Read all about it... from those who've been there
Testimonials
My Outward Bound Adventure by Faye Grove
My name is Faye Grove and I am 13 years old. I went for a 5 day Outward Bound course to Aberdovey, in Wales, in August. If you are wondering whether to do a course next year, I would definitely recommend it.
I met some really nice people and all the activities we did as a group were fun. Some of the things we did were rock climbing, abseiling, scrambling (a mix of climbing and hiking), jumping off a jetty into the sea, hiking and so much more. The most challenging thing I did was when we had to cross by rope from one side of the jetty to the other. Below the rope was water, so if you fell in you had to swim to one of the ladders. Loads of people fell off and it was really difficult, but once I did it, it was amazing.
We also went on an expedition. This included a hike to a log cabin (I think about 7km) through forests and up into the Welsh mountains. We slept for 1 night in the log cabin in sleeping bags and on roll mats. We had to carry packaged food to eat that night. The food, surprisingly, wasn’t too bad. I had beef chilli and a salted caramel brownie. Although it looked like mush it tasted like real food.
My time at Outward Bound was much better than I expected and my whole group is planning on doing another course next year.
George Carr
My adventure all started when I arrived, and I didn’t know anyone so was a little bit nervous. I found the people in my dormitory, and they were all so welcoming. They were from Germany, Scotland and Wales.
Our first activity was a runaround quiz. My group were the first to find all the answers and we won a giant dairy milk bar which was amazing! The sleeping conditions were excellent. We were with people around our age, although I was the youngest at 10 years old, and we got lots of sleep every night - probably because we were so tired from everything we packed in during the day. For the next few days we did loads of fun activities including rock climbing, gorge walking and a 6-hour walk to a campsite where we slept outside in tents overnight. On the last day, we did a huge game of football which was kids vs instructors. My favourite thing of the whole week was jetty jumping (which was when I had to leap off the end of a jetty into the sea) and buying a huge ice cream!
I am really thankful to Outward Bound and the experience it has given me and I’d definitely recommend it to other people to try.
Teddy Webster
I had an amazing summer adventure at the Outward Bound Centre in Aberdovey, Wales. My adventure started when I caught a coach from Birmingham International Train station. Here I met up with other young people also going to Aberdovey and we spent the journey getting to know each other, anticipating what this experience would be like.
I stayed in Aberdovey for 5 days. At the Outward Bound Centre we stayed in dorms, ate breakfast and went out for a day packed full of activity, adventure and fun. In the evenings we ate back at the centre and prepared our kit and lunches for the next day.
I really enjoyed all the activities. We did some long-distance walking, abseiling, deep water and jetty jumping. We ate ration packs in the forest and used maps to navigate to a hidden cabin. It was all so much fun and the instructors were really kind and helpful.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I would recommend it to others. It has made me determined to take on more challenges and I will definitely be looking for further adventure.
I would like to thank Bredon Outward Bound Association for sponsoring me to have this brilliant opportunity. It has been amazing!
Archie McEwan
In the summer of 2023, my parents signed me up for the 19-day Pinnacle Adventure. They thought it would be a good experience and help me out of my comfort zone. This course took place well away from the Outward Bound Center in Aberdovy, hiking around remote parts of Snowdonia National Park and living out of a tent in isolated locations for almost the entire duration of the 19-day course. This in combination with the famous Welsh weather flooding tents and soaking gear made the experience a challenging one. However, for all the difficulties faced during this adventure, it was balanced out by the sheer sense of achievement and fun that was had each day.
A great example of some of the many activities that I did during this course include rock climbing and Gorge walking. Both of these activities represented some new and unique challenges that were really exciting to beat and accomplish.
One of the best things I found about the pinnacle adventure was the group dynamics and bonding that developed over the 19 days. When the Pinnacle first started nobody in the group knew anyone but by the end of the course, we had all become close friends. It was amazing how quickly friendships can be forged when you are thrown into challenging situations that require the team to rally together. The friends I made during the course I am still regularly in contact with. I even ended up working with two of them this past summer when I went back to outward bound as a member of staff.
Doing the Pinnacle course was one of the best decisions that I have ever done. It allowed me to become more confident in myself, become more independent, and allow me to experience some amazing events and activities. It also ended up being a great icebreaker for the beginning of university as well!
Towards the end of my first year at Uni, while I was desperately looking for a good summer job, I received an email from Outward Bound asking if I wanted to come back to the centre at Aberdovey as a member of the summer staff team. While I was hesitant at first due to the requirements and responsibilities of the job I decided to accept the offer alongside two of the friends I made the previous year.
The job was challenging at times, but it was also extremely rewarding and good fun. The training I received before starting the job also allowed me to rise up to any challenges that we encountered. Working in a pastoral care position, looking after the young people at the centre during their non-instructional time was a very busy job. It was a non-stop job looking after everyone on site and making sure that everyone had a great time during the duration of their course. The positive and supportive team culture at Outward Bound helped to make the job really enjoyable. The amazing centre location near the town of Aberdovey and Snowdonia National Park meant there was plenty to do during any time that I had off. Overall the job was extremely rewarding and I can’t wait to work there again this summer.
I definitely recommend doing an Outward Bound course if you can. My time at Outward Bound not only challenged and developed me, It also opened doors to lifelong friendships, and rewarding opportunities that have had a profound impact on my life.
