FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
There is always plenty to do at Outward Bound. We like to start the day bright and early to fit it all into the day. Below is a sample outline of what a typical day at Outward Bound is like:
7am: Wake up
7.30-9am: Breakfast
9am-5pm: Activity time with your instructor
5pm-7pm: Dinner and free time
7pm-8:30pm: Activity time with your instructor
8:30pm-10:30pm: Free time
10:30pm: To dorms
11pm: Lights out
Yes, our catering teams at all our centres will meet any dietary requirements.
You will be asked about your dietary requirements in your Participant Information Form, which is sent to you no later than six weeks before your adventure.
Yes, there are certain activities where the aim is to get wet (like jumping off a pier or running into the sea...) or others where getting wet is a possibility if things don’t go quite to plan (like raft building or paddling). However, you can come ready and prepared for these activities. Please dress appropriately in clothes that you don’t mind getting wet and don’t wear your best set of trainers. Ask your instructor what is best to wear for the day or the activity if you are not sure – they will be happy to help!
For safety reasons, aerosols and penknives are forbidden.
You will be given ration packs; trust us they are tasty! They'll provide you with the energy you need for you exped.
You will be given a tent in your group to carry with you. Your instructor will take you to an appropriate spot and show you how to use the tent and equipment.
Our shops don’t sell sweets or fizzy drinks. However, you can buy juice, crisps and cereal bars. It will also have a selection of souvenirs such as pens, hats, jumpers, etc., and also some emergency items like toothbrushes or soap. The shop will usually be open every evening during your free time.
All our centres have a small shop (except Ogwen Cottage but there is a local shop close-by), which sells snacks, souvenirs and clothing. How much you need will depend on the length of time you're with us, but we recommend about £15. We don't accept card.
If you are coming on a Summer Adventure, you'll need at least £10 for a refundable deposit on any kit you borrow. Apart from that, your summer adventure is all-inclusive, so you don't need to bring any extra spending money.
This depends on a lot of things; what your school has asked to do, what your instructor has planned based on your learning aims, how many of you and also on what the weather is like. However, to give you an idea, below is a list of activities you might be doing:
- Expeditioning (camping)
- Gorge walking
- High ropes activities
- Rock climbing
- Scrambling
- Hill walking
- Canoeing
- Sailing
- Tree climbing
- Kayaking
- Raft building
Your instructor will encourage you to take part in every activity even if it seems a bit daunting at first. This might feel a little worrying to begin with, but you will soon realise that most things are not as scary or as difficult as they seem. The most challenging things are often the most rewarding!
Your instructor will not ask you to try something that they think is beyond your ability or that is unsafe, so give everything a go, you will be surprised how much you can achieve!
The answer to this is simple, you will get out of it what you put in! It might sound silly, but it’s true! The course will give you lots of opportunities to push yourself out of your comfort zone, to try new things you didn’t think you weren’t capable of and to work together with others you might not have met before. Only if you take every one of these opportunities and try your hardest throughout the course will you discover something new about yourself and learn some great new skills for the future.