Archives: Activities

Scottish winter mountain walking

Scottish winter mountain walking

We love spending time in the Scottish highlands, especially in the winter time. We offer guided days out in the snowy Cairngorm mountains between December and April. Our team can show you how to use winter equipment such as an ice axe and crampons, some top tips for winter navigation, emergency winter shelter building and avalanche awareness skills. Or you can let us make all the decisions and guide you around some or our favourite mountain days and make the best of the weather and snow conditions.

£220 per day for up to 6 people, based on 2 to 5 days. For a bespoke winter mountain walking trip book now

If you’ve got some experience of winter walking or climbing, why not keep you’re skills up to date and join us for one of our winter refresher days? We’ll cover a wide range of winter top tips to keep you safe and make the best of you’re time in the mountains, including;

Avalanche knowledge, avoidance and rescue techniques.

Winter navigation skills, using map, compass, GPS and phone apps.

Emergency shelter options.

Use of winter kit, ice axe, crampons etc.

Practical on the hill decision making.

Lots of winter top tips from our instructors.

 

Guided mountain walking in the Lake District and Snowdonia

Guided mountain walking in the Lake District and Snowdonia

These beautiful mountain areas are justifiably popular with all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. We can show you the best routes up stunning mountains and get away from the crowds on the tourist trails, we can also show you how to choose the best routes and navigate your way round them. Our team love these places and can share their knowledge of the geology, flora and fauna and history of the places you visit. You could also throw in a night wild camping to add to the adventure!

£180 per day for up to 6 people, courses and guided trips between 2 and 5 days. Additional £100 for wild camping night.  Book now

Learn to navigate in a day

Learn to navigate in a day

Visiting some beautiful parts of Dartmoor, we’ll cover all aspects of hill and mountain navigation using maps, compasses and GPS devices to choose great routes and enjoy the outdoors in safety, on foot or mountain bike!

£130 for up to 4 people  Book now

£160 for up to 8 people. Book now

 

Dartmoor’s classic walks weekend

Dartmoor’s classic walks weekend

Our team know Dartmoor really well and can choose great walks for you to enjoy, whatever your ability, experience or fitness level. You’ll experience wild hill tops, rocky Tors, beautiful wooded valleys and the best cafes and pub stops!

We run 2 day trips and aim to walk around 15 miles per day through wild moorland, so you will need a reasonable level of fitness to get the most out of these trips. If you are in any doubt please give us a call before booking. Please contact us to find a suitable date.

Alternatively we can create a bespoke trip for you and your friends and family.

Costs include all instruction and guiding from our expert team. We can recommend excellent accommodation providers including campsite, bunkhouse, b&b and hotel. If you don’t plan to come by car, we may be able to pick you up from accommodation, this must be arranged at the time of booking.

Take a look at our Instagram page for lots of photos of Dartmoor and previous walking trips.

Family and friends adventures

Family and friends adventures

Fancy an awesome day out with your family or friends? Explore Dartmoor or the South Devon coast like you’ve never seen it before with a guided day climbing, scrambling or hill walking with us! Learn about the nature and history of the area while having an exciting adventure, no two days are the same. All equipment and professional instruction are provided, all you need are lots of energy and enthusiasm!

Here are a few classic options for you to choose from-

Hound Tor rock adventure day. We’ll meet at the climbers paradise of Hound Tor on Dartmoor, home to some classic climbs of all grades suitable for beginners and experts. your day could involve some rock climbing, abseiling (lowering yourself down a cliff), bouldering (climbing moves, low enough not to need ropes), a spot of weasling (a unique Devonian activity involving wriggling through holes and gaps in rocks, sounds weird but its really fun) and the world famous Greator ridge scramble.

2021 price £140 per group for up to 6 people.  Book now

Guided Dartmoor day out. Meeting at Haytor, one of Dartmoor’s most famous spots and best views, we’ll head out on foot across the moors, quickly getting away from the crowds and off the beaten track to explore high, rocky tors and beautiful wooded valleys. You’ll learn the basics of navigating with a map and compass, how to look after yourself and survive in the outdoors and lots about local history and nature. Maybe even a spot of foraging for wild foods! All under the care of our full time professional instructors.

2021 price £140 per group for up to 6 people.  Book now

South Devon coast adventure day. The rugged stretch of coast line between Dartmouth and Plymouth is one of the most beautiful in the world, and is always a popular destination for visitors to the area. We will take you to places that the average tourist doesn’t get to see, rocky headlands and isolated coves and beaches. With lots of local knowledge about the wildlife and history, we’ll also make sure you stay safe around the cliffs, rivers and sea. Not forgetting the best cafes, ice creams and pubs in the area.

2021 price £140 per group for up to 12 people.  Book now

 

Don’t see exactly what you want here? No problem. Get in touch and we can arrange your ideal day out.

Schools and young peoples groups

Schools and young peoples groups

At Granite Trails, we know that adventurous activities can be extremely beneficial to a young persons upbringing. They can improve confidence, physical and mental health, ability to work with others and inspire lifelong love and respect for the outdoor environment. This is particularly relevant to young people who don’t participate often in traditional games and sports.

Our approach to working with young people is simple. Experienced and well qualified staff, who will help young people to realise their potential in fantastic places.

We can offer a wide range of activities including;

Dartmoor rock adventure day. We’ll head out to the climbers paradise of Dartmoor, home to some classic climbs of all grades suitable for beginners and experts. your day could involve some rock climbing, abseiling (lowering yourself down a cliff), bouldering (climbing hard moves, low enough not to need ropes), a spot of weasling (a unique Devonian activity involving wriggling through holes and gaps in rocks, sounds weird but its really fun) and the world famous Greator ridge scramble. Book now

Wild camp night out. Dartmoor is brilliant for wild camping and we know all the best spots! This can be a real taste of adventure for people of all ages, from primary school to a staff training trip. We will provide everything you need including tents, stoves, roll mats, torches and even sleeping bags if you need them. We can also include a night hike out on to the moors with a few local legends, just to make sure everyone sleeps well, we can also sort out food to cook out on camp stoves for dinner and breakfast. Book now

Support for Duke of Edinburgh award and Ten Tors. If your school, college or group are taking part in the DofE or the Ten Tors challenge then we can help you. Finding suitably qualified staff within your team can be difficult, have you thought about hiring in one of our team to help? How up to date are your team with the latest knowledge, industry best practice and recent incident analysis? Our team are all full time outdoor professionals and undertake rigorous CPD training to remain at the cutting edge of the outdoor industry. A staff training day with Granite Trails could help you and you’re team make good decisions to make sure young people in you’re care have fun and stay safe. We can tailor this to suit you’re budget, get in touch for more details.  Book now

Adventurous field trip? Ever thought about making a field trip more exciting and memorable for you’re students? We have many years experience in supporting school field trips particularly for Geography, History and the Sciences. These subjects can come alive in the eyes of students when given the chance to see the places and processes they have been studying for real, inspiring a life long interest in the subject and aiding understanding. We can take you to fantastic locations and incorporate adventure into the experience. Here are a few ideas which have worked well with our customers in the past.  Book now

Source to sea river journey on foot and mountain bike.

Glacial feature studies in Snowdonia or the Lake District.

River survey with a Tyrolean crossing (improvised zip line).

Neolithic and bronze age site visit on Dartmoor, navigating with map and compass.

Survey plant life through a range of different habitats, and at different altitudes.

Get to grips with different rock types by climbing them, in Devon we can climb on 3 different rock types in one day!

 

Remember, everything we do is bespoke for you. So if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, get in touch and we can help.

 

Qualifications, preparation and refreshers.

Qualifications, preparation and refreshers.

Are you thinking about or getting ready for the RCI (former SPA), Hill and Moorland Leader or Mountain Leader award?

Already qualified but need a refresher on the latest thinking or best practice?

We can help! Simon and Matt have both been delivering outdoor qualifications for more than 10 years each. We can help you with the skills you need to lead others on the hills, mountains and cliffs. Book now

We are working in partnership with our colleagues at The Dartmoor Centres to run a hill and moorland leader training course on the 5th of May. This course is ideal for those wishing to lead groups hill walking on Dartmoor, Exmoor and similar terrain anywhere in the UK. It is the perfect qualification for those leading the Duke of Edinburgh award or organising teams for the Ten Tors event. It would also be a great qualification for those working in the outdoor industry in non mountainous areas.  For more information about the HML check out http://www.mountain-training.org/walking/skills-and-awards/hill-and-moorland-leader

To book on to the course Contact us.

Technical advice and staff training.

Technical advice and staff training.

Looking for help with simple, safe and effective working systems, customised to your needs? Granite Trails can help you and your staff get the best out of your team, venue and customers, with professional, technical advice. If you are an organisation working with young people in the outdoor environment where a parent or legal guardian is not present, then it is highly recommended that you seek technical advice to ensure the safety of your customers and staff. We believe that a technical adviser should not only advise on safety, training and equipment, but help with new ideas from their many years in the outdoors. Our aim is to make sure your customers not only go home safe, but come back next time.

We also provide training and support to schools, who have staff members leading young people on events and expeditions such as the Duke of Edinburgh award and Ten Tors. School staff can often miss developments in the wider outdoor industry and latest best practice, so investing in some bespoke training from full time outdoor professionals is essential for the continued safety of staff and students. We offer flexible packages costing as little as £150, call or email for more details. Book now

Winter

Winter

Winter

All of winter (snow/ice conditions) activities are based in the Cairngorm Mountains in the Scottish Highlands. This fantastic location is home to fantastic mountain terrain, harsh weather and the most reliable winter conditions in Britain. Our winter mountaineering/snow and ice climbing activities are always on a bespoke basis with a maximum ratio of one instructor to three clients. If you’re looking to have a great adventure in the mountains and equip yourself with skills for a lifetime of mountaineering, under the guidance of our experienced, mountaineering instructors, then get in touch.

We can cover;

-Moving in alpine terrain in winter.

-Avalanche avoidance and rescue techniques.

-Climbing with ice axes and crampons

-Efficient movement in harsh conditions.

-Winter navigation and kit top tips.

-Or just a guided day out with our instructors.

We may be able to arrange hire of specialist winter kit such as ice axes, crampons and avalanche kit. This is at an additional cost, depending on location and availability.

£220 per day, up to 3 people, bespoke winter mountaineering day.  Book now

Also check out our winter walking activities here

Summer

Summer

Summer

We run all of our summer (April to November) scrambling and mountaineering training in Snowdonia, North Wales. We will tailor your training with us depending on your experience and future ambitions, we can cover the following skills;

  • Intro to scrambling, extend your hill walking and move safely on grade 1 scrambling terrain.
  • Advanced scrambling techniques, using ropes and climbing gear.
  • Moving together in Alpine terrain.
  • Descending by abseil.
  • Emergency procedures and problem solving.
  • Route choice and planning.

£200 per day, up to 3 people, bespoke scrambling/ mountaineering day.  Book now

Also check out our hill and mountain walking activities