Extreme Sport Activity Days
A range of quality introduction or skills progression training days.
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| Mountain Biking | Canoeing Expeditions | Power Kites | Gift Vouchers and Pricing |
Mountain Biking
Mountain Biking Skill Development Day
A day of challenging riding skills on purpose built off-road biking trails.
Tailored to suit your riding skills we aim to fast-track develop your skills to ride single track trails with speed and confidence. We assume you can ride a bike, can stand on your pedals while rolling forward and are willing to get muddy! Expect a full day of riding with a number of stops along the way to work on skills. We would also like to stage a number of photos along the way for you to remember the day.
Lesson progressions:
- Safety equipment and rules of the trail
- Coping with uneven trails
- Riding over obstacles with front wheel un-weighting
- Gearing selection
- Carving turns, cambers & skids
- Braking and coping with steep downhill trails
- Hops
- Getting air (optional)
- Basic repairs on the trail
- Dealing with first aid incidents
- What to carry
- Bike design, quality, what bike for you, how much to spend
- Personal action plan to develop your riding skills
Bring packed lunch, plenty to drink, rain jacket, spare warm layer, gloves and small rucksack to ride with. A complete change of clothes and footwear is recommended for after riding as the trails may well be muddy even if it is dry on the day. Quality bikes and safety helmets can be locally hired if required. We strongly suggest you book a bike in advance if you are in any doubt as to the suitability of your own bike.
Mountain Bike Instructor Award Scheme (MIAS) Instructor Courses
The MIAS mountain biking awards are recognised by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) and are NVQ accredited.
The level 1 Award allows the instructor to lead groups on low level terrain such as canal towpaths, country parks and non-wilderness areas. The focus is on safe leadership, navigation and basic riding skills.
The level 2 Award allows the instructor to lead more remote trails below 600 metres with appropriate navigation skills while riding. It also requires a personal riding skill level to cope with the safe leadership of groups on the many purpose-made single track trails such as the black route at High Lodge.
The level 1 and 2 courses run together, the first day is extended to fit all the necessary subjects in. It is 60% classroom and will teach level 2 skills to all taking part. Day two is a practical assessment and may include "real" clients. You will plan part of a day's route and deliver a lesson on some of the skills that are measured within the MIAS Award. You will demonstrate how you would deal with simple mechanical or first aid incidents as they occur during the day.
Detailed instructions on what to bring and what skills are recommended to brush up on will be sent prior to course.
Mountain Biking Expeditions
Expedition Welsh Wheels!
Depart Friday afternoon for Llangollen aiming to arrive by 10pm. Saturday will be a 30 minute drive to the purpose built blue, red and black grade trails at Llandegla. You can expect big climbs, big descents, brilliant single track and awesome scenery. The morning will be guided on the red trail (18km) with a number of short technical tips along the way. At the start point is Oneplanet adventure. They offer bike hire and the latest demo bikes if you are keen to try out the latest technology (advance booking highly recommended). The afternoon is a free ride choice. You could repeat the trails with more tips along the way, test a new bike or two, or take a 50 minute drive to Betws y Coed. Betws y Coed is an outdoor sports Mecca of gear shops with wide choice and competitive prices compared to the East of England. There is also a 2-4 hour biking trail called the Marin trail for the more energetic and competent bikers wanting to ride on their own and at their own risk.
Sunday is an 8am start back to the purpose built trails at Llandegla. We plan to ride the red trail with the option of one or two of the black sections.
Next we are straight to Cannock Chase just North of Birmingham (it is on the route back) to ride the "Follow the dog" technical trail. Expect 10km of intermediate technical single track.
Accommodation, food, bike hire, transport and parking is not included. We will endeavour to put people together to car share if at all possible and can help with accommodation bookings. Joining instructions will provide directions, what to bring and bike hire contacts. There is the option to meet up in the evening for a de-brief on the day. We would normally plan to meet somewhere serving basic good pub food and of course non-riding partners are free to join the group.
If you want help with carrying your bike it will fit in our van no problem. We can also offer a lift to one or two for a contribution towards fuel.
Expect:
- Safe Leadership from a qualified Mountain Biking Instructor
- Qualified first aid back up on the trail
- Advanced skills development lessons and simple top tips for those that want them
- Riding with like-minded biking enthusiasts
- The chance to ride 3 different purpose-made biking areas in one weekend
Canoeing Expeditions
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| Norfolk Navigation | Fantastic Finland |
Anglia Expedition. A two day fast-track to wilderness canoeing!
Expect a calm learning experience in open (Canadian) canoes suitable for novice or limited previous canoeing experience. This is the fast track to learning real wilderness canoeing. We will complete a significant journey through the East Anglia countryside and develop a range of canoeing skills along the way. We will not plan to cover capsize drills until the very end as an option! We will use our brand new fleet of the lastest canoes and this will allow you to try canoes from different makers and feel the difference between river runners, flat water or budget designs.
We will camp en-route (usually in our giant teepee) and look at wilderness cooking skills using both light-weight stoves and open fire cooking. Our training is focused on the skills and equipment needed for planned real wilderness journeys rather than imaginary scenarios of "behind enemy lines" survival. Please feel free to bring along a bottle of your favourite tipple to relax round a campfire and reflect on a quality experience. After all, any fool can be uncomfortable!
These skills will ensure you are ready and comfortable to safely plan and complete your own mini-canoeing expeditions in the future. You will also have tested a range of canoe types and makes and know what you like to paddle for the future.
Suitable for beginners with a real sense of adventure or some canoeing ability but wanting a personalised learning experience in a real expedition setting. We will not be planning to capsize on-route but there is the option to observe or take part at the end of the expedition.
Bring a complete change of clothes and footwear for the journey, another set and towel to be left at the finish point.
Fantastic Finland
Choice of two expeditions. Finland Introduction or Russian White Water. The adventurous could do both, back to back and make significant savings as only one flight would be needed.
Finland Introduction
Intended for people with limited experience of remote wilderness canoeing and your challenge is to complete a self-sufficient canoe journey of 3 - 4 days. Full training will be provided in canoe skills, capsize drills, navigation with map and compass, camp craft, basic foraging, fire making and open fire cooking. The route consists of a network of linked lakes joined by 3 simple short rapids. The rapids can easily be walked round, or paddled through for fun.
Mosquitoes do share the experience but don't like DEET, moving targets or our roaring campfires! It is about the journey, not the time. Expect a safe, steady wilderness experience with the option to run rapids if you choose, after looking at them. It will be a team event, everyone taking part will be expected to help with the team tasks such as cooking, foraging, fire building, etc.
Itinerary, 7 nights
- Ryanair evening fight to Tampere or Easyjet to Helsinki.
- Transfer to start area and simple campsite wood cabin accommodation.
- Local training day - capsize drills, fire making, expedition planning.
- Local supermarket shop, canoe loading and departure.
- 3 or 4 nights wild camping on wilderness journey, pausing at interesting rapids or good fishing spots.
- 1 night beer tasting in nearby town, or possibly Helsinki (3 hour drive from T) if canoe journey is without incident, head-wind or poor weather and we complete journey ahead of plan.
- Journey back to Tampere for evening flight back to Stansted.
Cost is expected to be £450 per person. You will need to make your own flight booking, (the earlier you book the cheaper it will be) and arrange your own travel insurance. A deposit of £100 is required to secure a place.
2010 is now full. Dates are planned for flat water week starting 23 Aug 2011 and Russian Border 30 Aug 2011. Please email or telephone to register an interest.
Russian White Water
Russian Border of East Finland. Expect grade 1, 2 and one grade 3 rapid. All rapids can be run loaded, empty or walk round! Fishing permits are available locally and from experience, the Trout are the size of Salmon. This will be a wilderness journey spending a ½ day at each rapid to fish, canoe play or food forage. All cooking will be on open fires using caught or foraged food to supplement a Finnish supermarket shop prior to leaving habitation.
Itinerary, 7 nights
- Easyjet fight to Helsinki, comfortable Hostel on arrival
- Supermarket shop
- 4 hour train across the lakes and forests of Finland, shared wood cabin accommodation on arrival.
- Canoe loading and departure.
- 3 or 4 nights wild camping on wilderness journey, pausing at interesting rapids or good fishing spots.
- Hostel and 1 night beer tasting in nearby town.
- Journey back to Helsinki for flight back to London.
It is about the journey, not the time. Expect a safe, steady wilderness experience with the option to run rapids if you choose, after looking at them. It will be a team event, everyone taking part will be expected to help with the team tasks such as cooking, foraging, fire building, etc.
All interested in taking part will be by invitation after a discussion of your previous wilderness or canoeing experience or perhaps an informal paddle with the Expedition Leader. Novice canoeists may still be able to join the expedition subject to sufficient experience within the other team members.
Cost is expected to be £500 per person. You will need to make your own flight booking, (the earlier you book the cheaper it will be) and arrange your own travel insurance. A deposit of £100 is required to secure a place.
2010 is now full. Dates are planned for flat water week starting 23 Aug 2011 and Russian Border 30 Aug 2011. Please email or telephone to register an interest.
Individually priced activity
Please contact us for individually priced activities
Power Kiting
Power kiting is a relatively new and developing extreme sport. Mastering of the core kite control skills is essential before you can move on to your chosen Power Kite discipline of surf, landboard, snowboard, ski or sand buggy. Initially you will be challenged by the skills needed to master the kite. The sport then quickly progresses to new challenges of maintaining traction (or pull) while moving, controlling speed and mastering Aerial stunts.
Power kiting is of course dependant on the wind. Too little is obvious, too much can be extremely dangerous. Your booking date needs to flexible based on us giving you one to two days notice of unsuitable conditions.
Your booking is for 3-4 hours introduction to the core skills needed for all kite disciplines using the best foil kite designs. The course will cover the following essentials:
- Where to fly, finding "clean" wind & spotting the dangers
- How to rig and de-rig your kite using quick-release knots
- Safe launching as a pair or on your own
- Understanding the "wind window" and where to fly the kite to find pull or traction
- What to do in an emergency situation
- Development of practical flying skills using a range of kite designs
- Overview of progression routes into kite surfing, snow, landboards or buggies
- Advice on the best kites for you to rapidly progress your skills, fair prices new or second-hand and what to look for in kite quality or design
- A personal action plan to rapidly develop your skill level in this extreme sport
We would also like to try to get an action photo of you during the day to help you remember the experience.
Friends or partners are welcome to join the day at no cost so long as you are happy to share kite flying time. This makes the day a 2 for 1 bargain!
Gift Vouchers and Pricing
| Current prices | |
| Code 1 | £75 |
| Code 2 | £90 |
| Code 3 | £220 |
| Code 4 | £220 |
| Code 5 | £250 |
| Please contact us for individually priced activities | |
| You can also purchase a gift voucher that can be forwarded with an activity leaflet. | |
