Falkirk Community Trust - Adult Summer Outdoor Programme 2019

Adult Summer Programme 2019

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Welcome

Equipment

Welcome to our summer 2019 adults community programme. Whether you’re new to the outdoors or a returning client we think we’ve got some great courses lined up for you this summer.

From gentle walks to steep climbs, brushing up on basic outdoor skills to being assessed on a Mountain Training Association verified leadership course our outdoor instructors are dedicated, experienced and highly qualified in their sport and will provide an outdoor adventure that you won’t forget.

We have a long history of providing adventurous activities for the local population and beyond for several decades. Our adult community programmes have developed over this time to match the growing demand for outdoor pursuits.

Our modern and comprehensive stores have a full range of equipment for all of our courses. The stores will be open on the morning of your course for you to borrow anything you need. All this is included in the course fee. Of course you are welcome to use any of your own equipment on our courses if agreed with the instructor on the day.

Equipment list available from: www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/outdoors/kit-lists.aspx

Transport and Venues

Seasonal Highlights

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Walking

5

High Tops

6-9

Mountain Craft & Navigation

10

Mountain Skills

10

Mountain Scrambling

11

Rock Climbing

12-13

Trips

14-17

Paddle Sports

18-21

Rock and Water

22

Windsports

22

Training/Qualifications

24-29

Annual Planner

30-31

Contents Activity Welcome & Introduction

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All photographs by Craig McLaren except where otherwise credited

Falkirk Outdoors

Adult Summer Programme Information & Bookings Our office hours are: Tuesday to Thursday 09:00 – 17:00 Friday 09:00 – 13:00 Outdoor Activities Base Victoria Building Annexe Queen Street Falkirk FK2 7AF Tel: 01324 506846 Email: outdooractivities@falkirkcommunitytrust.org Web: www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/outdoors/ For information and to book a course please contact the Outdoor team using the above details. Before you join us on a course we will need a medical consent form completed and returned to us via post or email.

Payment can be made by card (in person or over the phone), cash or cheque (payable to Falkirk Community Trust) Full payment must be made before a course can be booked. Details of prices can be found alongside our list of course dates.

Please call us if you require information about any of our courses.

FORMS Adult booking form / Adult Medical Consent form / Booking and Cancellation policy can be found on our website: http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/outdoors/bookings.aspx 3

Seasonal Highlights • New progressive sea kayak coaching courses, guided days and overnight camping trips • Canoe High Tops expedition to beautiful Assynt • Isle of Skye scrambling trip to tick all 11 Munros on the main Cuillin Ridge • Camping trip based in Glen Shiel ticking 11 Munros • Camping / biking trip round remote Loch Monar to tick 10 Munros and a Corbett • Rock climbing camping trip to Carnmore in Fisherfield

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Walking

Senior Rambles All Senior Rambles Cost ÂŁ15.00 Our long established Stravaiger and Tryst rambles are for folk who like easy walking in groups. The majority of our rambles are no more than 7 miles long on easy paths with no significant height gain.

We try and walk local when we can but we’ll always chase the dry weather.

The Stravaiger rambles leave from Victoria Buildings car park in Falkirk at 09:15 every second Tuesday with the Tryst rambles departing from Foundry Loan car park in Larbert at 09:30 on the alternate Tuesdays.

Stravaiger Ramble dates 16/4/19

30/4/19

14/5/19

11/6/19

25/6/19

20/8/19

3/9/19

17/9/19

1/10/19

29/10/19

12/11/19

26/11/19

Tryst Ramble dates 23/4/19

7/5/19

21/5/19

4/6/19

18/6/19

27/8/19

10/9/19

24/9/19

8/10/19

22/10/19

5/11/19

19/11/19

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High Tops

All High Tops days begin at 07:00 Cost £33.00 Our days out on the mountains are justly renowned for getting to the summits by interesting means whatever the weather.

On a High Tops day you will tick either a Munro or one of our finer Corbetts, so you will need to have previous walking experience From the biggest Munro days to the most out of the way Corbetts we can take you there. Our days out on the mountains are justly famous for getting to the summits by interesting means whatever the weather. On the harder to reach hills we can take bikes if appropriate. We’re happy to take novices out but if you’re unsure how you’ll do on the day please call our office before booking and chat to an instructor.

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6/6/19 Glas Maol, Creag Leacach, Carn a’ Gheoidh, The Cairnwell & Carn Aosda

20.1km with 1360 metres of ascent The boring old Glen Shee hills become less boring if all the hills bordering the ski area are ticked in a day. This walk highlights the contrasting nature of the hills: steep and ridgey or round and turfy and with enough hollows to hold on to the snow.

25/4/19 Beinn Narnain & Ben Arthur

7.9km with 1070 metres of ascent Linking Narnain with the Cobbler works if we go from Glen Croe, thus avoiding the controversial vehicle parking area at Succoth. It can be a wee bit soggy underfoot but it’s a nice route. We’re not planning to thread the needle on the Cobbler’s Central peak during this outing.

20/6/19 Sgurr na Ba Glais, Rois Bheinn & An Stac

18.8km with 1580 metres of ascent Three Corbetts in a single outing usually makes for a lot of up and down. And so it proves here. Add in the nature of the ground in this area well known as the Rough Bounds and you can appreciate that this will be a memorable outing.

9/5/19 Meall a’ Bhuiridh & Creise

10.7km with 1110 metres of ascent If you would like to use the chairlift to ease your passage here you’ll need to make sure you bring cash for it and the coffee you’ll need whilst waiting for the rest of us toiling up the path. It’s a steep pull up to the ski area but then fairly easy for the remainder of the walk.

26/5/19 Beinn a’ Bhuird & Ben Avon – Bike access

16.2km with 380 metres of ascent – bike, 20.2km with 1180 metres of ascent – walk Biking into the remoter areas makes a big outing like this achievable. Doing both these grand Cairngorm Munros from Slugain makes a nice circuit.

7/7/19 Spidean Mialach & Gleoraich

12.3km with 1120 metres of ascent Good access from Loch Cuaich makes these two Munros a nice proposition for a summer outing. Cracking walking on fine ridges with amazing views on all directions.

18/8/19 Carn Liath, Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain & Carn an Gabhar

27.1km with 1250 metres of ascent We like to stretch our legs after the summer break and this round of the Beinn a’ Ghlo Munros fits the bill. Doing all three Munros makes this quite a long outing but very worthwhile.

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High Tops Tops

5/9/19 Beinn a’ Chlachair, Geal Charn & Creag Pitrie – Bike access 11.3km with 150 metres of ascent on bike, 14.4km with 1150 metres of ascent on foot

Linking these three Munros in a day is a lot easier with bikes to get in to the Ardverikie Forest area. The walking here is good, even off the paths. The track to Lochan na Eaba makes for a fast cycling approach.

15/9/19

26/9/19 Carn a’ Chlamain – Bike access

16.4km with 480 metres of ascent on Bike, 13.8km with 920 metres of ascent on foot This Munro is a wee bit out of the way unless bikes are used to ease access. We’ll cycle up Glen Tilt from Old Blair and then head up steeply to our summit from Forest Lodge. An easy ridge descent back to the bikes will complete the circuit.

13/10/19

Stob Ban & Mullach nan Coirean

Stob Dearg & Stob na Broige

13.1km with 1200 metres of ascent

13.2km with 1120 metres of ascent

These western Mamores Munros provide a nice circuit through some of the interesting mountain scenery Lochaber is famed for.

We’ll be going up from Glen Nevis.

Glen Etive’s Herdsman is a rock sentinel brooding at the end of Rannoch Moor. A traverse which takes in both Munro summits is a fine ridge walk. Steep in places but well worn with great views down to Glen Coe and the Blackmount.

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24/10/19 Derry Cairngorm, Ben Macdui & Carn a’ Mhaim – Bike access

17.7km with 1360 metres of ascent on bike, 15.5km with 1200 metres of ascent on foot This is a fantastic round of three Munros, one of which is the second highest in the land. Bikes are used to get to Luibeg Bridge, followed by an anticlockwise round to tick the hills.

10/11/19 Meall nan Tarmachan

13.9km with 870 metres of ascent We’ll traverse the whole Tarmachan Ridge west to east. This takes in Creag na Callich, Beinn na Eachan & Meall garbh before heading on to the only Munro summit of the group. Doing the whole ridge like this is a quality outing.

14/11/19 Creag Mac Ranaich & Meall an t-Seallaidh 9.5km with 820 metres of ascent

An ascent from the head of Glen Ogle is our preferred start for this round of two great Corbetts. It’s a shorter approach than from the village but forget about a path! All the bracken will be safely dead by the time we traipse up here.

28/11/19 Shiehallion

10.1km with 740 metres of ascent The last summer walk is the symbolic faerie hill of the Caledonians. It is straightforward but we’re hoping that some early snow has helped cover all the quartzite blocks strewn over the shoulder of the tourist route. The views from the top are justly celebrated, considering Shiehallion can be seen from most of the hills in the Central Highlands and beyond.

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Mountain Craft & Navigation Good navigation in the mountains is the key skill to learn and practise in order to enhance one’s experience on the hill. Our summer navigation courses are split into beginners and advanced courses to allow clients to book on to a level suitable for their abilities.

Beginners Navigation

Course begins at 08:00 Cost £36.00

12/05/19

26/06/19

04/09/19

Starting off with the basics like using the map to tick off features on a path, estimating timings of a leg of navigation and using a compass to measure distances, we hope to demystify and simplify the learning process by using a stepped approach to teaching navigation. This course is suitable for people who would like to learn how to navigate or are feeling like they’ve forgotten how to do it.

Advanced Navigation

Course begins at 08:00 Cost £36.00

25/05/19

28/06/19

13/09/19

This course is for hill walkers who understand the basics of map work and would like to take their understanding of navigation to the next level. We will recap all the basic skills including relating terrain to the map, measuring timings and distances and taking bearings; moving on to navigation strategies and relocation techniques.

Mountain Skills MTS - Mountain Skills

Course begins at 07:00 Cost £95.00 per two day course

22 & 23/06/19

28 & 29/09/19

The Mountain Skills course is an ideal choice for walkers interested in applying their countryside walking skills to the mountain environment. Ideally, participants would have done some basic hill walking and have a reasonable level of fitness. Skills in map and compass, mountain weather forecasting, movement through steep ground, planning and preparation, emergency procedures, seasonal effects and the mountain environment all form the syllabus of this course. The course is run in the main high mountain areas of the UK and Ireland. Our courses will be based in the Scottish mountains.

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Mountain Scrambles All Scrambles start at 07:00 Cost £50.00 From the Lochaber and Glencoe classics to the wilds of Ardgour or Arrochar, all the way over to the northern Cairngorms, our mountain scramble days are for folk who enjoy moving fast over technical terrain in spectacular settings. The nature of these scrambles means the participant should have previous experience of steep ground.

Pinnacle Ridge (Grade 2/3) ARDGOUR 02/05/19 The rough mountain of Garbh Bheinn makes a fine silhouette when viewed from the Leven Bridge or Glencoe. Come and experience what it feels like to stand on this Corbett’s summit after scrambling up its famous Pinnacle Ridge – a fine exposed route through some impressive scenery.

Cobbler South Ridge (Grade 3) ARROCHAR 05/06/19 Wee Ben Arthur, or the Cobbler, is a gem of a hill for the scrambler. The traverse of the South and Central peaks is arguably the finest on the mountain. The rock is sound yet polished by the generations of heavy booted adventurers. The South Peak is climbed first before abseiling off and onto the Central Peak, which is the summit of the mountain. Threading the needle is a mountaineering rite of passage.

Aonach Eagach (Grade 2/3) GLEN COE 22/08/19 Our summer outing to this most iconic of mainland ridges takes place midweek to avoid the crowds. Billed by some as the hardest scramble on the mainland but the moves are pretty straightforward if you are on a tight rope. Taking in two Munros, we start at the higher eastern end and then scramble towards the western seaboard.

Curved Ridge (Grade 2/3) GLEN ETIVE 18/09/19 One of the most popular scrambles in the Scottish Highlands, Curved Ridge has it all: great situations, lovely exposure on sound rock; all whilst following in the hand holds of many a great mountaineer.

We’ll probably go for a wander up Crowberry Tower at the end if there’s any views to be had.

Pygmy Ridge/ Afterthought Arete (Grade 2/3) CAIRNGORMS 10/10/19 A classic Raeburn route is on offer here in Coire an t-Sneachda. This is a nice way up to the plateau on sound granite, from where we descend to Stag Rocks in the Loch Avon Basin to climb Afterthought Arête, which is a bit longer but the same grade.

Sron na Lairig (Grade 2) GLEN ETIVE 31/10/19 The name of this route translates as the nose of the pass. It’s a steep pyramid of rock and turf which has a beautiful arête section high up. It’s a bit of a walk from the road but worth it for the views of the neighbouring peaks. If we take in Beinn Fhada on the return it makes for a great outing.

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Rock Climbing We have structured our rock climbing courses so everyone gets a course that suits their needs from total beginners to the seasoned climber. If you are in any doubt please call our office and speak to one of our instructors.

Introduction to Rock Climbing

Supervised/Instructed day - Ratio 1:6 Start at 08:00 Cost ÂŁ36.00

15/05/19

12/06/19

21/08/19

11/09/19

02/10/19

30/10/19

This is a course for beginners who want to experience climbing outdoors on real rock. The course will take place at one of our local single pitch crags and cover all the basics such as tying in, belaying and movement on rock. The course is suitable for complete novices or folk who have recently begun climbing indoors.

Rock Climbing Development

Supervised/Instructed day - Ratio 1:6 Start at 08:00 Cost ÂŁ36.00

15/05/19

12/06/19

21/08/19

11/09/19

02/10/19

30/10/19

This is a course for folk who have begun to climb outdoors and would like to get some experience of seconding single pitch rock routes. The day will be split between seconding and top roping so that vertical mileage can be maximised. This is the ideal progression course for anyone to gain the relevant experience to participate on our Classic or Hard climbing days in the mountains.

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Classic Climbs Guided Day

Ratio 1:2 Starts at 07:00 Cost £65.00

16/05/19

13/06/19

23/08/19

12/09/19

03/10/19 Our Classic Climbs, rock climbing days, involve clients being guided up a classic (occasionally esoteric) route. It’s all about a great climb in an amazing place. Venues are not specified because we will go where the weather is best. Example routes could include; Ardverikie Wall, Agag’s Groove, Savage Slit, Spartan Slab and Crypt Route. If the weather isn’t suitable to get into the mountains then we will head to a crag venue.

Because of the nature of multi-pitch climbing we require participants to have previous rock climbing experience

Learn to Lead Climb

Supervised/Instructed day Ratio 1:4 Starts at 09:00 Cost £45.00

15/05/19

12/06/19

21/08/19

11/09/19

02/10/19 Following on from our beginners rock climbing course, these days are aimed at folk who have seconded climbs and would like to progress to leading a climb. Skills covered include selecting suitable equipment, placing protection and bringing up a second.

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Trips Not all venues are accessible in a single day, so we base ourselves in the local area to maximise our time out on the mountains. The accommodation can range from tents, to bothies, to hostels, to bivvying out high on the hill.

19-22/05/19 Isle of Skye Scrambling Trip Starts time 06:00 Cost £270

We’re going to try and tick every Munro on the main Black Cuillin Ridge, all eleven of them, over this four day trip. This will take a certain amount of luck with the weather; we will concentrate on the harder to achieve Munro summits if time or conditions are against us. We will be based at Glen Brittle hostel which has all the usual facilities.

Previous scrambling experience is desirable as well as a good level of hill fitness.

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14-16/05/19 Loch Monar Circuit High Tops Camping Trip Starts 06:00 Cost £130

We’ve never managed to get into this area with any High Tops teams so we thought we’d remedy this by doing a complete circuit of all the hills surrounding Loch Monar. This’ll involve ticking ten Munros and a Corbett, a big round with 4330 metres ascended over 53km. We’ll use bikes to gain access to the loch up Glen Strathfarrar. This will add another 44km and over 850 metres of ascent to the total work effort. We’ll be camping in the wilds for two nights, carrying all our kit over the tops. It’ll be a cracking adventure!

We have panniers to fit our bikes but an expedition rucksack will be required for when we are on foot.

Day One – 21.8km with 530 metres of ascent by bike, 10.2km with 520 metres of ascent on foot After arriving at the end of the public road in Glen Strathfarrar we’ll cycle up to the Monar dam, dump the bikes and then proceed on foot to the Loch a’ Chlaidheimh area, north east of Maoile Lunndaidh, and camp.

Day Two – 23.9km with 2140 metres of ascent This is a big hill day. We’ll go over Maoile Lunndaidh, Sgurr a’ Chaorachain, Sgurr Choinnich, Beinn Tharsuinn, Bidean a’ Choire Shesgaich and Lurg Mhor then camp to the west of An Cruachan, a Graham we’re not planning to ascend.

Day Three – 18.2km with 1670 metres of ascent on foot, 21.8km with 330 metres of ascent by bike We’ve another four Munros to go over before getting back to our bikes and then cycling back to the van and heading home. An Socach, An Riabhachan, Sgurr na Lapaich and Carn nan Gobhar provide a nice ridge walk before we strike north to return to the dam and completing the circuit.

25-28/06/19 Fisherfield Rock Climbing Camping Trip Starts 06:00 Cost £275

This is a new one for us. The remote area north of Loch Maree has some fantastic rock routes. We’re going to be camping in the Carnmore area, which is accessed from Poolewe. It’s a bit of a walk in but worth it due to all the clean rock on multiple aspects.

This means we should be able to get on dry rock.

Previous rock climbing experience is essential as well as a good level of hill fitness.

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Trips 29-01/09/19 Assynt Canoe High Tops Expedition Starts 06:00 Cost £195

This trip has been on our wishlist for quite some time. We really love the Assynt hills and the water courses in the area make canoeing to them an interesting and exciting prospect. We’ll ascend Suilven and also traverse Cul Mor and camp on the shore of two lochs.

Everything we’ll need for the trip can be carried in the boats with us, there is a little bit of hauling boats and kit between the lochs so travelling light is definitely the best option.

Day One - Drive Falkirk to Elphin. Paddle Loch Veyatie to the Fionn Loch (9km paddle) and set up camp under Suilven.

Day Two – Ascend Suilven (6.5km with 800 metres of ascent). Pack up camp. Paddle towards Na Tri Lochan.

This section between Fionn Loch and Loch Sionascaig will be traversed by a combination of carrying boats and kit, lining unladen boats down burns and paddling the lochans (3km portage).

Once on Loch Sionascaig we’ll visit Eilean Mor and then head over to the “mainland” and camp by Clais.

Day Three – Traverse over Cul Mor (11.8km with 950 metres of ascent). Over rough ground to Bod a’ Mhail ridge, which is our ascent route. Then on to Cul Mor via Sron Gharbh, continuing over Creag nan Calman then descending to Lochan Dearg a’ Chuil Mhoir. This is a really remote spot with amazing views over to Stac Pollaidh. We follow the gentle shelf under Sron Gharbh to get back tour camp.

Day Four – We’ll do a tour of Loch Sionascaig heading north west (5.8km paddle), visiting points of interest along the way, to Boat Bay. From here there’s a short portage onto Loch Buine Mhoir where we meet the road and our transport back to Falkirk.

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29-01/09/19

20-22/09/19

North West Highlands Rock Climbing Trip

Glen Shiel High Tops Camping Trip

There’s lots of great rock climbing adventures to be had in the Assynt area. Over this four day trip we have options such as The Fiddler’s Nose, which is in neighbouring Coigach, and is a three star classic. We’ll probably do the Old Man of Stoer sea stack on one of the days, another classic, as well as having options such as routes on Stac Pollaidh or the coastal area of Rieff. We’ll be based at Inchnadamph Hostel for this trip.

The South Glen Shiel Ridge is a massive pointy wall of rock and grass which is high on most hill walker’s bucket lists.

Over three days we will tick eleven Munros, ten on the ridge and an outlier down in Glen Elg. The plan is to do the whole ridge over two days, camping high on the hill. On the second night we will stay at Shiel Bridge campsite before finishing off our visit with an ascent of Beinn Sgritheall. The cost of staying on the campsite is not included in the course fee.

Starts 06:00 Cost £295

Previous rock climbing experience is essential.

Starts 06:00 Cost £130

Day One – 13.9km with 1660 metres of ascent Beginning at Shiel Bridge we head for The Saddle, our first Munro, via Loch a’ Choire Uaine. Then it’s over to Sgurr na Sgine, our second Munro, before setting up camp near Bealach Duibh Leac.

Day Two – 22.7km with 1880 metres of ascent A long day with lots of fine ridge walking is ahead of us here. Munros keep coming – Creag nan Danh, Sgurr an Lochain, Sgurr an Doire Leathain, Maol Chinn-dearg, Aonach Air Chirth, Druim Shionnach and Creag a’ Mhaim – before we descend and take the old road round to the Clunie Inn. We will stay Sheil Bridge campsite.

Day Three – 7km with 1000 metres of ascent After packing up our tents we’ll drive round to Loch Hourn and ascend Beinn Sgritheall, a shortish walk but with a sea level start and finish. If we have the legs and the time we may head over and do the neighbouring Corbett before heading back down the road.

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Paddlesports Sea Kayaking New to our 2019 programme we are delighted to offer Discover Sea Kayaking. If you are interested in discovering what sea kayaking is all about then this is the place for you.

Grading Systems Grade A Relatively easy landings with escape routes easily available. Offering relative shelter from extreme conditions and ocean swell. Some tidal movement may be found, but easy to predict with no major tidal races or overfalls.

Grade B Some awkward landings, and sections of coastline with no escape routes, should be expected.

Tidal movement, tidal races, overfalls, crossings, ocean swell and surf may be found on these trips. They will also be exposed to weather associated conditions.

Grade C These trips will have difficult landings and will have no escape routes for long sections of the trip. Fast tidal movement, tide races, overfalls, extended crossings, ocean swell and surf may be found on all of these trips. They will be very exposed to the weather and sea state, therefore require detailed planning and paddlers competent in rough water conditions. The journey may require good conditions to make the trip viable.

Discover Sea Kayaking Start 08:00 Cost ÂŁ35.00

08/06/19

17/06/19

09/09/19

05/10/19

24/10/19 On a Discover Sea Kayaking day you will learn how to efficiently manoeuvre and handle your kayak in order for us to experience a coastal journey. No previous experience is necessary.

The course venue would be dependent on weather conditions although we would look to use local venues so as to best maximise time on the water. Possible areas could include The Forth estuary at Queensferry or Aberdour, Loch Lomond or another of the Trossachs lochs.

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Photo credit Marc McKay

Sea Days

Start 08:00 Cost £45

Firth of Forth

Grade A 22km 5/6 Hours

09/06/2019 Launching onto the Forth you are greeted with some of the best and unseen views of the iconic Forth Bridge and its vehicle carrying successors. Our journey will take us under the bridges and around the islands of Inchcolm, Inch Garvie and Cramond Island.

These islands are rich in history and despite being so close to Edinburgh there is an astonishing abundance of wildlife to be found.

Seals, porpoise and in recent times Humpback Whales!

Previous sea kayaking experience is desirable

River Clyde at Night

Grade B 12km 2/3 Hours Start 17:00

18/06/2019 This trip starts at the Glasgow Transport Museum and meanders its way up the tidal section of the river Clyde towards the City of Glasgow Riverside Campus.

Seeing Glasgow from this perspective is a stunningly surreal experience; as Glaswegians go about their business on land they are oblivious to the kayakers below. We will pass Glasgow landmarks such as; The Tall Ship, The Armadillo, Finnieston Crane etal. These landmarks as well as all of the bridges we will paddle under are all lit with various colours that shimmer in the water as we paddle.

Previous sea kayaking experience is essential

Maidens to Dunure

Grade A 18km 4/5 Hours

10/09/2019 This trip in the Firth of Clyde starts off in Maidenhead Bay. We will make our way up the coast towards Culzean Castle, the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa. This castle is now in the hands of the National Trust and has been fantastically preserved. The trip carries on up the coast towards Dunure and the less well preserved ruin of Dunure Castle. From here we will retrace our journey back to Maidenhead Bay. Around this time of year there is an abundance of wild life including; seals, basking sharks and all manner of feathered friends.

Previous sea kayaking experience is desirable

Bass Rock

Grade B 18km 4/5 Hours

06/10/2019 A trip around the home of the biggest gannet colony in Scotland; some 75,000 pairs take up residency here every year. This is truly a trip for the senses; seeing, hearing and smelling and the sheer number of ‘Sula Bassana’ (the Latin name for northern gannets) won’t be forgotten. The Bass was also featured in much of the intrigue associated with Scottish history.

Previous sea kayaking experience is essential

Cumbrae

Grade A 22km 5/6 Hours

25/10/2019 Great Cumbrae is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes. This trip involves a circumnavigation of the Great Cumbrae; home to Britain’s smallest cathedral with stunning views of Ailsa Craig and Arran. All going well we may also paddle round Little Cumbrae.

Previous sea kayaking experience is desirable 19

Paddlesports Weekend Sea Kayak Expedition Tours Arisaig

Starts 07:00 Cost £95 Grade A

29 - 30 /06/2019 Arisaig is a stunning village tucked away on a bend on the Road to the Isles but you could be forgiven for thinking you were paddling in the Caribbean; golden beaches, crystal clear waters and an abundance of wildlife. The seals number in the hundreds and often escort you around this paradise they call home. Basking sharks and eagles have been known to frequent the area also. We will spend the weekend paddling round Loch nan Ceal and the Silver sands of Morar.

We will camp on the beach, carrying all touring equipment in our boats.

Previous sea kayaking experience is desirable

Summer Isles

Starts 17:00 Cost £110 Grade A

20 - 22 /09/2019 The Summer Isles are an archipelago lying in the mouth of Loch Broom. Arches, caves, beaches and wildlife make this trip a sea kayaker’s paradise. This trip takes in the main Northern islands of Tanera Mor, Tanera Beg and Isle Ristol. This beautiful and remote place feels far from the rush and clamour of modern life. We will spend the weekend paddling round the plethora of islands, surrounded by all manner of sea creatures and wildlife. We will camp on the beach, carrying all touring equipment in our boats.

We plan to head up to the area the evening before the tour begins in order to maximise our paddling time.

Previous sea kayaking experience is desirable 20

Photo credit Marc McKay

Discover Canoe / Kayak

Starts at 09:00 Cost ÂŁ35.00

12/06/19

25/09/19

30/10/19 Canoeing and kayaking are sports which are popular with for a whole variety of reasons. Whether you want to descend a big river down challenging rapids or explore our amazing inshore waters or lochs our introduction course will set you on the path. The course will be run on one of our amazing lochs and is suitable for absolute beginners or people who would like a refresher course before going on to do more involved paddling adventures.

Canoe / Kayak River Days Starts at 09:00 Cost ÂŁ45.00

27/06/19

26/09/19

31/10/19 Moving on from our Discover Canoe / Kayak days these courses will be run on one of our classic Scottish rivers. The day will consist of coaching participants in the skills required to get the most out of their day on the river. On the day you can use your boat of choice either Canoe or Kaysk Participants should have previous canoeing or kayaking experience 21

R ock and Water Canyoning

Start at 09:00 Cost £42.00

24/06/19

16/09/19

From the dryer technical gorges, to the full on big canyon descents, we will get you up or down safely.

All our canyon days are staffed by appropriately trained instructors who have a passion for exploring the hidden away gorge systems. It is essential for participants to have a good level of water confidence for this activity.

Dollar Glen is our local venue featuring narrow gorge features with long waterfall drops. The Falls of Bruar is a well-established canyoning venue, which offers a bit of everything, big jumps, technical traverses and drops.

These are just two of the venues we use. We will always try to take you somewhere new.

Coasteering

Starts at 09:00 Cost 42.00

13/05/19

23/09/19

The rapidly growing sport of Coasteering is justly popular around the sea cliffs of Scotland and beyond. If you enjoy exploring our inshore waters we offer enough thrills like scrambling, swimming and jumping in to keep the enthusiast happy.

Windsports

Blokarting

Starts at 08:00 Cost £35.00

10/06/19

28/10/19

Blokarting or land yachting is becoming a popular windsport activity. It’s a bit like sailing dinghies but with wheels instead of a keel. The same principles of tacking, jibing and running with the wind are used to get the craft to where you want to go. It’s also great fun. We use St Andrews West Beach as our preferred venue as it is designated for windpowered outdoor activities.

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Alpine Guide Jacket – Dope Red

ALPINE GUIDE JACKET Designed exclusively for outdoor professionals requiring lightweight versatility in a durable package, the Alpine Guide Jacket with GORE-TEX Dope Dye technology minimizes fading from UV to improve durability while reducing the manufacturing footprint.

Mountain Training Scotland Courses

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Q ualifications

Lowland Leader Award The Lowland Leader Award is ideal for teachers, community workers; those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme – in fact anyone who wants to lead summer walking groups in lowland countryside and woodland.

As with all Mountain Training Schemes there is no altitude limit to the remit of the award, “lowland” refers to the sort of landscape you will be operating in, i.e. fields and woodlands where there are clear paths on the map and on the ground.

The training course looks at route-finding skills, an understanding of hazards and risk management, leadership techniques and an appreciation of equipment needs and the impact of the weather. There is an optional Expedition Skills module available for candidates who wish to move on to leading camping trips and supervising groups on backpacking expeditions.

Like other National Governing Body Awards the pathway to certification involves getting some personal experience, attending a training course, consolidating your learning, completing an assessment, and then continuing to develop these skills as a Lowland Leader. The length of time it takes to become a Lowland Leader depends on how much experience you already have.

We recommend at least three months

between training and assessment, and if it takes you a few years to feel ready, that’s fine too.

The Lowland Leader Award can be used anywhere in the UK when you are in appropriate terrain.

Candidates must register direct with Mountain Training prior to training – Cost £47.

More information about the award please visit the Mountain Training website.

Lowland leader award – Training Cost £125

06-07/04/19

22-23/06/19

07-08/09/18

16-17/11/19

Lowland Leader Award – Assessment Cost £135

27-28/04/19

02-03/11/19

Expedition Skills Module Cost £125

Please contact our office for dates and more information 25

Qualifications Hill & Moorland Leader Award The Hill and Moorland Leader award is designed for people who want to lead groups in the hill and moorland areas of the UK and Ireland.

This award is a wonderful opportunity to learn the leadership skills required to feel confident about taking people out walking. As you may have guessed from the descriptive title of this award, it focuses on non-mountainous terrain.

In a previous life this award was called the Walking Group Leader, and we think the new name better describes the award and makes more sense. This way, everyone knows where they (can) stand. The ‘overnight experience’ element of the WGL has been removed and we’ve created a separate Expedition Skills Module which can be ‘bolted on’ to the Hill and Moorland Leader (or indeed the Lowland Leader) if you want to increase the scope of your award to include multi-day expeditions.

Candidates must register direct with Mountain Training prior to training. Cost £47.00 For more information about the award please visit the Mountain Training website.

Hill & Moorland Leader Award – Training Cost £195

22-24/03/19

21-23/06/19

06-08/09/19

15-17/11/19

Hill & Moorland Leader Award – Assessment Cost £225

26-28/04/19 26

01-03/11/19

Q ualifications

Mountain Leader Award The original mountain leadership qualification is now over 50 years old! The Mountain Leader award is the benchmark for anyone wishing to lead groups in the mountains. Through a six day training course and five day assessment, complimented by your own walking experience, you will gain a thorough understanding of how to safely lead groups in mountainous terrain. This award is suitable for anyone wishing to take people walking in the mountains.

Candidates must register direct with Mountain Training prior to training – Cost £47.

Mountain Leader Award – Training Cost £330

Week-long courses 07-12/05/19

22-27/10/19

Split weekend courses

(over two consecutive weekends)

07-09/06/19 & 15-17/06/19 27-29/09/19 & 05-07/10/19

For more information about the award please visit the Mountain Training website.

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Qualifications - Paddlesports

Scottish Canoe Association Paddlesport Leader Award

The Paddlesport Leader is aimed at paddlers taking on formal leadership responsibilities in benign, sheltered water environments and aims to support Leaders to run safe, quality, enjoyable trips based on their group’s needs and aspirations.

Foundation Safety and Rescue Training

This training course is intended for all paddlers, coaches and volunteers irrespective of craft or discipline choice, and is available in either bank-based or boat-based option.

It provides training on key skills needed to operate safely and deal with common emergencies in a sheltered water environment. These skills then form the foundations for safety and rescue throughout British Canoeing awards.

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Q ualifications - Mountain Biking MOUNTAIN BIKING Formerly known as the Cyclists Touring Club (CTC), Cycling UK has championed cycling for 140 years. They promote all forms of cycling, protect the interests of existing and wouldbe cyclists, and inspire people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to discover the joys of cycling.

As well as supporting their members, they also play a prominent campaigning role, fighting to defend cyclists’ rights for safer roads, better infrastructure and legal protection.

Cycling UK offer a range of training courses that are designed to support groups and individuals to develop their skills in leading and cycling instruction.

Falkirk Community Trust have an accredited tutor who can deliver the following courses:

Mountain Bike Trail Leader Mountain biking is one of the most accessible and enjoyable introductions to group cycling. Cycling UK’s Mountain Bike Trail Leader course enables you to lead groups on gentle terrain less than 600m above sea level and without the need for riders to steer a path around obstacles.

The course includes tuition for your own off-road skills, and assessment of your new-found skills.

• Lead groups of adults, young people and children on rides • Manage groups with a range of riding experience • Prepare for rides, anticipate and minimise safety factors

Mountain Bike Leader – Night Ride Module

• Develop and apply risk assessments, operating procedures and dynamic risk management

Extend your remit to cover Night Rides the Night Ride Module covers the following:

• Provide fun, engaging and developmental sessions for your participants • Understand access rights across the UK and beyond • Complete and review rides, using selfreflective principles

• Night Ride Planning and preparation Night Riding Equipment • Leading Night rides • Navigation • Incident management Training ride groups for night rides 29

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OUTDOOR ACTIVITY BASE Victoria Buildings, Queen Street, Falkirk.

Tel: 01324 506846

outdooractivities@falkirkcommunitytrust.org www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/outdoors falkirkoutdoors

Falkirk Community Trust gratefully acknowledges the support of Falkirk Council