING
This is the best way to gain loads of height in the mountains without the need for anything seriously technical. Easy climbing along a ridge, or up an easy angled cliff face, gives a great feeling of exposure and is an awesomely exciting way to get to a summit.
No technical climbing skills are needed, just a head for heights and an aptitude for fun!
Scrambling comes in 3 different grades, so harder scrambles can be done, even in one day!
Up gullies, along exposed ridges or up cliff faces, there are so many of these challenges waiting for you to conquer!
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ABSEILING
Abseiling is a great way to get down a big drop! Learn how to control your descent down a rope, with a safety line attached to you, from heights of up to 150 foot! This is done on cliff faces and in quarries in wonderful surroundings!
This is a half day activity so mix it with another activity like Ghyll scrambling or climbing.
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ROCK CLIMBING
Learn to climb on rock in stunning surroundings in the Lake District or further afield. Climbing is a fantastic sport. Developing skill, strength and balance, it is a full body workout! It is the ultimate challenge against yourself, the rock and your own fears!
Climb on small crags, big multi pitch cliff faces, in quarries or even on sea cliffs, there is so much to offer! Learn to climb as a group, on a crag, learning climbing technique and rope skills.
One or two can be guided up big classic routes and learn to lead climb. The ultimate high! Discover how to rescue yourself out of 'situations' and learn how to avoid problems by using efficient and effective rope technique.
A half day climbing session can be mixed with abseiling, Ghyll scrambling or one of several other activities.
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ICE CLIMBING
Think of climbing, but on ice, steep ice, using axes and crampons! This is ice climbing.
Learn the techniques necessary to negotiate steep ice walls and frozen gullies. This is physically and mentally demanding, but well worth the effort!
Do this in Scotland, the Lakes, Wales or Norway. Courses are run depending on conditions and demand! Once you've done this, you will be addicted!
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WINTER SUN ROCK CLIMBING
Fed up with winter weather and climbing in the wall? Come and climb in the sun over the winter months. Climb on warm rock with the sun on your back, all day long. There is so much to climb around the Med. with beach crags, mountain crags, gorges and ridges!
Climbing trips are regularly run over the winter months in Spain, Majorca and Sardinia.
See the 'upcoming events' page, or call to plan your trip.
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VIA FERRATA
Cable and ladder systems in the high mountains were used to help soldiers in WW1. These have been developed now into amazing play grounds were you cross cable bridges, zip along cables, scramble up netting and climb steep ladders and rock walls, always attached to a safety cable for protection.
These are found throughout Europe, although the best are in France and multiday trips will have you conquering many of these. Such a trip can be mixed with climbing, mountain biking and canyoning.
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VIA FERRATA - HONISTER
There are 2 Via Ferratas in Cumbria, both based at the Honister Slate Mines. The Classic route gives an easy introduction to Via Ferrata and the Extreme route is an advanced trip with awesome exposure to height and crosses a huge Burma Bridge before scaling up an 'almost vertical' cargo net.
This makes for a great multi activity day if you choose to do Ghyll Scrambling too!
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GHYLL SCRAMBLING
Scramble up a mountain river, rock hopping, traversing pools, climbing waterfalls, jumping down waterfalls, get wet and have loads of fun, this is nonstop exhilarating action!
This is a half day activity so it can be done with another activity such as mountain biking, abseiling or rock scrambling, for example. It is always better to do the river in the afternoon, get wet last!
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CANYONING
Descend big canyons, abseiling, jumping into big pools, getting lowered over waterfalls, sliding down water shutes, climbing down, alongside waterfalls and even doing tryoleans over waterfalls! This is 'full-on' adrenaline, not for the faint hearted! Some of the canyons are classed as extreme and prior experience will be needed.
The canyons we use are in the Lake District, Wales, Scotland, France, Italy and Spain.
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COASTEERING
Using coves, zawns, bays and sea cliffs, coasteering involves climbing, jumping, tyroleans, swimming, jumping, jumping and more jumping into water! This is great fun and is a non stop, adrenaline activity! The areas used are in North and South Wales, Devon, Cornwall and Scotland.
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CAVING
Caves are unique environments that are beautiful, awe inspiring and evoke many emotions! They present many different challenges depending on what you fancy! Caves come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from humongous caverns to tight, wriggly, squeezy sections.
There are muddy caves and some require you to wade, or even swim, through deep water. But, one thing is for sure, you will absolutely love it. The experience is indescribable but needless to say, all who try… come back for more!
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POT HOLING
Caving with vertical bits! Pot holing is caving with the addition of drops that you need to be lowered down or abseil down. There are so many amazing systems waiting for you to explore, such as the Easegill system, the biggest in the UK, at over 70 miles long!
Learn the skills required to look after yourself pot holing. Single rope technique (SRT) is a method of descending and ascending ropes in a vertical cave system. The basics of this can be learnt in a day so you can negotiate a lot of the Pot holes available for exploration.
Further skill training is available and self rescue courses can be run too. Here you will learn how to get out of 'sticky' situations, but essentially how to avoid them in the first place!
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MOUNTAIN BIKING
This is exhilarating, exciting, challenging, rewarding and will leave you grinning for a long time! Mountain biking is a great way to cover big distances through awesome landscape whilst having loads of fun, challenging yourself on climbs and racing down mountain tracks and bridleways.
Be guided on awesome routes around the Lakes; develop your skills whilst in beautiful surroundings! Day guiding or multi day trips can be arranged.
Trips throughout the UK and abroad can be arranged.
Trail cycle leader (TCL) and Mountain bike leader (MBL) courses can be run too. Call for details.
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ZIP WIRING
Zip across a 300 foot cable over a quarry full off water, 150 foot below. This is an unforgettable experience that you can do as many times as you want, forwards, 'superman style' and even upside down, hanging by one leg!
This is based near Coniston, in the Lake District.
The cost for this is £50/person, with a minimum of 10 in a group.
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BRIDGE SWINGING
Jump off a bridge, 120 foot high, and swing underneath at about 60 miles per hour! This is awesome!! Facing inwards or diving forwards, either way you'll want to scream!
This is better than bungee and far more scary! Again, you get to jump as often as you can handle!
The cost for this is £50/person, with a minimum of 10 in a group.
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RAFTING
Build your own raft, using barrels, planks and rope, then navigate a course around obstacles or paddle your raft to an island for a picnic!
With enough in a group a competition can be done with two teams building a raft each and racing around a course! You're guaranteed to get wet at some point!
This is great fun and can be done as a half day session so another activity can be done before or after.
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CANOEING
Paddle around any of the beautiful lakes in the Lake District or do a river journey and see amazing scenery along the way. Develop your skills or just have fun, there is so much to see by canoe, leisurely at your own pace, or actively down some rapids!
There is even the option to do an overnight camp on an island or along a lakeside or riverside, paddling a greater distance and living the dream! Boats can be hired or feel free to bring your own!
Prices - Activities start at £50 per person per day.
All activities are fully insured and all technical equipment is provided ( not included are mountain bikes these can be hired from location) Please contact for group discount.
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APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES
If you are thinking about a career in outdoor pursuits and want to observe an instructor at work, get work experience and gain relevant qualifications, then this is for you!
An apprenticeship scheme can be tailor made for your specific requirements, to focus on the disciplines you are interested in, to give insight on the full range of skills required to become a competent, successful instructor.
Starting by observing instructors at work with all different types of clients, going out climbing, caving, etc., getting lots of experience under your belt, you will develop your skills and soon be ready to get the qualifications you desire.
Within a year you could possibly achieve the following:
Climbing Wall Award
Single Pitch Climbing Award
Local Cave Leader Level 1 Award
Local Cave Leader Level 2 Award
Summer Mountain Leader Award - Training
Trail Cycle Leader
Mountain Bike Leader
Canoe and Kayak - up to 3 Star Personal Award and Level 2 Coach
There is also the possibility of a trip abroad on events such as:
Spain, Winter sun rock climbing
Ecuador, volcano climbing
The cost for this scheme varies on time spent, qualifications required and the number of training days. Funding, from all sources, is accepted.
Call to discuss your requirements, so a unique, tailor made course can be designed for you to get exactly what you need to start a new career as an Outdoor Pursuit Instructor.
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