This summer we are offering a range of CPD for outdoor professionals. The aim will be to enhance our understanding of the environments we work and play in. Previous sessions have taken the form of a walk around key sites, with a relaxed atmosphere in between.

So far we have had approval to run CPD workshops for the Mountain Training Association and the British Association of International Mountain Leaders. Approved workshops include:

• Glacial Landscapes in Cwm Llwch or Craig Cerrig Gleisiad. Exploring the mountain landscape for evidence of the last ice age, putting together a timeline of events to understand more about why these classic corries look the way they do.
• Geology and Soils on the edge of the coalfield. The landscape of the Clydach Gorge offers an opportunity to experience a geological sequence over 105 million years long, from the Old Red Sandstone through to the Lower Coal Measures. There is sandstone, limestone, quartz conglomerate and mudstone to explore, each with a different depositional environment to interpret. These rocks outcrop elsewhere, in areas well known to mountaineers and cavers in South Wales. The moorland environment in the area also derives from some interesting soils, which are exposed near the top of the gorge and give a chance to talk about how they form and how that effects upland ecology.
• Limestone geology using the landscape around Ystradfellte in Waterfall Country to explore the effect of the limestone above and below ground. There are some classic karstic features to explore and the opportunity to look at cave formation.
• Upland/moorland ecology. The Blorenge is a great place to investigate the assemblage of flora found on moorland and how soil conditions affect the plants you find growing there. The knowledge of what grows where will help greatly with route selection across moorland, as well as providing plenty of interesting topics of conversation.
• River geomorphology and ecology. The Caerfanell is a river we use a lot with groups, and has some great landforms and features to discuss. It’s also teaming with life. This workshop explores the development of the features we find there and how and why invertebrate life varies around the catchment.
• In future we are looking at a workshop in the West of the National Park around Llyny Fan Fach, and may explore the possibility of investigating the geology of the Silurian/Devonian around the northern edge of the Black Mountains.

These courses could also lend themselves to general interest courses for adults, contact us if you are interested in a guided walk or adult group session.

There is also potential for bushcraft courses for adults, looking at fire-lighting & cooking, foraging, pioneering (building with poles and string/rope), shelter-building, and knife and axe skills.

In the past we have also offered residentials for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award, which could make a return.

Feedback

Some of the participants in previous workshops have been kind enough to allow me to share their feedback, see testimonials for their full reviews:

Jane Wood: “Stephen brought the landscape to life by visualisation of the transformations over hundreds of thousands of years. Complex topic depicted in a very relatable way.”

Ingrid Lohr: “Stephen is really good at making the theory come to life in the hills.” “Stephen sure knows how to explain complex context in a way that is easily seen in nature. It was the second course I took on that topic with him and I wil be happy to book a third.”

Richard Batchelor: “Excellent workshop / course. The balance between learning / talking / exploration excellent. Highly knowledgeable leader with very good empathy with the range of attendees. Would recomend – enhanced personal knowledge and the ability to read the landscape with reference to its glacial history.”

“…the leadership of the group was fully inclusive and empathetic – everyone was valued and therefore felt free to make contributions to the discussions. The personal care of the individuals within the group was exemplary, no-one was felt to be outside their comfort zone, either physical on the short ‘hard’ climbs or, in relation to their prior knowledge of the course content. Quiet group management was highly affective and non intrusive. It was an excellent mountain day for this alone. Secondly, the course content, personal knowledge and delivery of the course director was highly impressive. The detailed knowledge of both glacial processes and the interaction of these processes within a complex landform environment meant that old personal knowledge was consolidated, new understanding developed…“

Matthew Soanes: “It was great to have a day out in the Beacons, and even better to combine this with something different – learning all about glaciation and the formation of the Beacons landscape. Stephen clearly has a real depth of knowledge in this area.”

Gabriel Yates: “Excellent course led by a very knowledgeable instructor. Friendly and informative.”

Thanks for sharing, and allowing us to use this valuable feedback!