Land

Mountain Walking

Here in Snowdonia National Park we are lucky to have some of the biggest and best mountains in the UK on our doorstep. This means that we can choose the mountain that we climb depending on the needs and abilities of our groups, and gives us the opportunity to tailor the day to your desired outcomes, from learning to read a map to discovering how the weather changes in a mountain environment. In the summer months we also offer a mountain expedition for secondary age children, giving groups the chance to spend a night out wild camping as well and seeing another side of the mountain environment. See our expedition section for more information.

Hill Trail

We are very proud of our ability to offer this activity; The Hill Trail gives our groups the opportunity to take on an independent challenge. They are thoroughly briefed on map reading and decision-making skills, and then set off on an unaccompanied walk in the hills around Bala, with their ultimate aim to make it back to the centre. This activity gives our groups the chance to test out the skills that they have learnt during the week, as well as giving them an opportunity to face a challenge independently while being supported remotely by our centre staff. This activity easily fits within the scope of the geography curriculum to use and follow directions from a map.

Orienteering

Orienteering is a competitive activity that requires you to follow a map to certain points, visiting all points on the course in as quick a time as possible. We use orienteering as an activity as a chance to teach map reading skills, but also encourage groups to think about strategy, fitness, and teamwork skills.

Bushcraft / shelter building

A short walk from the centre we have a forest area that is perfect for setting shelter building and bushcraft activities.

For more information on how shelter building can be linked to the curriculum, click here.

Mountain biking

Within the surrounding area there are trail centres that we can use to run mountain biking sessions. This activity is suitable for smaller groups and incurs an additional fee.