GORGE WALKING - BRECON BEACONS - WALES

Wales Outdoors Limited has been Gorge Walking in the Brecon Beacons National Park for about fifteen years now, mostly led by the Director, Andrew Lamb, who has worked hard to ensure that our sessions are both safe and enjoyable.

Gorge walking is rock hopping, traversing walls a foot or two above river level, scrambling about at the edges of the river, climbing beside waterfalls and to finish the day, pool jumping - jumping into a deep pool from a ledge about 20 feet above the river.

We provide the most kit to each client of any adventure activity provider in Wales and we run sessions at an industry leading staff ratio of 1:8.

Where most providers now give wetsuits out year round, we take a rather more sensible option of providing wetsuits when it is cold. Makes good sense to us.... How many overheated and dehydrated people led by other companies have we seen, out for a walk in a full body wetsuit in 28 degrees...

We were the first company to provide canoe helmets for this activity, thinking that the use of climbing hats for river sessions, especially jumping from heights into water, not just wrong but dangerous.

We led the way with the issue of bouyancy aids and now there are only a few groups that do not issue bouyancy to clients whilst taking part in deep water swims and pool jumping.

We are the only company to provide walking boots for gorge walking. Most providers are happy to ask clients to bring along old training shoes. This is simply not acceptable. This is a mountain activity with walking over rough, broken ground that is often slippery. Wellies are the minimum requirement but we found that these can be lost in deep water. So we invested in walking boots for all.

Please go to our facebook page for a photo and video record of yesterdays gorge walk - a good sized mixed group and a great day in gorgeous weather.

THE MOAN

Whilst at the gorge yesterday we were again witness to some rather poor provision.

Adventures, a company from Porthcawl running a group of 25 people... we have seen them with thirty and with 17 people in the water at one time - this is simply not on. You can only 'see' six people at any time. A group of 25 people in a gorge environment, in trainers and deck shoes, is an accident waiting to happen.

We witnessed jumping into pools that we regard as unsafe locations as there are ledges to fall onto if the jump is not dynamic - people have injured themselves in this way and have done so at the South Wales gorge location that we use - there would be no excuse for further clients being injured whilst jumping.

We watched many other groups led by staff that seem keener to have a good time themselves than to ensure that thier clients feel safe and comfortable in the environment of the gorge and the only group with appropriate footwear, wellies, still using the old method of pool jumping with a rope around the waist and no bouyancy - certainly against all advice that I have ever been given.

Ho hum....

We think that the provision for this activity, especially the choice of footwear and group size, could be improved. And we will continue, sporadically, to document other groups activities in the area.