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Activities

From trekking to gorge walking, climbing to caving, our activities are designed to challenge and excite. Whether a residential or day visitor, choose your own favourites and we will design a unique program just for you.

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Adventure Trek

This is a fantastic half day activity, trekking up a beautiful gorge, past water fall, sampling wild food, seeing geology and geographical features; hunting for fossils, frogs and playing games.

Gorge Walking

A full on, adrenalin filled activity with slides, jumps, wading and swimming, as you make your way down Ash Gill gorge, one of the Pennines hidden gems. For those a bit more daring you could add in an abseil from the top of Ash Gill Force, a 40 foot high water fall.

All Day Adventure Challenge

Designed to challenge teams both physically and mentally, consisting of practical challenges that need team work and problem solving, while on a journey through a beautiful part of Weardale. This can be adapted to your needs.

Camping
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
    Camping by arrangement is available on our grounds. It is ideally located for D of E expeditions and training. We can also offer training for your expedition, map and compass skills, safety procedures, and general expedition skills, all under the supervision of a Mountain Leader.
  • Scouts, Cubs and Beavers:
    All are welcome to camp at WAC. Activities can be arranged to suit your requirements.
  • Camping Experience
    As part of your residential your students can try out on overnight camp and experience life under canvas in a tent, cooking a meal and toasting marshmallows. We supply tents, sleeping bags and roll mats. (There is a small additional charge to cover extra staffing and equipment.)
Mine Exploration

Take a trip back in time to explore a disused lead mine in the heart of the
Northern Pennines, lead by an experienced and qualified guide, who will take you on a fantastic
journey through time and geology, with a bit of adventure thrown in too.

  • Short Trip
    2 hrs of underground fun and exploration.
  • Extended Trip
    4hrs or more, challenging and adventurous trip into a large mine; visit the
    ‘Ball Room’ see a lot more than you would imagine.
  • Adventure Trips
    By special arrangement for smaller parties only.
Caving
  • Caving Taster
    Visit a local cave, try a crawl, have a look around and see if caving is for you.
  • Adventure Trip
    Try something a little more challenging and visit an underground wonder.
  • Big Caving Days
    Full on caving experience, a bespoke package to meet your adventure needs. (Takes place in the Yorkshire Dales)

Canoeing

Trial/Fun Session

Learn basic skills to manoeuvre a canoe, play games and have some fun under the supervision of a skilled coach on our sheltered river site, close to the centre.

Lake Trips

Spend the day canoeing on a magnificent lake, while learning new skills. You will visit the lakes islands and may even venture up a river or for the very brave make a cliff jump (optional). You can bring your lunch or opt for a BBQ.

River Trips

For those with a little more experience you can take a guided river trip and shoot some rapids. Our guides will give you top tips along the way to improve your skills.

Canoe Coaching

We can provide skills coaching for the British Canoeing 1 and 2 Star Award.

By special arrangement you can take longer trips/expeditions. Bespoke packages may include anything from wild camps to hotel accommodation.

Expeditions
  • Lead Expeditions
    We can provide lead expeditions, hill walking, trekking and canoe camping. Other activities
    can be added in along the way, such as climbing or gorge scrambles.
  • Training
    Provide training for expeditions covering: equipment, living under canvas, camp cooking and
    nutrition, map reading and emergency procedures.
High Ropes

We have 4 elements to our high ropes course that can be used as a whole activity or as
individual activities.

  • Jacobs’s Ladder
    A team activity, requiring communication, cooperation, physical and mental
    perseverance to climb a giant ladder.
  • Leap of Faith
    An individual test of courage
  • Balance Beam/Incline Beam
    Both a test of skill and nerve.
Kayaking
  • Trial & Fun Session
    Run on the river close to the Centre; learn the basic skills needed to
    get started as a kayaker while having fun and games.
  • Coaching Session
    Get ready to take your 1 & 2 star awards; these are multi boat awards in
    paddle sports.
Mountain/Hill Walking

Take a trip into the higher hills under the supervision of a Mountain Leader who will help you learn to, or improve you navigational and hill skills. They will guide you to the places that you though were beyond your reach and hopefully give you more confidence in your own ability.

River Adventure Walk

An exciting way to learn about river safety while having lots of fun sliding, splashing, swimming and playing in the river. A great way to build confidence for swimmers and non-swimmers alike.

Crate Stack

This is a great team building activity, requiring individual skills, good communication and
cooperation. Teams build a tower out of crates while stood on top, until it collapses, leaving
the builders swinging on their safety ropes; it’s great fun.

Climbing

We offer a variety of climbing sessions

As part of a residential you can have an introduction to climbing. This session covers the basic skills, builds confidence and team work.

We are able to use various sites and have a local site ideal for most sessions.

Introduction to climbing: this is a full or half day course, aimed at the needs of the group or individual, we try to cover all the fundamental skills to get you started as a climber on real rock. Our instructors will cover choice of equipment and fitting, belaying, movement on rock, holds tying in and climbing calls.

Raft Building

This is a challenging team activity using logs, barrels and ropes to make a raft; then the real fun starts when you have to test it out and can you capture the other teams raft. Sink, swim or succeed, you will have a great time.

Team Building

Numerous exercises, games and challenges to promote communication, cooperation and cohesion within groups. You can also select any of the other activities and our instructors could adapt them to involve team work.

Archery

Great on site activity, on our all-weather archery range. Test your skills as a new Robin Hood.

Night Line

This activity we like to keep you guessing on, but its great fun with a team work element.

Navigation & Map Reading

We will put a programme together to meet your needs; from a simple practical refresher and improvement session to a full course.

Orienteering

On site activity; just what it is, fun physical and frantic.

Tyrolean Traverse

Bridge the River Wear, high up on a rope.

Bushcraft

Shelter Building

Let our instructors guide you to new skill to build Improvised shelters. Stay inside while it’s tested with a bucket of water, if you dare.

Cooking

Learn to make bread and bake it on an open fire or cook you lunch. Our instructors have lots of knowledge and tips and will show you how to use natural ingredients.

Fire Lighting

Learn how to make safe fires using flint and steel and some other techniques. This session also covers fire safety and the law.

Bivouacking

Immerse yourself in the full experience; spend the night out in your shelter after lighting a fire and cooking your supper.