Family Adventure Walk Activity - Brecon Beacons

The weather across the Brecon Beacons has been particularly unsettled this week, with an unusally early fall of snow over the mountain tops! With this in mind, the planned Gorge Walking activity for today had to be curtailed and was replaced with a dry Gorge Walk ... a4adventures' very own Adventure Walk.

Two families from Bedfordshire braved the snow flurries and falling temperatures to tackle a range of obstacles and challenges on a 2 mile circuit around a forest in the heart of the Brecon Beacons.

The day got off to a bad start when we found the road closed for 'highways repair' but the activity started positively with a gentle walk up through the forest in warm sunshine and clear skies - the first of the seasons exoerienced in one day!

Once at the start of the Adventure Walk the group explored a long disused railway tunnel ... exploring as far into the darkness as their courage would allow, before carrying out a daring abseil off the top of the tunnel. This daring test of courage soon became an exhilerating descent as the tunnel entrance opened up and the clients lowered themselves down a free abseil to the ground.

Once the whole group bravely tackled the free abseil, we took a scenic stroll down the Taff Trail (with snow now falling thickly, and lying white on the surrounding mountains - the second of our seasons in one day) to the next challenge ... the culvert. Moving around to the downhill entrance to the storm drainage tunnel the family then forged their way upstream through the small stone bricked tunnel, manouvering over rocks, steps and waterfalls to emerge back into the weak winter sunshine and a hail / sleet shower - the third of our seasons in just one day!

From this culvert, and with the weather turning colder and wetter we turned downhill and through a field with a spectacular view of the Talybont reservoir and surrounding hills. As we neared the cars the sun came out again and the clouds drifted away ... the perfect weather for a celebratory bacon sandwich on the way home!

My thanks go to Richard, Mandy, Donna, Alice, Imogen and Matt for all their efforts and patience with the weather.

For more information or to book your adventure please see our website:

www.a4adventure.com

3-day Hill Walking & Navigation Course in the Brecon Beacons

Over the last two weeks a4adventure has been busy with an enthusiastic group of young people in and around the Brecon Beacons.

Over two separate three day courses, two groups of students progressed from complete beginners to being able to navigate competently with both a map and compass together.

Day One saw the group get to grips with navigating by map alone (identifying features on the ground and linking them to the symbols of the map - such as field boundaries, streams, shakeholes, slopes and rocky outcrops), plotting their progress by timings and by pacings as well as looking at the personal and group equipment needed to be safe out in the hills. After a few hours of walking and applying their new found knowledge, the group were comfortably navigating their way around the moor, and were competently recognising and identifying the natural features that they passed.

Day Two saw a4adventure increase the navigational challenge by delivering a session on navigating by compass and bearings. Once familiar with the layout and operation of the compass, the students embarked on a challenging (but ultimately achievable) orienteering navigation exercise in the Brecon Beacons. This saw them programme the bearings into their compass and develop their skills in following the bearings accurately. Once each student had shown sound ability to navigate on a bearing by compass, and was happy in their progress, the course moved on to develop the students ability to take bearings from the map and to then follow them to the target feature on the ground.

Day Three was the culmination of the training, involving a longer journey than the students had so far carried out as well as an assessment of their map and compass skills (as they then navigated unsupported for the whole day). From a start point at Blaen y Glyn the group worked their way uphill and around the ridges to visit the Memorial to the crashed WW2 Canadian Wellington bomber near Waun Rhydd. After lunching near-by, the students began to increase their personal challenges and skills development by choosing their own route through the landscape, and refining their group control on the return journey.

Well done to each of the students for their commitment, attention and enthusiasm ... and well done to a4adventure for booking such mixed weather - testing the students in a range of conditions and environments.

For more information, and to book your own adventure, please see our website:

www.a4adventure.com

Kayaking Activity - Brecon

Last week saw a4adventure and a plucky group of beginners take to the water at the Canal Terminus (of the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal) in Brecon for some games and basic paddle-skill development.

Two groups of 12 people took to the kayaks over two separate days in order to maximise the sunshine and to take advantage of team building through kayaking.

Throughout the four hour session the participants learnt about the boats, their history and their uses; how to get in and out (especially in the event of a capsize); and how to carry and launch the kayaks. Once they were equipped with the knowledge needed to be safe, the groups worked together to put onto the water, and in no time were getting to grips with moving their way around the canal basin.

The groups began to develop their paddle-skills through a series of short lessons ... and a series of longer games ... both of which were designed to improve not only their control of the craft but their confidence in the kayaks and their communication and teamwork with their peers.

The skills they developed included LAUNCHING and EXITING the kayaks, FORWARD PADDLING, STOPPING and REVERSING, and TURNING (or SWEEP STROKES). In developing these skills the groups played a range of games including TAG, BALL TAG, SIMON SAYS, PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE, FREEZE TAG, SKI SHOES and SALUTE THE ADMIRAL.

To find out more, or to book your own activity day, please visit our website:

www.a4adventure.com

Rock Climbing & Abseiling Activity - Llangattock Mountain, Brecon Beacons

Monday saw a4adventure meet two keen clients on Llangattock Mountain (near Crickhowell, in the Brecon Beacons) for an evening rock climbing and abseiling session.

Julie and Ben were two beginners with a small amount of prior rock climbing experience, but who were keen to develop their climbing technique, to increase the number of routes climbed and also to challenge themselves with an abseil.

Starting with a bouldering session (climbing sideways across the rock, but staying only a few feet off the ground) Ben and Julie were coached on their climbing technique - using their hands and feet effectively, utilising a range of hand- and footholds, and using their bodies in a balanced and efficient way. Starting off in this low and controlled manner also served as a warm up for their joints and muscles (we are very fitness and safety minded at a4adventure!) as well as for their confidence ... getting them to watch and support each other, and to develop their climbing skills before tackling longer routes.

Once their climbing technique had improved in style and confidence, Julie and Ben progressed to a slightly sloping rock face for some roped climbing.

By climbing a number of routes up the rock face both climbers were able to challenge themselves at a greater exposure, as well as taking the opportunity to begin controlling the rope to the other climber. After watching a4adventure's instructor Tim Jarvis belaying each climber, Ben and Julie then took full control and under Tim's guidance belayed and lowered each other off the routes.

Having successfully completed a number of rock climbs on the open rock face, the activity then moved around a corner and the climbers took up the challenge of climbing a chimney (a hollow, 3 sided gully moving vertically upwards) and an arete (a sharp rock corner / ridge) learning to utilise a new range of moves and hand- and footholds to overcome the different challenges of these new climbs.

With the rock climbs safely and successfully overcome, Ben and Julie then climbed up and out of the rocky outcrop ready for the next phase of the activity ... the 60 foot abseil!!

From multiple anchors at the top of the crag, two lines ran over the cliff and down to the floor far below. One of these lines was a safety line and the other one the abseil line down which our two brave climbers would soon be lowering themselves.

Following a lesson on how to attach and use the abseil device each climber was then clipped to the safety line (controlled from the top by Tim) and then to the abseil line. From here they were coached on the body position and technique needed to be stable and secure through the abseil ... before they walked backwards to the cliff edge, and then down the vertical sheer rock face.

Once down the cliff was not enough of a challenge for our duo though, and a number more descents were made before the dusk and a light rain started to fall and we retreated from the crag tired and happy.

For more details, please see our website:

http://www.a4adventure.com/

Canoeing Activity on the Gower

Last weekend saw a4adventure taking a small group of intrepid females out into the coastal waters of the Gower.

Just around the coast from Swansea and Mumbles, the group took to the sea at Caswell Bay and spent a short session learning to paddle and control the canoes.

After a few games to prove their boat handling skills (and senses of humour) the girls were ready to embark on a voyage of discovery around the headlands and bays.

Leaving Caswell Bay, the group paddled along the rocky shore, looking through the crystal clear waters at the starfish, crabs and fish on the sea-bottom. Stopping off at Brandy Cove, the girls then practised steering the canoes through the surf and into the shore ... with many 'whoops' of excitement!!

From Brandy Cove the two canoes set off for lunch at Pwll Du Bay, where the sun shone warmly over a picnic on the sand.

On the return journey time was dedicated to exploring the otherwise inaccessible shore and it had to offer. The whole group had heaps of fun rockpooling, exploring caves and zawns, and splashing through the shallows - I think everyones 'inner child' had an energetic day out!!

On reaching the deeper water off Caswell Bay the rare warm of the day was used to its fullest, and the group tied the boats together before abandoning ship and swimming in the translucent green waters ... a perfect end to a fabulous day.

My thanks go to Rachel, Zara and Toni for their efforts, enthusiasm and company.

For more information please see our website

http://www.a4adventure.com