Gwilym's Adventure Blog

With an amazing forecast for Day 1 of Mustafa's bespoke Winter Week, it was all about getting up high.  With just enough time spent in Coire an T'Sneachda to make sure he was safe on his feet and happy in crampons, we made our way up The Goat Track and onto The Cairngorm Plateau to be greeted by blue sky low wind and sunshine. A little bit of a navigation refresher and a nice bimble round the coire rim before descending back to the vehicles. Working for Wet and High Adventures Ltd

 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.

This sums up my last three days. I have been on Dartmoor assessing a Silver DofE group as they moved from one shady spot to another via a few km of relentless sun.  Super early starts and sensible decision making to reduce the time spent in the direct sunlight as most of the shade spots already taken by sheep, cows or horses. DofE expeditions are meant to be challenging but this one was another level. Big effort from my team to successfully complete and I am sure the same for any other team out over the last few days (at least 10 I know of)

This week I have been in Snowdonia directing a Mountain Leader Training Course for Wet and High Adventures Ltd. There was also an assessment running so I worked one day of that as well. 6 candidates and lots of smiles carried us through a week of mixed weather. Now they all get to go off to fill up their logbooks with more days.

Out on a wet and misty Exmoor with Churchill Academy l assisting with some Silver DofE practice expeditions. I think the pictures explain it well!

 This week I have been in Snowdonia running some Mountain Leader  courses for Wet and High Adventures . I was directing an assessment but swapped with Stu for a day to work on his training course. A hot start to the week meant we could spend lot of time out getting stuff done. Always hard to do night nav when it doesn't really go that dark overnight. The last picture is of some amazing Lenticular clouds that formed over Carnedd Daffyd

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.

 After the SUP session I was straight down to Dartmoor to help out Plymouth College with some DofE groups. Sunny Saturday turning onto Showery Sunday (ok, not true, it was torrential rain).  Every cloud has a silver lining as the group finished early and Olly and I went boating on The Lower Dart.

 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 weekend of two halves working on Dartmoor with Plymouth College students on a Silver DofE training expedition.  Yesterday was wet and windy with the Devonport leat fuller than I have seen it for some time. Today was a drier and less windy day that even produced some significant sunshine for the groups to enjoy.

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