Outdoor Elements

Abseiling is the way to descend from height using a rope. It is possible to abseil from steep banks, cliffs, towers, dam walls, buildings, bridges and waterfalls. Heights range from 10 metres to 100 metres. Abseiling is inclusive and can be enjoyed by people of all abilities including those with limited mobility and wheelchair users.

Rock climbing can be done on crags or quarries at heights ranging from 10 metres to 25 metres. Climbers can choose the level of difficulty of a climb and climb as high as they want before being lowered on ropes. Some forms of climbing do not require ropes as they stay low to the ground and have the security of others spotting. This is called bouldering or traversing. Climbing is an excellent activity for providing a fun personal challenge.

Participants will be questioned about what we need to survive and arrive at the 4 essentials: air, water, food and shelter. Using the rule of 3’s they will learn how long they can survive without these essentials. Practical elements of the course include shelter building using tarp sheets and rope or natural materials. Fire lighting using matches or lighters; or have a go at lighting a fire by another method!

Our Leap of Faith is based in a tree. Unlike many other Leap of Faith activities ours offers the participant three levels of height. Level 1 is at 10 foot/ 3 metres, level 2 is at 20 foot/ 6.5 metres and if you are feeling really brave climb to the top platform at 35 feet/ 10.6 metres. Suspended next to the tree is a buoy attached to a rope that can be lifted and lowered depending on where you decide to jump from. The aim is to jump and high five the buoy

A zip line is a rope running down hill on which a person can ride by attaching a zip trolley. Our zip line starts from a platform 20 feet/ 7 metres up a tree which is accessed by climbing a ladder. From there the zip line extends 300 feet/ 100 metres across a ravine through the woodland canopy to a tree at the far end. Gravity slows the rider down at the far end as the zip line ends by running uphill. The rider will then slide back to the middle of the zip line and eventually come to a stop

Learning through the natural environment the group will undertake team and individual tasks. Groups will learn to identify different trees and to make things using natural resources. Individuals will learn about the various levels within the ecosystem with the tree at the centre. Mini beast and bug hunts as well as stream study will bring to life the array of creatures living in the woodland. The activities are run in a sensitive way to limit the impact on the environment

Groups will make and set a bug trap for crawling insects as well as using nets and sheets to trap flying insects. Once a selection of bugs have been trapped the group can identify what creatures they have caught before returning them to their natural environment. The information gathered can be kept to build up a record of the ecology present in the locality

The aim is to build a tower of crates as high as you can before it topples and comes crashing down. The challenge is that at least one team member must be stood on the top of the tower. The whole team is involved in building the tower and need to work together to support, lift and stack more crates for whoever is on the top to step onto. There are various ways to build the tower depending on the level of challenge required, from a base of just 2 crates with 2 people on the top

This is a giant swinging ladder of 6-inch beams reaching 12 metres / 40 foot high. Three people attempt to climb as high up the ladder as possible. It is important to work as a team in order to make progress. This task is one of our most physical and involves an amount of strength, flexibility and agility. As the team climbs higher the challenge increases as the space between the rungs gets larger. The rest of the team are involved in holding the ropes and offering encouragement and help

An exploration of the senses. This is a great team activity or equally fun as an individual challenge. The Nightline is essentially a rope which is there to guide you through a course. If the rope goes over something then you must go over it, if it goes through something then you go through it and so on. The challenge is that throughout the course you will be blindfolded which will require you to call on your senses other than eyesight and communicate with your team around you.

A range of problem solving challenges, some physical and some more cognitive all involving team work. Sessions can be themed and problems solved rewarded with points or items of equipment for a further mission; or money (special OE currency!) awarded that can be used to buy equipment for an end task. This session is great for bringing new groups together or to explore team dynamics within existing groups.

Navigation is about being able to locate yourself and move to a known position using a map, compass and other navigational aims. This important skill is required to safely explore wild or mountainous areas and is also handy if you are trying to find your way round a new city or follow directions when your sat nav is broken. Outdoor Elements can choose a venue to suit your needs abilities and skill level.

Using map skills participants navigate to points called controls to complete a set course. There are many different levels of difficulty available from string and basic courses to challenge courses over a greater distance. Participants may take part individually or in small groups, and it can be run as a competition. The objective is to complete the course in the quickest time.

We have 2 climbing trees, each of them about 14 metres or 45 feet tall. Climbing holds are attached to the tree with each tree having a choice of 2 routes. Whilst you are climbing the rest of the team are involved in belaying which is holding the rope safely, all under the close supervision of your instructor. Participants can climb as high as they want and can be lowered at any time. For anyone who has ever climbed on a climbing wall this is a similar experience

A Tyrolean Traverse is a bridge constructed from horizontal tensioned ropes to span a ravine allowing a person wearing a harness to cross suspended from trolleys that run along the ropes. This can be done as an activity itself or can be expanded to form a brilliant team activity by challenging the group to first construct the bridge. Instructions guide the group through the step by step process involving a good deal of processing of information and decision making

Archery is the sport or skill of shooting with a bow and arrows at a target. Archery is fun and very easy to learn. Experienced instructors from Outdoor Elements will guide you through how to use our quality equipment in total safety. We guarantee by the end of the session you will be hitting the target and won’t want to stop. Target archery sessions are delivered on a range of approximately 10 metres.

We can guide you on some of the best hill walking England has to offer. Options include; Pendle and the Forest of Bowland, The South Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, The Peak District and The Lake District. Our instructors will guide you on a great day in the hills and send you away with a wealth of new experience and knowledge of local history, geography, geology, flora and fauna, and those all important navigation and hillcraft skills.

We can guide you on some of the best Mountain Walking England has to offer. Options include; Yorkshire Dales, The Peak District and The Lake District. Our instructors will guide you on a great day in the Mountains and send you away with a wealth of new experience and knowledge of local history, geography, geology, flora and fauna, and those all important navigation and mountain craft skills.