The adventure specialists
The adventure specialists
An outdoor experience that is exciting, empowering and educational
Getting outdoors and taking part in a hike, caving trip, bike ride or climb is a wonderful and healthy experience for most, especially those who haven’t had the chance to try it before. For many young people, taking part in outdoor activities can be the very thing to boost physical and mental wellbeing, as well as confidence in both taking on new challenges as well as working and thinking independently, and in a team!
We offer a huge range of outdoor pursuits, training and educational resources and assistance including:
Most of the outdoor venues we use are within a 5 to 25 min drive of our premises, and as well as ‘quantity’ we really, really do have ‘quality’ too!! Whether it’s the extensive Twistleton Scar climbing venue, or the magnificent Alum Pot/Long Churn cave system, or the beautiful mountains of Ingleborough, Penyghent and Whernside, we’re confident we have a venue to suit your needs, abilities and aspirations!
Here at Yorkshire Dales Guides, we are hugely passionate about outdoor learning, and investing in the future of our young people is at the heart of what motivates us. Outdoor education is invaluable to young people’s interpersonal development, their resiliency and most importantly to their physical and mental wellbeing.
Steph, our managing director (BSc (1.1), MSc (Distinction), Dip, MBPsS) comes from a background working with young people with special needs and mental health difficulties. She has a BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Psychology and a Diploma in Children and Young Peoples’ Workforce. It was working with young people, children and disadvantaged adults where Steph witnessed the truly transformative power of the outdoors and adventure in building esteem, resiliency, trusting relationships and quite simply the lasting mood boost of positive, empowering experiences. Therefore Steph decided to manage Yorkshire Dales Guides alongside her studies to become a Clinical Psychologist.
Mike (BSc Geophysical Sciences, MSc Exploration Geophysics), our operations manager and also director, is currently juggling his daily duties with a part time job as a senior geophysicist for a small, south wales based company, with whom he has been working with since 2008. He is particularly passionate about the geology and caves of the Yorkshire Dales (being a caver for over 27 years), and loves to pass on his knowledge to groups during local guided walks and caving trips – our ‘Above & Below the Yorkshire Dales’ tour is a particular highlight involving a half-day guided geology walk followed by a trip underground, to provide a real, hands on ‘3D experience’ of the geography and geology of the Yorkshire Dales! It’s fascinating and exciting stuff!!
More importantly, it’s Steph and Mike’s strong background in Science, which allows them to thoroughly understand the needs of academic groups when it comes to learning outside of the classroom, and we are confident that we can help put together an outdoor learning experience which is suitable for your groups’ needs.
Yorkshire Dales Guides also employ staff who are coaches, have BSc’s in Education, PhD’s in Psychology, are experienced members of cave and mountain rescue teams and whom are qualified environmental scientists, chemists, geologists and teachers, so we can offer your group a lot more than just a day out on (or under) the hills.
We also have our very own activity barn and outdoor education centre, where many of the indoor climbing and abseiling (on our very own climbing wall and high ropes facility), team building, and courses take place. It is also where our caving trips begin, in our specially designed briefing area where we can quickly kit the group out in the full apparel of caving equipment required, in a dry and comfortable environment, which is also equipped with 4 separate changing rooms for privacy.
Having this facility also means we have somewhere we can go if unsuitable weather conditions mean we cannot carry out the planned activity, so you can rest assured that your booking with go ahead with us and we’ll do our utmost to make it a highly invigorating and unforgettable experience!
Activities can be provided as half-day, full-day or multi-day programs at a competitive price.
We are registered with the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) as a provider of the Outdoor Discovery Award, with three levels of certification from 1 to 3-star. These are fantastic for introducing navigation to kids of all ages!
As a reference, Yorkshire Dales Guides Ltd is AALA certified (License L16433), holds full public liability insurance, comprehensive risk assessments and all instructors are highly experienced with ongoing training and CPD. On all of our activities we provide full safety equipment.
Also located on site is Hornby Laithe bunkhouse barn. Converted from original farm buildings, the bunkhouse occupies a private, quiet and secluded position right next to Yorkshire Dales Guides outdoor activity centre, and only 2miles from the town of Settle (5min drive or 30-40min walk). The bunkhouse is open all year round, and can accommodate up to 50 people (36 adult bunk beds, and 14 smaller bunk beds), as well as having the following features:
Yorkshire Dales Guides and Hornby Laithe bunk barn are also located very close to several other beautiful, and key locations in the Yorkshire Dales including:
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