Activities

The activities are rated

between 1 (low) and 4 Have a look at what to (high) to help you choose

wear for each activity. the best activities to meet Take into account the your aims.

weather conditions.

This booklet contains all our instructed and self- led activities at

Thornbridge Outdoors.

Instructed Activities

Abseiling

Descending a fixed rope. We can abseil at an outdoor Accessibility crag or at Miller’s Dale Viaduct (which offers an Team working

exciting 75 feet high, free Personal challenge hanging abseil). Your fellow Skills group members can help give encouragement as you Physical activity lean back over the edge..... Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 9.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Climbing helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the  Harness weather conditions

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Bouldering

Enjoy some bouldering on Accessibility

real rock. Take a bouldering Team working mat and rock boots and Personal challenge learn some new techniques on the local gritstone. Skills

Physical activity Recommended minimum age 9. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Trainers  Rock boots  Bouldering mat * Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Bouldering Wall & Boulder (on-site)

Traverse the climbing wall on multi-coloured holds, try the problems and negotiate the Accessibility different shapes / volumes! Or go outside and try the Team working

climbing boulder. Personal challenge

A great activity for developing Skills

confidence, co-ordination, Physical activity movement skills, fitness or to simply have fun! Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 5.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt  Rock boots  Trousers  Trainers

Canoeing

Take a watery trip on a local Accessibility river, take in the scenery and paddle your way downstream. Team working

Personal challenge There is a ‘Discover Canoeing’

trip and an ‘Adventure Skills

Canoeing’ trip. Physical activity

Recommended minimum age Knowledge

10 and 14 respectively.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Life jacket  Trainers

Caving / Mine Exploration

Explore the exciting

Accessibility underground world by visiting the caves and mines of the Peak Team working

District. The adventure will Personal challenge often include the opportunity to see some beautiful formations Skills

and experience complete Physical activity darkness! Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 8.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet with light  Long trousers  Mining jacket / Caving  Wellingtons suit  Harness for Caving * Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Firelighting & Survival

This activity has lots of different elements within it and therefore caters for all abilities. Starting with a fun bean- Accessibility bag name game, we follow on with safety, survival and animal habitats. Team working Pebble dens are always a highlight, so Personal challenge make sure you have a camera to hand for the finished products! The dens give Skills the opportunity to go exploring in the woods, working individually or in a Physical activity group. Get to grips with how to use a fire steel and contribute to a larger fire Knowledge to make popcorn for everyone.

Recommended minimum age 7.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve t-shirt and  Waterproof jacket fleece/jacket  All firelighting  Long trousers equipment  Wellingtons

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Heartstart First Aid

Heartstart UK is an initiative co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation. This 2 hour indoors based course can be booked with an instructor and covers the following:

 deal with an unconscious person  recognise a heart attack and a cardiac arrest  perform CPR  deal with choking  respond to serious bleeding

Recommended minimum age 9.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve top  All the equipment required for  Comfortable trousers the course  Trainers

High Ropes (Cargo Net & Tree Climb)

A rope-protected climbing challenge to reach the top of Accessibility the scramble net. Your team Team working can help or hinder by holding

the net for you..! Climb the Personal challenge

challenging Scots Pine tree Skills and ring the bell when you reach the top! Physical activity

Knowledge Recommended minimum age 7 & 9.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Wellingtons  Harness

High Ropes (Sky Ropes)

Climb the 8m pole to the Accessibility platform, then if you dare you can test your balance and Team working

tolerance of heights by Personal challenge traversing the course of seven

linked elements. To descend, Skills

step off the platform to gently Physical activity ‘float’ to the ground. Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 9.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve top  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket

 Trainers or wellingtons  Harness

High Ropes (Ladder & Net Climb)

Accessibility Take on the ladder and net climbing Team working challenges – they're not as easy as they look! Once on the net, climb it to the top Personal challenge and wave down to your group who are Skills helping to keep you safe by taking the rope in as you climb. Physical activity

Knowledge Recommended minimum age 9.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve top  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Trainers or wellingtons  Harness

Jacob’s Ladder

A great team challenge! Three people must work Accessibility

together to climb the ‘giant’ Team working ladder as the rungs get Personal challenge increasingly further apart the

higher you climb. Skills

Physical activity Recommended minimum age 12. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket

 Trainers  Harness

Low Ropes

The most popular activity at Accessibility Thornbridge! This activity can be delivered by Thornbridge or visiting Team working

staff (provided they have attended Personal challenge a half-day Low Ropes Training Course beforehand). Ideal for Skills

developing team work / trust / Physical activity confidence etc. Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 7.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Helmet  Suitable footwear for the  Wellingtons weather conditions

Mountain Biking

Our on-site Trike / Bike Trail and Accessibility bike skills area is ideal for Team working introducing people to cycling. For groups seeking more challenge Personal challenge and/or skill development there are a range of mountain bike routes Skills

available from Thornbridge of Physical activity varying levels of difficulty.

Knowledge Recommended minimum age 8 - 14.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve top  Helmet  Long trousers (tucked into  Jacket socks)  Mountain bike  Trainers or wellingtons

Rock Climbing

Accessibility Experience the challenges and rewards of climbing the fabulous gritstone in the Peak Team working

District. We can select appropriate Personal challenge venues and routes to meet the ability of Skills the group.

Physical activity Recommended minimum age 8. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm  Harness fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Trainers

Thornbridge Challenge

Work together as a team to Accessibility take on the Wizard's challenges, including a tunnel Team working

system, rope swing, giant Personal challenge seesaw and more, to earn

stars, collect clues and Skills

hopefully discover the hidden Physical activity treasure! Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 6.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Jacket  Wellingtons

* Hat & gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Walking: Discovery & Adventure

Discovery Walk

A day out in the local area discovering many things you would normally walk past. Accessibility Smell Sweet Cicely, Pineapple Weed and many more plants. Use tiny mirrors to look Team working under leaves and flowers, hand lenses to get up really close and choose your Personal challenge

favourite view to frame. Recommended minimum age 5. Skills

Physical activity Adventure Walk

Knowledge So many activities can be included in a full, fun day out. Bouldering, weaselling, map work, parachute and trust games. Recommended minimum age 8.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Rucksack  Suitable footwear for the  Wellingtons weather conditions  Hat & gloves  Packed lunch & drink

* Hat & gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Walking: Hill Walking & Scrambling

Accessibility Jump in the minibus, off to Team working Kinder Scout and have an Personal challenge adventurous day out. Skills Recommended minimum age: 9. Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Rucksack  Long trousers  Maps  Suitable footwear &  Compass waterproofs  Hat & gloves  Packed lunch & drink

Weaselling

Have fun exploring the boulders Accessibility of the Peak District. Weaselling involves crawling in-between/ Team working

under / over and sometimes Personal challenge through boulders! A good team

activity where encouragement Skills

and support for your team play Physical activity an important part. Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 6.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Jacket  Wellingtons

Zip Wire

Accessibility

Climb the 30ft tree to the platform above. Team working

Once attached to the zip wire, you can Personal challenge leap off the platform, and fly like a bird through the canopy of the trees. Skills

Physical activity Recommended minimum age 10. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Helmet  Long trousers  Harness  Wellingtons  Waterproof jacket

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Self-Led Activities

Bat Walk

Accessibility

Use our bat detectors and information Team working

packs to seek out local bats at dusk; Personal challenge either around the site or down the Skills Monsal Trail near the tunnels, where you will also be able to see the bat Physical activity bricks. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Resource pack  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Wellingtons

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Camp Fire

Accessibility

Use our designated campfire Team working spots to toast marshmallows / Personal challenge sing songs / recount stories

with your group whilst sharing Skills

the warmth of a campfire. Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 Suitable clothing for the  Waterproof jacket weather conditions  Wellingtons  Marshmallows and skewers  Camp fire pack  Small amount of wood

Cooking / Baking

Accessibility

The self-catering kitchens at Thornbridge Team working

are ideal for introducing cooking skills. Personal challenge Many groups take advantage of this Skills facility and include a baking session in their programme. Physical activity

Knowledge

What we will provide

 Baking trays  Weighing scales  Cooking utensils

Den Building

Accessibility

Team working

Use our designated den building area Personal challenge and den building kit, to design and Skills build your own den. Will it be waterproof?! Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Den building kit  Wellingtons

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Journey Sticks

Accessibility

A good reviewing activity to reflect on a day Team working or a walk. Each member of the group must Personal challenge find a stick and collect material from the environment whilst on the walk. The Skills materials are then tied to the stick using Physical activity wool / string to illustrate the ‘journey’ / events that happened during the walk. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Instruction sheet  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Wellingtons  Selection of wool / string

* Hat and gloves if you have them, depending on the weather

Low Ropes

Accessibility The most popular activity at

Thornbridge! This activity can be Team working

delivered by Thornbridge or visiting Personal challenge staff (provided they have attended a half-day Low Ropes Training Skills Course beforehand). Ideal for Physical activity developing team work / trust / confidence etc. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Helmet  Suitable footwear for the  Wellingtons weather conditions

Making Bird Cake

Accessibility

Team working You can help feed the variety of Personal challenge birds here by making your own home-made bird cake. Fill our Skills bird feeders then sit back and watch them get stuck in! Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 Lard  Instructions on how to make  Orange the bird cake  Garden twine  Large blunt needle  Wild bird food

Minibeast Hunt

Accessibility With 30 acres, we have many different habitats at Thornbridge, which is ideal Team working for searching for minibeasts and other Personal challenge creepy crawlies. Investigate where minibeasts live and why? This activity Skills

can be part of the Nature Trail or Physical activity linked to den building or topics back at school. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Resource pack  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Monsal Head Photo Walk

This short walk goes straight from Accessibility

our site and covers a variety of Team working terrain and has lots of points of Personal challenge interest. Group members can work in pairs with the photo sheets, Skills spotting features along the way and Physical activity answering questions. There is a group leader pack with this activity. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Resource pack  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Mountain Biking

For school and youth groups only when a member of staff have attended our Biking Accessibility Leader Induction Course at Thornbridge Team working Outdoors.

Personal challenge Our on-site Trike / Bike Trail is ideal for introducing people to cycling. The Monsal Trail Skills

is on our doorstep go on a journey through the Physical activity old railway tunnels and historical landscapes, between Buxton and Bakewell. Knowledge

Recommended minimum age 8 - 14.

What you need What we will provide

 Long sleeve top  Helmet  Long trousers (tucked into  Jacket socks)  Mountain bike  Trainers or wellingtons

Nature Trail

Accessibility Explore the 30 acres of the Team working Thornbridge site and complete the environmental activities Personal challenge along the way. Activities include: Skills Hug a Tree / Nature’s Palette / Sounds / Feely Box / Eye in the Physical activity Sky. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Resource pack  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Nightline

Accessibility

A rope course through the Team working woods. Participants must Personal challenge follow the rope wherever it

goes! This activity can be Skills

done at night or during the Physical activity day, as blindfolds and goggles are provided. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt or long sleeve top  Blindfolds and goggles  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Orienteering

We have a number of permanent orienteering courses in place around our Accessibility grounds. From the circular star course

(good for introducing map skills and Team working

orientation) to the whole site orienteering. Personal challenge Our courses are designed so that participants can progress through the Skills

levels of difficulty as they become more Physical activity competent at the sport. Orienteering is often seen as a good introductory activity Knowledge

and a way for groups to get to know their way around the site.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Resource packs  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Parachute Games

Accessibility

Team working

A fun activity using a giant Personal challenge parachute. A good

introductory activity or even Skills

whilst out on a walk. Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt or long sleeve top  Parachute  Long trousers  Waterproof jacket  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Photo Treasure Hunt

Accessibility

Team working Using the photos provided, you must find the clues hidden Personal challenge

around the Thornbridge Skills grounds. Once you have collected all the clues, can you Physical activity crack the code? Knowledge

What we will provide

 Resource pack  Pencils & clip boards

Pond Dipping

The Thornbridge pond is full of Accessibility life. Small groups can easily dip from our purpose built Team working

platform (wheelchair Personal challenge accessible) and identify what they have found using our Skills

species ID cards. Magnifying Physical activity glasses and all other pond dipping equipment provided. Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Suitable equipment for  Long trousers pond dipping  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions

Problem Solving

Ideal for developing team

work / co-operation / leadership and communication Accessibility skills for groups of all ages and Team working abilities. Some problem solving tasks are mentally Personal challenge challenging whilst others Skills require a more physical input. We can help select the right Physical activity tasks for your group, which Knowledge are challenging, yet inclusive, to ensure that all members of your group can take part.

What you need What we will provide

 Comfortable and suitable clothing for  Problem solving equipment easy movement and the weather and tasks

Scavenger Hunt & Dream Catchers

Collect material from the Accessibility environment whilst on your walk Team working around the grounds (i.e feathers /

leaves / pine cones / bark / Personal challenge conkers / acorns etc) and make a

Skills dream catcher from willow and

wool. Hang your materials from Physical activity your dream catcher and place at Knowledge the end of your bed to keep the nightmares away......

What you need What we will provide

 Comfortable and suitable clothing for  Willow easy movement and the weather  A small selection of wool if  Assorted wool if you have any you require it

Tree Trail

Accessibility

Team working Use the resource pack to make Personal challenge your way round our grounds. Find the trees using the map, identify Skills them using our twig or leaf ID cards. Physical activity

Knowledge

What you need What we will provide

 Comfortable and suitable clothing for  Resource pack easy movement and the weather

Walking: Local Explorer & Night Walk

We are perfectly situated in the White Peak with plenty of public footpaths Accessibility on our door step. Explore Team working the local surroundings, Personal challenge great views and interesting wild life. Skills

Use the grounds or the Physical activity

local area to take your Knowledge group out after dark, to explore your surroundings under the stars.

What you need What we will provide

 T-shirt and warm fleece/jacket  Waterproof jacket  Long trousers  Wellingtons  Suitable footwear for the weather conditions  Hat and gloves  For a longer day out don’t forget your packed lunch & drink