Gwilym's Adventure Blog

Today I was out with Plymouth College students at Sheep's Tor on Dartmoor masking the most of the Indian Summer and enjoying some cragging in the sun. Had camera on wrong mode today so no good pictures

Back out with Bridgwater College students today on the canal looking at 2 star skills. Today we had a paddle down the the docks and enjoyed the company of a couple of young swans and a load of ducks. Fantastic weather today. The indian summer is truely here.

Today I was working for Bridgwater College with another Coasteering group at Anstey's Cove in Torbay. Another stunning day with all 9 students taking an active part in the session. Thanks to Jay and Andy for their assistance with the group. We saw a Rat today running along the rocks abover the water line. I believe it to be a Brown Rat.

After a couple of days working at Plymouth College I got out onto the moor on Friday with Year 7 students walking around Crazywell Pool and onto the bunkhouse for evening entertainment. Saturday and Sunday I was back out on the moor working for Andy Holborn running a WGL Training course.

Working with Bridgwater College students again today out on the Bridgwater Canal. This was day 1 of a 9 week paddlesport course, Today we looked at forward paddling, turning, stopping and getting in and out at various diffent access points. The weather was fine today though as we finished with capsize drills everybody ended up wet anyway.

Thanks to John at Bridgwater Trailers I now have a bespoke kayak cage trailer with sides that fold in half. It can be configured to carry either 4 (at half height) or 8 (at full height). Though not designed for it I have just discovered it carries 9. Whoopee! It can also be used with the sides removed and take a canoe tree for canoes or sea kayaks.

Back working for Bridgwater College today and I headed off to Torbay with 13 students. With the assistance of Dan and Andy we had a great 2 hour Coasteering session in Anstey's Cove. We got away with the weather with the rain not coming in until we were back in the bus. All the students did well taking part in all the challenges including jumps and a sump.

I left school with 15 year 7's, 2 prefects and 4 staff on Friday afternoon for a walk across the moor into our Bunkhouse just south of Princetown. After some afternoon activities, a night line, campfire and a good nights sleep we were back out on the moor this morning walking back to the buses before heading back to school. The weather was good for us with only a few scattered (but heavy) showers.

After a week of being indoors apart from a quick visit to Dart Rock Climbing wall with a group and a session on bike skills I was suffering with Cabin Fever so Jay and I decided that the only sensible ting to do was go climbing. This decision however was made at 9pm so it was off to the Dewerstone in the dark and quick ascents of Mucky Gully D and Pinnacle Buttress Direct HS 4a It proved to be a good choice as it was a clear night and very pleasant.

Today I had a family group out paddling in Kayaks on Bridgwater Canal. Yesterday they had been out with Dan for a day in Open Canoes. It was good weather and all 3 had good basic skills from previous kayak trips. We we able to improve on those skills and the end result was 2 Star certificates all round. Well done!

Today I was at a MLTE Course Director workshop on Dartmoor. As I direct WGL training and assessment courses I need to attend these courses on a regular basis. The morning was classroom based and then we got out and about on the moor looking at the history, archology and tin mining areas. The weather was the usual wet and misty that you expect on Dartmoor.

This week I have started work as Head of Outdoor Education at Plymouth College. So far it has been a week of meetings and paperwork with only a 30min Mountain Bike blast around Central Park to keep me sane. I am hoping this won't continue for too long as I am dying to get outside again.