Situated on Mersea Island on the river Blackwater near Colchester, our site at Mersea is Essex Outdoors' largest centre for outdoor learning. With over 62 acres of well maintained grounds we can accommodate up to 350 visitors in tents, 104 in cabins and 48 in its brand new residential centre.
Climbing
Climbing
What is it?
Climbing originated as a practical activity used to move up steep terrain, but it has developed into a multifaceted pastime over the years. It's now practiced as a sport, a recreational activity, for exercise and as an explorational tool, with many people taking holidays to visit naturally good climbing areas outdoors.
What does it involve?
At a base level, climbing consists of using either apparatus or your own body to ascend something otherwise inaccessible. The methods of climbing can vary, and often depend on the type of material one is climbing on, such as ice, nets, ropes, boulders, mountains, trees and buildings!
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Climbing involves a lot of movement, so is great for exercising the entire body! It also improves physical coordination and a whole host of mental attributes such as determination, spatial awareness and concentration.
What equipment do we need?
Trying out climbing generally involve travelling to a specialist venue or hiring an instructor to take a group out into the real world, so it's rare that you will need to provide equipment! However, you should always check with the provider beforehand, and its a good idea to make sure your students are wearing appropriate clothing for the weather and the activity.
Who is it suitable for?
The development of indoor climbing walls can allow young children the opportunity to have a go at climbing in a more suitably controlled environment than outdoors, but in general, all ages should be able to have a go at climbing!
Costs?
Taster climbing lessons shouldn't be too much per person, with a decent price generally between £10-20. Full day experiences or a course of lessons will vary a lot more, so check out the venues around you thoroughly.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
Indoor climbing ranges are reasonably safe with good supervision and medical assistance on hand, but going climbing outdoors could be riskier if you may suddenly need help with a student's medical needs - bear the needs of your group in mind when deciding what kind of experience to take them on!
How do we include?
There is a rising culture for disability within climbing, and many establishments now have assistance for those with physical and learning difficulties to help them have a go at climbing. Including everyone should be reasonably easy if you can find a venue that can help you!
Doing it abroad?
Mountainous countries will have more natural climbing areas than the UK - an outdoors foreign climbing experience will be exciting for interested students!
Main website:
http://www.ukclimbing.com is the main source of information for UK climbing, but be sure to check out individual venue websites for their specifics.
Venues with this Activity
Harlow Centre for Outdoor Learning is an intimate site providing an amazing amount of activities! Our non-residential site is situated on the River Stort just a minute's walk from Harlow Town Railway station.
We're Wales' Premier Award-Winning Indoor and Outdoor activity and training centre, set in the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park, Mid Wales.
Total Adventure Ltd, based on the shores of Windermere offers a wide range of instructional led outdoor activities as well as bespoke outdoor events tailored to your own specific requirements. With over 40 years of outdoor experience all our staff are fully qualified, friendly and experienced.
Our North Pennines Activity Centre, Barhaugh Hall, stands in 9 acres of grounds and is set amongst the rolling hills of the North Pennines. The centre is just north of Alston, in an area designated of 'outstanding natural beauty', and around 20 miles from junction 40 of the M6.
Our Ullswater centre, set in the heart of the Lake District National Park and on the shores of the lake, has easy access to Helvellyn, the surrounding fells, crags, ghylls and waterfalls. It is one of the original homes of rock climbing as a sport and boasts a wide variety of locations for any level of climbing.
The Manor is the ideal centre for school groups and other groups. It is well equipped to cater for up to 69 in number. Enjoy the experience of our adventure equipment in the grounds - there's something for all ages. You could abseil from the balcony, climb a crate tower or have a go at archery, to name a few of the activities on offer.
Ascent Training (Adventure Education Ltd) is a Lake District based outdoor activity provider.
With over 20 years experience of building climbing walls we specialize in the design, manufacture and installation of state of the art, innovative climbing walls, combining years of climbing experience, enthusiasm and manufacturing expertise.
Keswick Adventure Centre has been established in order to provide excellent, affordable outdoor adventure activities for all visitors to our stunning Lake District National Park. We operate in and around the beautiful Borrowdale and Newlands valleys and utilise the fantastic Via Ferrata Xtreme at Honister Slate Mine.
Our aim is to release the potential in people to achieve breakthrough performance through training, adventure and shared experiences.
Chris is British Mountain Guide, and a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Assocations (IFMGA) - the highest international mountain guiding qualification.He is one of the few British Mountain Guides with a license from the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, allowing us to provide guiding and activities to young people.
For two years ghyllscrambling.co.uk has been delivering the highest quality adventures and ghyll scrambling trips in the Lake District. We have the best kit, the most experienced staff and the best customer service. We personalise your trip to meet your needs.
Welcome to Summitreks Adventure Activities, where Summitreks has been successfully operating an all year round Adventure Activities business for nearly 30 years.
We have adventures for everyone and specialise equally in looking after those new to the outdoors and those with experience. We hope you can find what you are looking for or are inspired by some things you hadn't thought of.
We aim to provide a caring, secure and supportive atmosphere, with stimulating experiences, that will stay with our visitors for many years. Safety is always the first priority and this is always carried out without the group losing that sense of adventure and enjoyment, so important to all of us.
Situated on the eastern shore of Windermere, our Outdoor Adventure Centre is the perfect place to discover the Lake District and take part in action packed, exciting activities!
TQ manages and runs Humphrey Head, an outdoor education centre in the South Lakes, for the delivery of outdoor education residential courses to schools, the Prince’s Trust, National Citizen Service and other organisations.
Sam Sykes™ Ltd was set up to reverse this trend by delivering professionally led Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions across the UK and overseas. With over thirty years' experience in organising and leading DofE Award expeditions at BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD level.
In2venture is a registered charity (no. 518891) which has been operating across north of England for almost 30 years. We are: ”A Christian Community Committed to the Exploration of Faith Through Outdoor Activity” and have provided outdoor adventures for tens of thousands of young people.
Challenging Disability Through Outdoor Adventure
The Lake District Calvert Trust is a residential outdoor centre with over 35 years’ experience delivering challenging outdoor adventure holidays for people with disabilities.
We offer a full range of outdoor related courses and adventure experiences in mountain and water sports. Our aim is to give each of our clients a personal, high quality, safe and enjoyable adventure experience.
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The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
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