Outdoor Activities in Yorkshire

Families - Groups - Individuals

All ages and abilities catered for

Guided Walking - Rock Climbing - Gill Scrambling - Navigation Training

Guided Walking

Yorkshire has several Mountains above 2000ft, as well as many smaller hills to explore. The most well known of them are without doubt the famous 'Yorkshire 3 Peaks' of Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside. Climbing all 3 in one go is a challenge taken up by hundreds of charity fundraisers and outdoor enthusiasts each weekend in the Summer. At other times of the week, or on a slightly different path however, these hills can be a great place to get away from it all and find a real feeling of wildness.

Our Mountain Leaders can help you explore these hills safe in the knowledge that you are with a professional, and one who knows the local area.

Rock Climbing

Yorkshire is well supplied with crags (cliffs) to climb on, from secluded limestone crags in the Yorkshire Dales, to the ever popular gritstone of West Yorkshire, down to the great gritstone edges of the Peak District. It is usually possible to find somewhere to fit all tastes and even most weather conditions! for those days when the weather really does make it impossible, then there are excellent indoor climbing walls to visit.

Our climbing trips are suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some experience. Many of the crags we use are in beautiful locations, well worth a visit even for any members of the party who may be more interested in picnicking, pottering and spectating than in actual climbing!  

We can take up to 6 adults or children at once (and can often cater for larger groups if given sufficient notice). 

We provide all specialist equipment and full instruction in its use.

Gill Scrambling

Gill Scrambling (or Ghyll Scrambling as it is known in Cumbria) involves following the route of a mountain stream, through the canyons and past the waterfalls it has carved out from the rock.  These limestone gorges provide some of the most adventurous journeys, and greatest feeling of wildness in Yorkshire. You will be taken to places that are seldom visited and that most visitors to Yorkshire never even know exist.

Gill scrambling can be something of a 'water sport' ! How wet you get depends on the choice of route, the conditions and also on your inclination... some may relish jumping in at every opportunity, while others prefer to try to keep their feet on dry rock. Be warned though that sometimes paddling is necessary, and is sometimes encouraged in order to avoid tramping over delicate plant-life. Make sure you bring a change of trousers and footwear. (We have a stock of spare boots that, provided we have your size, we can provide for no extra cost)

This activity is suitable for adults and young people alike, and requires no great climbing ability or past experience. Often it is possible to chose an easier or more difficult route up a section of the gill, depending on how much you want to challenge yourself. The gills we visit  are chosen for their suitability and it is usually possible to avoid any section you chose simply by exiting the gill and re-joining it further up.

Most gills will take an hour or 2 to scramble up, in addition to the time spent in the pre-expedition briefing, and in walking there and back. Gill scrambling can therefore be undertaken as part of a longer mountain day, as well as an activity in its own right.

Navigation Training Courses

If you want to learn to navigate, or brush up on your existing map reading skills, then we can help. The ability to use a map and compass is a key skill for anyone heading out to the hills, and can even be a rewarding pass time in its own right!

We want people to enjoy learning to navigate. Most of our training time is spent out in the countryside where you will actually be using the skills you learn. Where 'class room' sessions take place it will usually be over a cup of tea in a walkers cafe before heading out to the hills. Once out in the hills our routes are designed to include beautiful mountain scenery, impressive geological features and other points of local interest. We want this to be an interesting and positive learning experience.

We cater for complete beginners as well as those with prior experience. We also offer advanced training sessions for those who are already competent but want to take it to the next level.

In addition to our 2-day standard and Advanced courses, we can run 1-day or part-day sessions, as well as overnight sessions for those that wish.

We usually run our navigation trainings around Horton-in-Ribblesdale but can arrange them anywhere around Yorkshire on request.

There is no particular standard of fitness required to learn to navigate. Most (though not all) of our courses involve several hours of hill walking . However the pace is slow and there are many stops - this is about learning skills, not covering miles.It is also possible for us to run sessions which involve far less walking, or which chose easier routes for those that wish. Please discuss any issues of fitness or ability with us in advance - we welcome the opportunity to run a course suitable for you!

All our students are given a copy of our Lupine Navigation Notes, as well as a free Lupine Nav Card, making sure that you have access to the information you'll need in the future. 

We have more information about what we teach on our navigation courses on the the dedicated navigation pages.

Price

The exact price will depend on the length of the day and the location and type of the activity. As a guide you should be looking at about £135 per instructor per day