Shhh! Dont tell the weather man!

Unfortunately the weather forecast was poor today with strong winds and heavy showers. Fortunately the weather was glorious!
Sunshine and a gentle breeze were the conditions so two groups headed for the sea whilst the other group had a morning of climbing followed by a lovely afternoon on Llyn Padarn


Team two a little wet, but still siling!

 This week our group are using the week as a way of gaining independence from their parents, but also to look at leadership and teamwork. Here is the group leading  each other along the sea level traversing venue, with the instructor keeping a watchful eye on preceding's.


Helping each other along the Anglesey coastline.



Tough climbing or good photography - you decide.

 The group were really focussed this morning at Lion rock and were entrusted looking after each other and dealt with the responsibility well. After some fun games on the lake the whole group decided they would jump in of the jetty! Well done team good work!

Everyone jumped in - team effort!

Great shot!

The Happy Mondays

First full day for our new group of students here to focus on their personal development in term of communication and leadership qualities and using outdoor adventure to push boundaries and comfort zones.

Practicing on our purpose built abseil platform.

 Two groups stayed close to centre this morning and built on their core PE lessons to gain more in depth knowledge of orienteering. Lots of courses were done with smiles all round, but who won!


Abseiling at Blast shelter

 After the orienteering the group headed to a local crag for a bit of abseiling. Dizzying heights were reached, but all student's really pushed themselves and were rewarded with that feeling you get knowing you've really archived something.

Big smiles - but where are we?

One handed - very brave!

 The final group headed to the coast of Anglesey for a spot of sea level traversing.  They had some spectacular views but also a Tyrolean traverse to contend with. Not one for the faint hearted our young people really did have to dig deep to concur this one - well done team!

One of the visiting staff showing her pupils how it's done!

Mist the view

Today our clients were walking up a mountain called Yr Arran.  This mountain boasts spectacular views of Snowdon and the surrounding area we told the group. We did however, have to tell the group this due to how misty it was on the hill today.

What a view!

 A really enjoyable day for all was had although not very photogenic!  Here are a few photos from our team building exercises on Monday night instead.

Hold me!

Great team work.

Gorgeous

A very very gorgeous day today!

Yes you got it. Both our groups today went as one team today and the weather was far better than predicted. Never see anyone complaining in regards to that.

Quite a few members of the group took the adventurous approach to accessing the gorge, with a lovely 100ft abseil in. Whilst the others felt like they needed to work on one of their other aims of the week, and get a bit more in touch with nature on their way to spiritual enlightenment, with a very vegetated scramble down.

100ft abseil in, nothing to worry about.

 gorge in all its glory.

Lets not go swimming..

To finish the day off beautifully we did some more team challenges on the low ropes course and 'slightly' wet walk in the gigantic Dinorwig and Penhryn quarries.

Team challenges on our low ropes course.

Atmostpheric afternoon

This weeks group are a little older than last weeks 'squishies' and are in fact all co workers at a university!
This trip to Blue Peris has been tailor made to focus on the staff team bonding as a group and working together using adventurous activates as a platform for this.  Today's tasked were climbing followed by a rafted challenge this afternoon.


Great effort from this weeks clients.

This groups split up to head to two different crags this morning; Lion Rock nestled in the trees rewarded our clients with stunning views from the top of the climbs whilst the other half of the group headed to Union rock steeped in history and also boasts stunning views of Llyn Padarn and the Snowdon mountain range behind. 

Coming down safely controlled by co-workers.

 The groups were very focused and switched on this morning resulting in more climbs are more responsibility for each other given to the clients who did a fantastic job of supporting each other, both mentally and physically in order to complete the climbing wall  tasks and advance onto the rafted challenge.


Very atmospheric view down the Llanberis Pass

 The weather in the background of the above picture maybe a sign of things to come in the coming days but made for some very moody scenery around Llyn Padarn for our clients this afternoon. Equipped with little more than poles and barrels the groups  were tasked to build a lake worthy vessel.  Having learned from their peer review from yesterday they planned well and came up with 4 very sturdy rafts capable of completing all tasks required and securing the grid references they needed to piece the parts of the puzzle together.
 Well done team - excellent effort! But where are you heading tomorrow?


It's colder than the smiles would suggest!


Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

Yesterday was another beautiful sunny day in north wales and the group made the most of this with a rather packed day. Still working on their aims they were quickly sorted with all their kit and into the busses for some beach fun!




Queen of the sandcastle!

Upon arriving at the beach the first order of the day was to build a sandcastle in groups. This was to be judged by the teachers who did an excellent job.  It was of course decided that the instructors sandcastle was by far the winner, honestly...

 

Ladies who lunch.

 

After a spot of lunch an a rest after all the beach games the fires had been prepared by instructors and, with careful supervision, were lit by the students and ready for toasting some delicious marshmallows! The question is, how do you like yours?

 

Marshmallow roasting on an open fire.

But the fun didn't stop there. The group jumped back on the minibuses and onto the mainland to visit the slate museum.  The young people had excellent demonstration of the skills required both in the 18th century and still used by workers today split the slates. Even one of the teachers had a go!  After this the young people went off in small groups to explore this fantastic museum and learned about where the workers and their family would live and even saw the largest water wheel in mainland Britain!

This museum is free an well worth visiting:

https://www.museumwales.ac.uk/slate/about/



Back in my day...

After the museum the children finished their last day at Blue Peris with an ice cream in Llanberis.

The group have been a joy to work with this week and have really worked on their aims. Pushing their comfort zones was one of these and this varied from trying slides in the gorge to trying pizza at Blue Peris. Both resulted in a positive impact on the young people. Thank you for a fantastic week at 'work'!

Look forward to seeing you in 2017!



You scream I scream we all scream for ice cream!

Yammy Yammy Gorge Gods

Exciting day for our groups today exploring the gorge.

Despite the beautiful sunshine's rare appearance in the skies of North Wales today, we tried to stay mainly dry whilst navigating up the gorge. But don't worry we did of course have to pay our respects to the Yammy Yammy Gorge Gods.

All the groups were very success in working towards their aims:

push themselves out of the comfort zones, learning to live and work together and becoming more independent.

Lots of teamwork, bits of rock climbing, natural waterslides and hiding behind waterfall were all involved in todays adventures.