Gwilym's Adventure Blog

Wet and High Adventure reopened today with a NNAS Tutors course hosted at Quantock Lodge.  4 Mountain Leaders attended with the aim to increase their toolbox of ideas for teaching navigation and to become NNAS Bronze and Silver Tutors.

This week I have been at Quantock Lodge running a National Pool Lifeguard Qualification for Wet and High Adventures Ltd. A busy week with pool based and classroom based sessions covering everything from First Aid, Water Rescue, Legal Knowledge and Observation skills All 6 candidates (plus myself) who took the exam passed. Tomorrow morning I will assessing another group of candidates and then time for a day off on Sunday. Can't wait!

I have been out at Quantock Lodge today running a NNAS Tutors Course for 6 candidates who wish to teach the Bronze and Silver awards. Lots covered including methods of teaching orientating maps, contours, timing and pacing.

It has been a busy 7 days for me in my role as a Royal Lifesaving Society National Trainer Assessor and all things Lifeguard. Saturday and Sunday were spent in Porthcawl running the first 2 days of a split Beach Lifeguard Trainer Assessor course for 7 candidates from Newton Lifesaving Club. Monday to Friday was spent at Quantock Lodge running a full Pool Lifeguard Trainer Assessor course with a Level 3 Award in Education and Training for 3 candidates with 2 Beach Lifeguard Trainer Assessor Candidates joining us at the start of the week. They will finish there course in the New Year when we get in the sea. Training, Assessing, First Aid, Pool, Beaches and Presentation skills all covered and even though it has all been enjoyable, after 7 days I am looking forward to a well earned day off tomorrow. In case you are wondering, they did teach each other to make paper hats and tie shoe laces through either the "4 stage approach" or "whole-part-whole"

Today I was on the very sunny Quantock Hills running at National Navigation Award Scheme Tutors course for 4 keen and enthusiastic Mountain Leaders. With lots of activities through the day, a few inside but as many as possible outside in the sun to look at as many ways to teach navigation that are simple, engaging and effective. As always, these courses only work with all the candidates getting fully involved. Everyone got stuck in and as a result some really learning takes place. As is always my goal on these courses, I did successfully manage to get 4 instructors completely disorientated in a classroom. Thanks to Quantock Lodge for hosting us for the day.

This week I have mainly been running a RLSS Pool Lifeguard Trainer Assessor course with Crys at Quantock Lodge . With 6 candidates keen to improve their training and assessing skills we have happily sent them off this afternoon into the real world to prepare to run their first Pool Lifeguard Course. I say mainly, as on Thursday I had to go to Bristol and complete an induction so I can run the new Indoor Climbing Assistant Award coming in January 2019.

Today I was directing the first day of a Lowland Leader Training course for Wet and High Adventures Ltd . After a few hours in a classroom at Quantock Lodge , we headed out on the fire trails to look at navigation skills within scope of the award. It seemed to be a very busy day with mountain bikers, horse riders, the hunt exercising their hounds, walkers and dog walkers all seen as we enjoyed a mainly dry walk.

This weekend I have been at Q uantock Lodge running a NRASTC  (National Rescue Award for Swim Teaches and Coaches) for Wet and High Adventures who are a RLSS Approved Training Provider. Well done to all 7 candidates who passed following an independent assessment by Andy and Andy.