Travel
How do I get to the centre?
Aberdovey, Wales Loch Eil, Scotland Ullswater, England
Do you provide a coach transfer service? Information, Timetable and Ratecard
Which airports are the closest to your centres?
Aberdovey, Wales Birmingham International Airport - 125 miles from centre / walk through to coach transfer service.
Loch Eil, Scotland Glasgow International Airport - 140 miles from centre / coach transfer service.
Ullswater, England Manchester Airport - 120 miles from centre
Which train stations are the closest to your centres?
Aberdovey, Wales - Aberdovey
Loch Eil, Scotland - Loch Eil and Fort William
Ullswater, England - Penrith
We offer all participants a pick-up service from train stations closest to our centres. Don’t forget to call to confirm anticipated time of arrival and please try to arrive at the station as near to your course start time as possible.
How do I get from Glasgow Central Railway Station to the coach transfer service pick up point
A bus service (number 398) runs from Glasgow Central Railway Station to Buchanan Bus Station every 10 minutes.
Which B&Bs are near to your centres?
Aberdovey, Wales Awel Y Mor, Sea Breeze, and Penhelig Arms
Loch Eil, Scotland Ashburn House, Voringfoss, Constantia andMansefield Guest House
Ullswater, England The Ullswater View, Knotts Mill, Brackenrigg Inn and Leeming House
Is there car parking available at the centres?
There is parking available to drop off participants but we encourage course participants not to bring their own cars as parking is limited.
Adventures/Expeditions
What time will my adventure/expedition start & finish?
All our courses start at 17:30 & finish at 09:00.
How many people will be in a group?
You will form part of a mixed group of no more than 12 participants, which includes people from all over the UK and often the world.
Will people already know each other?
Generally not, we try to ensure that there are never more than two or three people who already know each other in each group. This is all part of the Outward Bound experience – a chance to make new friends.
What activities will I be doing?
This will depend not only on the type of course you have chosen but also the other participants, the time of year and the weather. Typically you can expect to experience some of the following activities, eg Abseiling, gorge walking, group dynamics.
How fit do I have to be?
Outward Bound adventures are designed to be challenging in many different ways, and they can be tough, both physically and mentally. The level of challenge will depend on the adventure you are taking part in, for example our Classic and Expedition courses will be the most physically demanding. However, being physically fit enough for any of our adventures will mean you enjoy the experience even more and it will give you more confidence and enthusiasm to try new challenges.
Every course involves a hill walking expedition of at least 2 days in length, during which you will carry all your personal and group equipment in an expedition rucksack provided at the centre. Fully laden these rucksacks weigh approx. 16 kgs.
How can you tell if you're fit enough?
As a guide, you should aim to be able to complete some of the following – swim 25 lengths of a 25 metre pool, mountain bike for 3 hours or road bike for 4 hours, jog 10 kilometres, walk all day carrying a 10kg rucksack.
How can you improve your fitness?
Try to vary your exercise to include both aerobic as well as strength and flexibility training. Examples of sports and exercises to include are running, walking/jogging, swimming, circuit training and gym work, kick-boxing, thai-chi, pilates, biking, team sports such as netball or hockey. Below is a suggested short preparation programme. If you join a sport club or local gym they can help you with a preparation programme for your Outward Bound experience. Sessions to last 1 hour unless stated.
16 weeks prior to course: 2 aerobics sessions e.g. walk/jog. 1 strength building e.g. circuits
15 weeks: 2 aerobics sessions e.g. hockey/netball/run. 2 strength building e.g. kick–boxing/gym
14 weeks: 2 aerobics sessions e.g. swimming/biking. 2 strength building e.g. pilates/thai-chi
13 weeks: 3 aerobics sessions. 1 strength building
12 weeks: 1 aerobic sessions. 2 strength building. 4 hour walk/hike with a rucksack
11 weeks: 3 aerobic sessions (join 2 sessions together for a 2 hour session), 2 strength building
10 weeks: 1 aerobic session, 1 strength building. 4 hour walk/hike with a rucksack or 2 hour bike
9 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions, 2 strength building
8 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions, 2 strength building. 6 hour walk/hike with a rucksack or 3 hour bike
7 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions, 2 strength building
6 weeks: 1 aerobic sessions, 2 strength building. 7 hour walk/hike with a rucksack or 4 hour bike
5 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions, 2 strength building.
4 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions. 2 strength building. 6 hour walk/hike with a rucksack or 3 hour bike
3 weeks: 2 aerobic sessions. 2 strength building.
2 weeks: 1 aerobic session. 2 strength building. 8 hour walk/hike with a rucksack or 5 hour bike
1 week: 2 aerobic sessions. 2 strength building.
Will I receive a certificate after completing my course?
Yes, all course participants will receive a certificate to prove that they have completed the course. In addition, personal course reports will be produced for the Classic Adventure and Ultimate Adventure courses.
DofE
What sections of the DofE scheme can I achieve whilst on my Outward Bound course?
Some sections of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme can be completed as part of your Outward Bound course. Please refer to our course fact sheets or access the DofE matrix and our programme overview. (33kb pdf)
Instructors
Are all Outward Bound Instructors qualified?Yes, for more details view our licence & safety information section.
Will I have the same instructor for the duration of the course?
Yes, you will have one instructor for the duration of your course. This allows your instructor to really get to know you and your group and he/she will be there to support & guide you through your whole Outward Bound journey.
Equipment
What should I bring?
We will provide you with all specialist activity & safety equipment. You will only need to bring personal clothing and footwear, see our suggested kit lists.
What not to bring?
Our advice is to leave your valuable watches, jewellery, iPods and stereos at home. However, if you really can’t live without them, you will have access to a safety deposit box at the centre. Aerosols and penknives are prohibited.
Can I bring my mobile phone?
Mobile phone use in activity time is not permitted and you will be encouraged to give your phone to your instructor for safekeeping during your course. If phones are misused during the course, they may have to be confiscated. All our centres have limited signals. There are student pay phones at all centres.
Centre Facilities
What accommodation will be provided?
You will stay at one of our magnificent centres, which offers dormitory style accommodation in shared rooms (single sex) of between 2 and 12 people. We provide all bed linen but you will need to bring your own towels. If taking part in one of our UK Expeditions, most of your time will be spent away from the centres.
What meals will be provided?
To ensure you stay strong and full of energy throughout your course, we provide three healthy, high-energy meals per day and a well balanced diet with plenty of variety. A vegetarian option is always available. We can cater for special dietary requirements including halal.
How much money do I need to bring?
You will only need to bring a small amount of money with you, as all our courses are fully inclusive. However all centres include a small shop, which sells confectionery, souvenirs and some items of clothing. How much you need to bring will depend mainly on the length of your course but we advise approximately £15 per week, plus a £10 refundable deposit for equipment.
General
What insurance cover is included?
Our course fee includes a fully comprehensive course and travel insurance for all participants. The policy covers participants traveling from within the UK & from overseas. For more information, click here.
On expedition, how do I take care of my personal hygiene?
Out in the wild there are no toilet facilities available, so be prepared to go back to basics. Your instructor will advise you on the best ways to manage your personal hygiene before you set off on expedition. You can find more female-specific information on taking care of your health and hygiene during your course here (64kb pdf).
Can your adventures be used as English language courses?
Whilst taking part in an Outward Bound adventure can help to improve your existing English language skills by giving you the opportunity to meet with lots of English speakers, our adventures are not designed as language school courses and will be conducted entirely in English. We therefore advise that participants have a good level of spoken English before arrival, to ensure that they are able to safely take part in all activities. This is a guideline only, but we recommend that students have at least one of the following or an equivalent: Cambridge First Certificate, Trinity College Level 7 or above or any examination equivalent to CEFR level B2.
What is your smoking policy?
We all live and work in the outdoors and so health and fitness is very important to us. We actively discourage smoking, those under 16 are not allowed to smoke. If you are over 16 and must smoke your instructor will direct you to a designated smoking area, this is the only smoking area. There is no smoking on activities including expeditions.
Participants who break these rules will be dealt with in the normal disciplinary process. Any participants found to be smoking in Outward Bound buildings may be immediately required to leave the course as there are major safety issues. Staff who smoke may only do so at work in a designated outdoor area (in line with the information in the staff handbook) out of sight of participants. This applies to all contractors, visitors and Aramark staff.
What is your alcohol policy?
Consumption of alcohol during an Outward Bound course is banned at all centres.
