Gwilym's Adventure Blog

 I have just got back from a Lowland Leader Assessment in Lincolnshire. Thanks to Darren for working with me and well done to the 5 new Lowland Leaders who copes with some very wet and windy conditions over the two days. One of the best things about doing courses out of my immediate locality is that the candidates always teach me things about their local area.

Sometimes (not very often) I get to work close to home. This weekend I was directing a Lowland Leader Assessment on The Quantock Hills and Somerset Coast. Super hot 2 days with loads of information shared with the candidates. I love it when I am assessing and learn something new. Passes all round. Well Done

I have just finished a very hot and sunny Lowland Leader Assessment on the Isle of Wight. We visited coast path, woodland, farmers fields and downs over the 2 days.  Always good to learn loads from the candidates especially the local knowledge that they had between them. Just on the ferry now heading up to North Wales for a Mountain Leader course. It is so good to be back out doing what I enjoy and making good progress on clearing the backlog of courses.

 Another Lowland Leader Training course but a long way from the last two. This time I was on The Isle of Wight with a group of DofE Leaders.  Even though it was not the finest IOW weather, we had a great weekend and covered loads of topics. The courses all follow the syllabus but different locations give us variety in how we deliver and this keeps it interesting for me as well. Sadly the mole in picture 3 was beyond help but he was moved from the middle of a cycle track and given a suitable send off wrapped in a leaf

This was the second of the Lowland Leader Training courses I was delivering in The Lincolnshire Wolds in partnership with Wolds Outdoors. A wetter weekend to start but dried out on day two to give use some lovely walking conditions

This weekend was the first of two Lowland Leader Training courses I am delivering in The Lincolshire Wolds. It is always great to visit new venues and work with people who have good local knowledge of their area

 and we are off ... back outdoors and running courses This weekend I was directing a Lowland Leader Training course on and around The Quantock Hills for Wet and High Adventures Ltd So good to be face to face with people again and over the 2 days we looked at so much to do with the local environment, leadership, navigation and dealing with hazards. The diary is now looking pretty busy for the next few months

 A great weekend on The Isle of Wight assessing 4 candidates for the Lowland Leader Award . With a mix of hilly bits, forests, coast paths and farmers fields we covered the full range of terrain. Big thanks to Natalie who was out observing as she works towards becoming a trainer and assessor of the scheme.  Well done all.

 What a wet two days! This weekend I have been directing a Lowland Leader Training course on The Quantock Hills (yesterday) and Steart Marshes (today). With Storm Alex passing through, staying dry was not an option so staying warm was the order of the day. We looked at all things navigation, some leadership and lots of environmental chat. It has been a very busy week of back to back Mountain Training courses.

The weekend I have been running a Lowland Leader Training course on the Isle of Wight. With the theory aspects and post course reviews run online via Teams to avoid inside areas, left us with plenty of time to be out and in various locations around the island. 10 candidates working in teams of 5 with me and 5 with Natalie in completely different areas meaning we were in no more than 6 and socially distant at all times Certainly a new model to course delivery but not all downsides. Certainly some positive aspects to use of online theory which gave more practical time out and about. Working for Wet and High Adventures Ltd

On the second day of the Lowland Leader Assessment I am directing for Wet and High Adventures we headed to The Quantock Hills and a mix of open tracks and forestry tracks down in Ramscombe. Lots of birds seen today from Sky Larks to Buzzards as well as the usual ponies and sheep. Congratulations to all 3 Wellington School staff who passed and will be working with DofE students in the future.

On the first day of a Lowland Leader Assessment I am directing for Wet and High Adventures Ltd , the candidates (staff from Wellington School ) and I were in the fields around Wellington and saw the world's most useless gate (pic 2) and a group of very curious sheep. We were also lucky to spot a few deer (wasn't quick enough with my camera) as well as a few robins and finches.

On the second day of the Lowland Leader Training I am directing for Wet and High Adventures we headed to Steart Marshes and the coast to experience different terrain. Hazards were very real today with an electric fence across the path and a herd of boisterous cows on another one. Sadly a lot of the birds have now left the wetland are to head to warmer climate but we did see some Deer and a number of Lapwings. I am on the road tonight back upto North Wales to run a number of Mountain based courses.