Ghyll Scrambling sessions in The Lake District. Church Beck, Coniston, Saturday, June 25th 2011.

On Saturday, Iain from Kendal Mountaineering Services ran a corporate ghyll scrambling session for Gen II's Nuclear Graduate Programme.

This ghyll scrambling session in The Lake District was run as part of an initial team building weekend by Gen II and the people seen here in the first photo were university graduates being brought together for the first time after having been successful in joining the Nuclear Graduate Programme. So, the objective for the weekend was for these people to get to know each other and using a ghyll scrambling session is no better way to get people working together and looking after each other.

This was especially true on Saturday. After the overnight rain, Church Beck at Coniston was at the limit for safe use as a ghyll scrambling venue for adults.

After a reconnoitre by Iain and assisting Instructor Martin Kenyon, it was decided that it would still be possible to use the venue but that it would not be safe to do the usual ghyll scrambling ascent followed by the canyoning descent that we do as the standard Church Beck trip with Kendal Mountaineering Services - there was just too much water and this can be seen in photo two.




However, what we had made for a challenging and demanding yet exciting ghyll scrambling session where everyone truly had to work together as part of a team to make the session as success.

Photo three shows the group less than a third of the way up the ghyll scrambling trip - taking a breather in a relatively slow flowing pool and having a great time.







The final photo shows the team a little way further up the gorge and really having to work at making upstream progress by helping people from above and below each difficulty.

Although this team were unable to achieve more than the upstream ghyll scrambling (also known as gorge walking) ascent of Church Beck, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and although they perhaps didn't realise at the time, the experience was instrumental in improving self esteem and confidence and getting everyone working well together and talking to each other - some of the many spinoffs resulting from a shared experience in the outdoors with Kendal Mountaineering services.

Apparently, other graduates who have missed out on one of our ghyll scrambling sessions are disappointed to have done so - whilst those who have yet to come can't wait! Such is the power of the experiences we provide people.

Other photos from this session can be viewed here. To book a ghyll scrambling and canyoning session for your stag party, corporate group or just for a bunch of mates contact us here. Don't forget - we know all of the best locations to carry out this fantastic activity in The Lake district and chances are - there's one near to where you are staying.







Blog post to follow when Iain has a moment!!