Tips for Buying a Cycle Helmet

Posted on September 1, 2010 @ 1:42 PM in

Buying a bike is a good time to buy a helmet which is so important to protect you and your child’s head. There are many types, colours and brands of helmets as well as the price range, from £7-8 to hundreds. A helmet is advisable but not compulsory in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, so here are a few reasons why we should wear them...

• Evidence shows that 35%-40% of children taken to hospital after a cycling accident have head injuries

• Wearing a helmet can reduce head injuries by 88%

• Wearing a helmet can reduce facial injuries by 65%

A lot of helmets are made of EPS foam with a thin plastic shell. The shell helps the helmet skid easily on rough pavement to avoid jerking your neck. The shell also holds the foam together after the first impact. Some excellent helmets are made by moulding foam in the shell rather than adding the shell later.

A few things to think about when buying a helmet…I feel you should:

• Take it out of the box and try it on if possible

• Make sure there are plenty ventilation holes to keep you cool in warm weather, but not too many as this can reduce the protection

• If possible buy a helmet with an adjustment at the back of the head as this will give a much better fit

• A visor sometimes comes separate from the helmet, this is important as it protects your face in a fall. It is easily attached to the helmet.

• Rigid visors can snag or shatter in a fall

• Narrow straps can be uncomfortable

• Dark helmets are difficult for motorists to see

• Don’t buy a helmet which is too big for your child as it will not sit properly on their head

• If possible get a helmet with a buckle which locks on the straps coming down around the ears, as the ones without the lock move about

• A sticker inside the helmet tells you what standard it meets

• Replace any helmet if you crash. Impact crushes some of the foam and the damage may not be visible.

• The helmet should sit level on your head and cover as much as possible. Above all, with the strap fastened you should not be able to get the helmet off your head by pulling or twisting. If it comes off or slips enough to leave large areas of your head unprotected, adjust the straps again or try another helmet.

• Keep the strap comfortably snug when cycling

Look out for more tips from Mary on cycling safety. For more information on Pedal Right and its services please click here.

Bed, Breakfast and Bike

Posted on July 27, 2010 @ 1:53 PM in

Northern Ireland has some fantastic places to stay, from which you can hire a bike and base yourself from for a scenic cycling experience in Northern Ireland....Here are a few options which i have thought of...

• Castle Ward Estate, Co.Down - hire a bike at Clearsky Adventure Centre and cycle around the stunning estate or along the amazing long distance Strangford Lough Cycle Trail.

• Dunhill Cottage, Hillsborough - this B&B offer bikes for hire, from here you can take the opportunity to cycle around Hillsborough Forest or join the Belfast to Ballyshannon cycle route at Lisburn.  

• Share Centre, Fermanagh - whether you are undertaking a number of short cycling routes or riding along the Kingfisher Trail, the first long distance trail in Northern Ireland named for its abundance in wildlife, Share Holiday Village provides everything you need to make the most of your stay.

For more information on cycling holidays in Northern Ireland please click here

Northern Ireland – Combining the beauty with outdoor fun

Posted on July 22, 2010 @ 3:23 PM in

Only as you grow older do you begin to appreciate the beauty of Northern Ireland.  The good news is that there are so many outdoor activities which allow you to experience these inspirational settings with your family. 

In the past kids were content to drive along the dramatic North Coast for the reward of playing with their bucket and spade on Portrush Strand; or through the foothills of the awe-inspiring Mourne Mountains to get that stick of Rock.  But as you probably know times have changed and whilst you want to take in the beauty of Northern Ireland the kids want action at all times.

Outdoor activities allow you the combine that beauty with action so everybody is happy.  Best of all parents can take part and have all those memories to treasure.

Coast

Northern Ireland has over 400 miles of beautiful coastline, with highlights including the rugged North Coast and peaceful Lecale Coast between Strangford and Newcastle.

The Northern Irish coastline lends itself perfectly to coasteering which is essentially walking, scrambling, jumping, swimming and sometimes crawling, around the otherwise inaccessible coastline.  In fact a recently produced short film  disclosed that Robert the Bruce invented coasteering whilst hiding out on Rathlin Island!

There are some great opportunities to try out coasteering over the next few months

 

 

North Coast

Arclinis Outdoor Adventure

The Adventure Team

 

County Down

Clearsky Adventure Centre 

Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t fancy getting in the water why not go on a Strangford Sea Safari.  This is a fantastic opportunity to take in the sites and sounds of Strangford Lough aboard a high speed RIB. 

 

Lakes & Rivers

Northern Ireland is a maze of lakes and rivers providing that great combination of scenery and serenity but also a great watersports playground.

Canoeing offers a great avenue for family fun and there is a wealth of experienced canoeing providers offering a wide range of events throughout Northern Ireland.

 

Bouldering involves scrambling up a rivers and sometimes waterfalls, Bloody Bridge near Newcastle is Northern Ireland’s top venue.  But don’t worry if you are a beginner, you can start off on easy climbs and jumps and build up to the bigger ones once you gain confidence.  To give bouldering a go check out

Action Outdoors

Life

 

Beach

Northern Ireland is blessed with several Blue Flag beaches but as mentioned earlier, beach holidays are no longer about buckets and spades. So this year transform your beach holiday by taking a surfing lesson with the kids. The North Coast provides excellent conditions for the beginner and also an opportunity to the watch the experts.

 

To give surfing a go check out:

Alive Surf School 

Troggs

TK Surf School Portrush 

 

 

 

 

 

Hills and Mountains

When you mention to many parents about bringing their family to the Mourne Mountains they looked shocked with the thought of letting the kids loose in the mountains.

But never fear there are many ways to enjoy this beautiful area without venturing too far into the hills. 

Mountain Boarding will really get those pulses racing.  Just like skiing or snowboarding you can begin with instruction on lower slopes but before you know it you’ll be racing the kids on your all terrain board.  For lessons see Surfin’ Dirt Mountain Boarding.

 

Get your feet off the ground and learn to climb under the watchful eye and guidance of experienced local experts.  Challenge yourself to new heights, learn to climb and abseil.  Choose from artificial climb towers or the real thing!

The following providers are offering up and coming climbing events

Action Outdoors 

Life

 

Hidden Gems

Try out Grass Sledging at Delamont Country Park.  Similar to the snow toboggans, the sledges run on caterpillar tracks so no snow is required.  Don’t tell the kids but adults will have the advantage – the heavier you are the faster you will go.

 

Try out Caving and explore Fermanagh’s subterranean world.  Don your boiler suit, helmet and head lamp and go underground with a qualified guide who will show you and your family a whole world you didn’t even know existed.  Corralea Activity Centre are the local experts.

This list is not exclusive so be sure to check out OutdoorNI.com  for more details or Find Us on Facebook to get regular updates.

The struggle to tame the Mourne Wall

Posted on July 7, 2010 @ 2:29 PM in

Paul O’ Connor makes a second attempt at the famous Mourne Wall Walk. Having learnt some valuable lessons from an initial aborted effort, Paul takes on one of the greatest mountain walks in ireland covering 35km and 3000 metres of ascent.

A wise man once told me that the definition of failure isn’t to fall down; it is not to get back up again. I had waited eight long months to get back up again, a time stretching from August 23rd 2009 to 6:20am on Monday, May 3rd 2010 when I found myself at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and the start of my second attempt at the Mourne Wall Walk.

I suppose you could say that the previous attempt had not gone well…  you would be pretty correct in saying that it had ended in something of abject failure and quite a bit of misery. On that occasion, the Mournes had quite simply chewed us up and spat us out again. We were the proverbial lambs to the slaughter; badly prepared, totally lacking the requisite fitness and arrogantly believing that we could triumph over whatever Nature could throw at us including the forecasted stormy weather.

Those arrogant presumptions were given fuel as we started out from Carrick Little car-park heading towards glistening peaks which were bathing in the warmest of autumnal sunshine. The first part of that particular walk had seen the Mournes effortlessly lull us into a false sense of security, so much so that we’d even had an extended lunch break down by Silent Valley reservoir all the while untroubled by our lack of progress and completely oblivious to the ominous gathering of a melee of dark clouds overhead.

Not even the discovery by one member of the party that he had left half his water supply in the car boot failed to lighten the mood. In our minds, we were Kings of the Mountains and anything that they could throw at us.

The prevailing mood began to change as we struggled up one side of Slievenaglogh and back down the other and by the time we reached the foot of Slieve Muck, the dark clouds had dropped down out of the sky and were rushing and dancing over the ground all around us.

 

 

Enjoying the views on Slieve Binnian during the first attempt

Crossing Silent Valley reservoir on the first attempt

Slieve Muck itself quite simply broke our spirit; our overfilled back-packs combined with a complete lack of visibility meant that each and every step became a mammoth task. It was only due to a now gale force wind at our backs that we managed to get to the top of Muck at all. The scene at the top was akin to Armageddon as menacing black clouds danced impetuously across its flat summit only occasionally giving way to reveal a glimpse of a forlorn looking trig pillar which appeared to be crying out for rescue.

Things went from bad to worse on the crossing from Muck to Carn. The last of the daylight ebbed away and the storm continued to pick up bringing heavy showers of rain with it. Murphy’s Law then kicked in to dictate that the walk spiraled even more in the direction of disaster; the heel of my walking boot splitting open as I tripped over a muddy rock and ended up on my backside.

 

Camped out during the first attempt

We spent a very uncomfortable night camped to one side of the wall taking whatever shelter we could from the raging storm, our tents fiercely battered by the winds and occasionally threatening to pull free from their stakes. The next morning saw the storm still raging leaving us with no option but to abandon the walk. We downheartedly descended off the mountains and spent the long and miserable walk back by road to the car-park at Carrick Little with the bitterest taste of failure in our mouths.

Failure…. Abject Failure! It didn’t sit well with me over the winter months. Spurred on by that failure, I took up jogging and spent much of the winter building up my fitness levels to tackle the Wall again when the weather got better and the days got longer. Several people accused me of succumbing to some kind of mountain-related madness and there was probably more than a bit of substance in those accusations.

And so, at 6:20 am on the morning of May 3rd, I found myself starting out again from Carrick Little car-park on the road to redemption.

This time I had packed light, a pair of Inov8 trail running shoes had been broken in on some shorter walks and on my back was a Camelbak Apline Explorer pack which has an integrated 3 litre hydration reservoir. Instead of doing the walk over two days and having to carry overnight gear, I decided to do it over one long day. The good people at Mapyx Quo had provided me with an electronic copy of the Mournes Maps and their software had proved invaluable in allowing me generate a very detailed route card to download to my GPS. What the route card showed was that the most difficult part of the walk was the initial section as far as Muck by which point almost 50% of the ascent would be complete over just 33% of the distance. Once more, Muck looked like being a focal point in the walk – after that, everything should be a lot simpler!

The walk itself is something of a classic, described by the author Paddy Dillon as ‘one of the greatest mountain walks in Ireland’ and it is hard to disagree with him. The walk covers close on 35 kilometres with a total ascent approaching 3000 metres and the route itself was followed as part of an organized walk which ran annually between 1957 and 1984 only to be cancelled as a result of its own popularity when fears were raised over erosion to the route due to the huge crowds participating.

The wall itself was built between 1904 and 1922 by the Belfast Water Commissioners to enclose the water catchments in the Mournes. Between Carn Mountain and Long Seefin where it is at its stoutest, you can’t help but be impressed by the wall and in awe of the huge effort that must have gone into building it.

 

Heading for Slieve Binnian from Carrick Little

There are a number of places from which to start the walk but I chose the car-park at Carrick Little. From there, a short walk along a track brings you to the wall itself which offers a sure guide almost to the summit of the mighty Slieve Binnian, halting only when it reaches the summit Tor where it is replaced for a stretch by a wire fence. With a height of 747 metres and a height-gain of around 580 metres from the car-park, Binnian represents the perfect pulse-raiser. The summit proper is atop the impressive Tor and you’ll need to grapple with some rock should you wish to reach it. At 7am, I had the summit all to myself but dwelt there just a short while to admire the magnificent views down onto Silent Valley below as well as North-West across to some of the mountains I would climb later in the day including Meelmore, Meelbeg and Loughshannagh.

 

A stile crosses the wall on Slieve Binnian

 

View from Slieve Binnian

 

Looking across to the challenge ahead

The descent down Binnian is over some very steep ground and you need to take care to avoid the slabs immediately below the Summit Tor. The wall passes over the summit of Wee Binnian but this can be bypassed through the notch to the left. The minor summit of Moolieve is next before you lose all of the height you gained by following the wall down to the reservoir at Silent Valley. As I crossed the reservoir and glimpsed up at Slievenaglogh towering over the water, apprehension set in. The stretch from Silent Valley to the summit of Muck had proved troublesome on my last effort albeit in more difficult conditions.

 

The wall running from Slieve Binnian to Wee Binnian. Doan is in the background.

On the far side of the reservoir, turn right at the shelter and follow a track uphill. At the bend, leave this track to follow a vague path uphill through some wet ground and thick vegetation. Cross the fence at the top of this path and follow it up to the wall. This section of the walk is particularly boggy but the wall avoids the worst of the bog by continuing uphill before taking a ninety degree right turn to head for the slopes of Slievenaglogh. Take it from me that you are best advised not to give into the temptation to take a short cut through the bog. The climb up Slievenaglogh is steep in places across some bouldery ground but with a bit of care, a decent path can be picked to the summit of the mountain at 445 metres which is marked by a summit cairn. From the cairn, the path across to Slieve Muck is clearly visible.

 

Summit cairn on Slievenaglogh. Slieve Muck in the background.

Cross the wall to descend Slievenaglogh over some more very steep ground. A track leads from the bottom of the mountain across Banns Road before veering away from the wall to pass through a gap in a subsidiary wall. Veer back towards the wall and follow it up the relentlessly steep and seemingly never-ending slopes of Slieve Muck. There are a couple of points where the ground becomes too steep even for the wall and it gives way to slabs. You will need to steer to the right of these sections.

It was towards the top of Muck that I felt the first slight twinges of cramp in my legs but these were eased somewhat when the steep slopes gave way to gentler ground leading to the trig pillar on the summit plateau. It was a huge relief to reach this point of the walk so early in the day and with already over half the total ascent done, I could now look forward to tackling the sections of the walk which were new to me in the knowledge that most of the hard work was now behind me.

 

Trig Pillar on Slieve Muck. The Cooleys are in the far background.

The section from Muck along Carn, Loughshannagh, Meelbeg and Meelmore is relatively straightforward with the height gain and loss between each mountain being small compared with that between Binnian and Muck. What I hadn’t anticipated was the cramp in my legs that was to arrive sharply and sporadically throughout the rest of the walk particularly during the ascents. The stone lookout tower on the whale-back bulk of Slieve Meelmore is an obvious landmark but the actual summit is marked around 100 metres away by a stone cairn. What is very striking along the stretch from Meelbeg to Meelmore is just how steep the section of the wall running up Slieve Bearnagh is – it really looks a preposterous and impossible angle from certain viewpoints.

 

The impressive bulk of Slieve Meelmore, the steep wall up Bearnagh to the right

The best method of climbing Bearnagh is to keep well to the right of the wall where the incline is somewhat gentler before picking your way upwards. I had by now adapted a pretty erratic zig-zag style of walking uphill, taking four or five lateral steps for each step upwards. By the time I reached the top of Bearnagh, I had adapted something of a ‘Basil Fawlty’ style funny walk and with quite a few people picnicking at the base of Bearnagh’s impressive summit Tor, I decided it would be best not to make an exhibit of myself by attempting to scramble up the rocks to the summit proper.

The wall continues across Bearnagh via a couple of smaller Tors which can be bypassed over a distinct path before dropping down to Hare’s gap. The gap was a hive of activity with people of various nationalities consulting maps and making plans for the day ahead. I on the other hand had the finish line in sight and only had eyes for the last stretch of mountains ahead running from Slievenaglogh across to Ulster’s highest point, Slieve Donard via Slieve Corragh and the mammoth bulk of Slieve Commedagh.

 

Commedagh, Donard and the Brandy Pad from the slopes of Slieve Bearnagh

The steps leading from Hare’s Gap up the initial steep section at the foot of Slievenaglogh were sheer torture and I was glad when a man and his son stopped briefly to discuss the black clouds that were approaching as well as the man’s deep-held physicological fear of Slieve Bearnagh after he had come to an abrupt stop halfway up it’s relentless slopes on a previous assault. I was that busy concentrating on not blowing-up myself that I completely missed the ‘Diamond Rocks’, a crystalline outcrop of granite on the ascent to the summit cairn on Slievenaglogh. By the time I had crossed to the unassuming Slieve Corragh, I reckon I probably looked much like an unwanted extra out of a low-budget 1950’s war-film. Luckily this section of the wall doesn’t attract much walker traffic so my continuous utterances about ‘only 2 more left’ went unheard. The views from Corragh are arguably amongst the best along the walk with Slieve Bearnagh towering over the impressive Ben Crom Reservoir providing a spectacular backdrop.

 

Looking from Slievenaglogh Cairn towards Commedagh

It was on the ascent of Slieve Commedagh that the heavy black clouds finally made their move, streaming across Commedagh before depositing a heavy shower of hailstones over the mountain. Surely, only the mountains can delivery all four seasons within the space of a couple of hours. My pace of ascent had slowed to a crawl up Commedagh and the digits on my GPS counting down the distance to the summit seemed to be moving with the same lethargy as myself. I had now taken on a ‘boom and burst’ method of walking, pushing myself hard for 10 of 15 seconds before stopping for a prolonged rest and to let the now constant cramps in my legs abate. When the lookout tower finally emerged from the clouds at the summit of Commedagh, I only had one more mountain to climb, albeit the highest of the day.

I dropped out of the cloud down to the broad gap between Commedagh and Donard. Again, groups of people were gathered at the gap whilst others were at varying stages of ascending and descending both mountains, those close to the top visible only as tiny dots. Buoyed on by the sight of my last summit, I made good progress upwards stopping occasionally to speak to people taking the ‘tourist trail’ up the mountain including one man in his fifties who lived within sight of Donard but who had only climbed the mountain for the first time that afternoon. Pumped full of adrenaline and delight, he told me that he had proudly phoned his son in Australia from top of Donard to break the news to him. Slieve Donard was the first mountain I ever climbed and I had been taken by the impressive views both out to sea and across the rest of the Mournes. On a clear day, views reputedly stretch to the Wicklow Mountains as well as across to the Isle of Man.

 

Below Slieve Donard, the final major ascent of the day

A ray of light catches the gap between Donard and Commedagh

If I had any feeling of completion when standing beside the huge cairn that marks the summit of Ulster’s at 850 metres, it was very much misplaced. I had not banked on the long and steep descent from the mountain down to and across the Bog of Donard and over to Long Seefin. This stretch of the wall seemed limitless, appearing to my tired mind and malfunctioning legs to stretch off into infinity. After what seemed like an eternity of walking combined with bits of sporadic running, I finally reached the curious little stone tower below Long Seefin at which point the wall loses its epic proportions.

A right turn at the strange tower takes you down the hill where you have a couple of options as to how to complete the walk. I opted to play fair and attempt to follow the course of the wall as closely as I could by following it down across the Annalong River and up the other side. This proved to be a bad choice; what looked like a short last stretch of the walk through Annalong Woods turned out to be something of a nightmare slog. The section of woods I passed through had been felled leaving thick grass and brambles which were knotted into the hidden remnants of the tree felling, all sitting atop uneven and boggy ground. The conditions underfoot and aching legs made for very slow and frustrating progress and it became very disconcerting on the couple of occassions that my legs stopped working completely. It was a feeling of immense relief that greeted the sight of the track leading back to the car-park at Carrick Little, so much so that I broke into a jog back to arrive at the car-park some 10 hours and 43 minutes after I had left.

 

Descending Donard and facing into the long walk back to Carrick Little

Looking back at Slieve Donard from the Bog of Donard

The overriding feeling was one of relief, relief that I was finished, relief that I could sit down for a while and most of all relief that I had laid to rest the ghost of eight months previous. I had hoped to complete the walk in sub 10 hours but the struggle through Annalong Woods on exhausted legs had greatly eaten into my time. Along the 35km, I had fallen out with the wall on numerous occassions as it stood idly by watching dispassionately as I was seized by cramp and rendered immboile. At several stages, I had vowed never to visit it again but deep down I was full of admiration for it and knew that sooner rather than later I’d be back again walking alongside it. Most of all, I spent my time in a state of wonder and amazement at the amount of human effort, sweat and tears that must have been expended in building this amazing, unprobable and magnificent structure.

The walk really is a superb way to experience the Mourne range. The wall itself makes the mountians very accessible and navigation very easy. The circuit of the wall should not however be underestimated, the height gain and section as far as Slieve Muck in particular representing a very tough challenge which requires more than a decent level of fitness.

For me the main thing was not that I had fallen, it was that I had got back up again!

Walk Information
Distance: 35km
Total Ascent: 2800 metres
Maps: OSNI Sheet 29. Mournes Activity Map

Selected Gear Used
Base Layer: Yew Clothing Everywhere Extreme 
Footwear: Inov8 Rocklite trail runners
Backpack: Camelbak Alpine Explorer

Please note: The popularity of the Mourne Wall challenge walk grew so much in the late 80's, early 90's that the route suffered from severe erosion and visitors to the Mournes were encouraged not to walk this route. Nowadays it is once again possible to roll back the years and walk this route in your own small groups (no more than 12 people). However, walkers are asked to be aware of and adhere to the principles of Leave No Trace. Visit www.leavenotraceireland.org for more information.

 

Learn to canoe this summer

Posted on June 28, 2010 @ 5:20 PM in

Learning to canoe in Northern Ireland couldn’t really be easier.  We are essentially surrounded by water; almost every house in Northern Ireland is within a few miles of a waterway whether it is the coast line, rivers or expansive loughs.

Couple this with a vast array of qualified canoeing providers and you have all the vital ingredients to learn this exciting sport during the summer.

Before you dash down to your local outdoor shop and buy all the gear let’s just take one small step at a time. As with any outdoor activity there is an element of risk but this is vastly reduced if you know what you are doing. 

Try it

Although most of you will have tried out canoeing whilst on schools trips or with youth clubs etc, it is best to start with a quick refresher.

So to begin with a ‘Have a Go’ session with your local canoeing provider is the best place to start.  These are typically 1.5 – 2 hour sessions on flat water; you will be grouped together with people of a similar ability and taught some basic techniques by a qualified instructor.  They will also supply all the necessary equipment; boat, paddle, wetsuit and buoyancy aid.

Here are some of the top activity providers offering ‘Have a Go’ sessions over the next few weeks:

 

Paddle Power for Adults

Clearsky Adventure Centre, Castle Ward Estate, Downpatrick, Co Down

Especially designed kayaking sessions for beginners on the beautiful Strangford Lough. No experience is necessary.
Takes place on evenings: 7pm-9pm. Pre booking is essential.
All specialist equipment & instruction is provided.

From £36pp

Every Saturday Go Canoeing

Mobile Team Adventure Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast

Held every Saturday (except July Fortnight) on the peaceful Lagan in the middle of Belfast’s parklands. Just turn up - no need to book!

9 - 11 AM Splash! Kids session (kids only)
2 - 4 PM Family open session - everyone welcome. Children (under 15) must be accompanied by an adult. (16+)
4.30 - 6.30 PM Adults open session (16+ only)

From £10pp children £15pp adults

Share Summer Extravaganza

Share Holiday Village, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh

SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA 2010 is the exciting and innovative summer activity programme available for visitors to Fermanagh and Lough Erne.

The programme offers regular canoeing and kayaking sessions ranging from 1-2 hours.

From £7.50pp

Summer Sessions: Canoeing

Action Outdoors, Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh County Down

Spend some time on Strangford Lough, learning a few strokes and enjoying the scenery. An ideal family activity.
From £10pp

This is by no means an exhaustive list so check out our canoeing events section to find a ‘Have a Go’ session near you.

 

Learn it

I have no doubt that you will enjoy whichever ‘Have a Go’ session you try so the next step is to sign up for a course so you can take your skills to the next level. 

Courses can range from one day, weekend or one evening a week for six weeks.  Joining in with a group of like minded people is not only a fantastic way to learn, it is great fun and an excellent way to make new friends.

Again you will be provided with all of the necessary equipment and taught all the essential skills such as paddling in a straight line, turning, stopping and capsize recovery.

Here are some of the top activity providers for learning how to canoe this summer.

 

Introduction to Canoe / Kayak Skills

Activities Ireland, Belfast

This 2 day non-residential course will give you all the necessary skills to be able to paddle a canoe or Kayak safely and enjoy the local waterways.  You will also work towards and receive a nationally recognised, Canoe Association of Northern Ireland, certificate.

From £65pp

Improvers Paddle Power

Clearsky Adventure Centre, Castle Ward Estate, Downpatrick, Co Down

For those with that little bit of experience, try out a range of modern crafts on the water and progress your skills.

From £49pp

 

6 Week Kayaking Course

Mobile Team Adventure, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast

6 Tuesday evenings from 27^th July – 31^st August learning how to kayak on the River Lagan.

From £85pp

 

 

Taking it further

Once you have ‘graduated’ from your course then Northern Ireland has so much to offer.

You can take trips on one of Northern Ireland's Canoe Trails, with five currently on offer and with three more arriving in the spring you’ll be spoilt for choice.

The Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI)  is well worth joining.  Among the many benefits you can avail of their recreational paddler which are really well organised, great social weekends, exploring Northern Ireland’s Canoe Trails.