Paul Gray graduation message

1st year applied work at Plas y Brenin

1 st year applied work at Plas y Brenin During their first year on the BAHons Outdoor Adventure Leadership course , students spent 5 weeks at Plas y Brenin the National Mountain Centre, in North Wales. The focus of the first week was to consider the core competencies used when operating in the outdoors, and in that first week we kayaked, spent time in a canoe, rock climbed and had a day on a mountain. Over the subsequent four weeks, each group spent one week focusing on each of these adventure sports. Staying in the centre, the students also made good use of the climbing wall and rolling pool in the evenings, as well as attending talks from the staff at Plas y Brenin. Here are some of the thoughts from 1 st year students about their experiences at Plas y Brenin: “The environment was incredible as it allowed so many options” “The instructors that work with us are really good… they have a high level of experience” “Plas y Brenin allowed me to have an outlook i...

Slovenian adventure boosts learning experience

UCLan Outdoors student Jonathan Bradley spent two weeks whitewater kayaking on the River Soca, Slovenia, earlier this year. He was joined by around 20 first and second year Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Sports Coaching undergraduates, who travelled across Europe for a course designed to enhance their learning experience. Jonathan has kindly provided us with a blog about the trip: The Soca Valley offers stunning scenery: 2000m peaks covered in pine forests and capped with snow rise above the valley floor, whilst the River Soca winds its way through the valley like a turquoise ribbon, crystal clear and sparkling under the sun. We set up camp right next to the river in a small town south of Bovec, which would serve as our base camp for the trip. The plan for the duration of our stay was to paddle different sections of the Soca, starting with easy Grade 1/2 sections before progressing onto harder 2/3 and 3/4 sections of the river. The coaches that joined and guided us on the ...

Frontier Education Programme

The Frontier Education Programme aims to facilitate personal development and promote learning in the outdoors. Members of the SSTO Outdoor team deliver the programme for UCLan in a number of locations, including Snowdonia National Park, North Wales. The programme is primarily a chance for students to get to know others on their course and develop a course identity. It provides them with the opportunity to experience and really understand the value of team work and supporting their peers to achieve a goal. This helps with future group tasks or assignments, whilst also assisting each other with the challenges faced on their course. Students can explore ‘Team roles’, to understand what their preferred roles are and those of their fellow team members. Students also develop key employability skills including communication, decision making, problem-solving and leadership skills. Activities include canoeing, gorge waking, climbing and abseiling. Sports Coaching and Development unde...

UCLan Outdoors Division

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