Outdoor pursuits training diary, Dartmoor, Devon, UK and Spain

Weekly Diary <2006 - 2007>
Online diary recording the trainees' progress through the course.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14

Week 5 - Wet and Wild The students were given some respite from another wet and windy week by going to the Mill climbing wall in north Devon. Climbing walls are fantastic venues to focus on climbing technique and especially useful to introduce the process of lead climbing. We gave the group a gentle introduction to some moving water this week; they paddled through a number of low grade rapids and began to get to grips with turbulent currents and eddy lines. On the same river but in the wider tidal section there was a strong rear wind giving us another chance to experiment with sailing . Another boat can be used as a sail when crossed over the top of the canoe, its fast, but not the most stable ways of moving. The final day of the week brought the Canoe Safety Test for which the group had been training and which they all passed with flying colours.

The Mill had plenty of space for the whole group.	Some couldn't resist the challenge of the overhang.	Small rapids on the Lyhner.

	The 'curl' is one way of emptying a canoe that has been capsized.	With the 'all in' rescue a number of people have to rescue them selves from a multiple capsize.

Being able to accurately throw a line to a swimmer needs practice