Us outdoor instructors tend to develop a set of venues for different activities that we become familiar with and know work. This is all well and good, but there’s always that niggling thought in the back of your head that perhaps there’s somewhere even better, or that might be better located for certain groups. With [...]

Birthdays are usually a great day, especially when you’re a kid, and it’s a privilege to be asked to help make it a memorable day. Today was Giles’ big day and he took the opportunity to bring some of his friends to the Adventure Rope Course near Shrewsbury. In total, there were 9 in the [...]

Each week during term time, I help deliver training to the Army section of the Ellesmere College CCF (Combined Cadet Force). My specific role is in the training of the Advanced Infantry for Year 11 cadets, that have already been in the CCF for 2 years. Each term we get to do an exercise on [...]

The Shropshire Housing Group spent today on the grounds of the Albrighton Hall Hotel, just north of Shrewsbury. This morning was spent indoors in self contained meetings, but they were allowed out to blow off steam during the afternoon with a team from the Adventure Rope Course, which conveniently happens to be on the same [...]

I actually got the chance to do some skills development of my own today! I don’t get that much opportunity, so it was great to spend the day on the River Dee with fellow instructor Colin Crockart. Colin and I are both looking to move our paddling qualifications further along the BCU’s scheme, and today [...]

Having spent Wednesday afternoon climbing with a group from Concord College, it was great to meet up with them again as soon as this afternoon for something a bit different. After being land based last time, we ventured onto the water at The Mere in Ellesmere in canoes for a couple of hours. I found myself [...]

One of the teaching staff at Concord College, just south of Shrewsbury, has been keen for some time to encourage the pupils from the College to get involved in various outdoor activities. In an attempt to see this get properly off the ground, he has started up a Mountain Sports Club which has gained the [...]

Today, I was part of a team that hosted pupils from St George’s Primary School at the Adventure Rope Course, just north of Shrewsbury. It was intended as a team building day, to develop relationships and cooperation among the pupils at the beginning of the school year. With 8 groups of about 10 excited kids, [...]

Both Friday and today, I found myself working at the Adventure Rope Course with groups from Harper Adams University College. The college specialises in agriculture and land based studies, and has a large foreign intake into the final year of many of it’s courses. As a result, the British based students have formed established relationships [...]

Today, I got to spend the day with 30 boys from Packwood Haugh School at The Great Escape. They actually arrived last night and spent the evening playing various games before spending the night in 10 man tents. By the time I arrived, they were warming themselves by the camp fire after a chilly night [...]