Sea Kayaking on the North Devon Coast

It was great to be back out in the sea kayak today after a period of time out of it. 

Darren and I paddled from Ilfracombe to Combe Martin and back again using the tide to our advantage. We spent time rock hoping and assessing the coastline to deliver coastal adventure tours for the upcoming season with Channel Adventure. 

There were numerous varieties of of gulls as well as Oyster Catchers and the welcome sight of an inquisitive seal. 

The north easterly breeze made the start of the day a bit chilly and made for some fun conditions in and around the rocks.  

MIAS Level 1 and 2 Training - Day 2

Back out on the beautiful Quantock Hills AONB today delivering the second day of a MIAS Level 1 and Level 2 training for Wet and High Adventures. 

The whole day was spent outside covering the remainder of the practical elements of the course and the assessment of the candidates at Level 1.

Over the course of the day we looked at mountain bike navigation, warm up games, skills circuits, pre ride checks and PPE fitment and emergency procedures. The candidates were also given the opportunity to lead legs of the route, this meant they had to decide on the best techniques to use on certain parts of the trail. A great exercise to prepare them for their Level 2 assessment.

We also spent a little time on Level 1 terrain assessing the candidates to this level. I am pleased to say that all of the candidates met the required Level 1 standard and have development plans to prepare them for a Level 2 assessment in the near future.

MIAS Level 1 and 2 Training - Day 1

So today I have been delivering the first day of the MIAS (Mountain Bike Instructor Award Scheme) Level 1 and Level 2 Training course for Wet and High Adventures. The course is delivered over 2 days and by the end of the course the candidates hope to be assessed to Level 1 and received the training at Level 2. 

We spent the morning in the classroom at Cannington Activity Centre covering all of the Theory before heading out to the Quantock Hills after lunch to look at leadership techniques, skills improvement games and the remit of the awards.

It was a great day with blue skies, little wind and a great group of aspirant mountain bike leaders.

Tomorrow we will be on the Quantock Hills all day covering the rest of the syllabus and assessing the candidates at Level 1. 

Coasteering Training at Hele Bay

Today Alicia and I went along to Hele Bay in Ilfracombe to attend the National Coasteering Charter (North Devon section) training day. The day consisted of a low tide walk through of the venue looking at the jump spots and potential hazards, a pool session covering dealing with casualties with spinal injuries and the use of a throw line. After lunch their was a charter meeting. 

A good day that re-visited useful techniques and the opportunity to network, putting names and faces to the various companies that operate in the area.   

Coasteering at Watermouth Cove

Having started my new role at Channel Adventure on Tuesday 1st March the majority of the week was taken up with inductions however I did manage to get out on Saturday to take a group Coasteering at Watermouth Cove.

The group of 11 guys on a stag party braved the chilly conditions to take part in our first coasteering session of the year. We spent an hour in the water before the group started to get cold. To fill their time slot the group took on the challenge of the assault course and finished with a quick race in the surf rafts.

Thanks to Ben from Active Escape for supplying another member of staff and access to the cove and equipment.

Hill Skills course - Day 2 on the Quantock Hills

Back out with the six volunteer rangers from the Quantock Hills and Mendip Hills AONB services today delivering day 2 of their 'Hill Skills' course for Wet and High Adventures. 

We headed to the Quantock Hills today for a full day practical session which started and finished from Triscombe on the western side of the hills.

Todays route covered 18km taking in Wills Neck (highest point on the Quantocks), the managed forests of Cockercombe and Ramscombe and the northern commons around Black Hill.

The weather continued with blue skies and great visibility but once again struggled to get above freezing. This gave us the opportunity to look at appropriate clothing and the benefits of layering, especially during the 'movement on steep ground' part of the day.

Over the course of the day we covered the rest of the hill skills syllabus and continued to work on the basic navigation techniques. 

The day finished with well earned refreshments in the Blue Ball pub in Triscombe.  

Hill Skills course- Day 1 on the Mendip Hills

Today I was working for Wet and High Adventures delivering Day 1 of the Mountain Training 'Hill Skills' course. The candidates are six volunteer rangers from the Quantock Hills and Mendip Hills AONB services who are training to lead walks as part of their role.

We chose to deliver day 1 on the Mendip Hills using Charterhouse Outdoor Centre as our base. The day was broken down into a six hour practical session on the hill followed by 2.5 hours in the classroom covering all of the theory.

The practical session covered basic navigation skills, affects of weather in the hills, the hill and moorland environment and walking pace management. This was delivered while taking in a 16km route over Black Down, around Rowberrow Warren and through Velvet Bottom. 

The classroom session consisted of; a weather lecture, appropriate clothing, footwear and equipment for hill walkers and the use of guidebooks and the internet for researching good days out on the hill.

Although the temperature struggled to get above freezing we were blessed with a beautiful blue sky day with views as far as the Gower and the snow capped Brecon Beacons.