In this article I am going to tell you about my time doing work experience and working at ProAdventure,

During my time studying Adventure Sports at Reaseheath College I had to undertake 3 weeks of work experience for my course, ProAdventure was recommended to be by older students and a member of staff that worked for the company.

I was invited to the centre to be shown around and meet the staff that I could be possibly working with over the summer.

At the Start of June 2010 I started my work experience meeting two other work experience people as well, After my first week of being at the centre my own kayaking and climbing skills had been improved dramatically by the coaching of the staff at proadventure, And I had shown I was able to assist to sessions helping teach the customers in the climbing wall and out on the canal kayaking.

By the second week I was asked if I want to undertake my first NGB award in coaching paddlesports .After Successfully completing my 2* Award with the Proadventure staff I was put though my qualification  witch included how different ways of teaching people would effect peoples learning, to different specifications of boats and what they where used for. After 4 days I successfully completed my UKCC Level 1 in coaching paddlesports.

On my final week my new qualification was getting put to its use I was out coaching and teaching customers in canoes and kayaks whilst they where enjoying themselves, as well as assisting on Climbing/Abseiling days, Gorge walking and standing under and jumping off some awesome waters.

I really did enjoy my time at ProAdventure I feel that I was really trusted as an assistant instructor and that my own confidence and skills where developed massively by the friendly and knowledgeable staff that I was around learning something new everyday. I was never bored as the staff kept every session fun and enjoyable and was to exactly what the customer had came for to ensure they would leave with a smile on their face and that they had achieved something or conquered a fear that day.

Now a year on after graduating college with the grade Double Distinction Distinction and though this ProAdventure have now taken me back on and are really putting me through my paces, I am now trusted to run my own climbing lessons in the indoor climbing wall, putting my UKCC level 1 qualification to its full potential running Kayaking and Canoeing sessions for young children to Adults. I have also been a part of at least 10 White water Kayaking days with the staff and customers and totally decided that it is epic fun and my own skills have improved dramatically I am now a million times more confidant in the white water and I am now running Grade 3 rapids Comfortably all thanks to the staff at Proadventure if it wasn’t for them I would never be at the skills level I am at now. The staffs here always produce a smile on customer’s faces and there is never a dull moment. I have been back now for about 2 months and have been completely taken in by Proadventure they have spent there own time training and looking after me building my confidence up. I have also gained another qualification already from being here witch is my MIAS level 1 (Mountain Bike Instructor award scheme) since I have a love for mountain biking and also Taken part in an White Water Safety and Rescue Endorsement course witch was amazingly fun  and has total open my eyes. In the next 2 months I am undertaking my 3* Award in Kayaking and canoeing and the next stage in developing my paddle sports career in doing my BCU UKCC level 2 Training. None of this would have been possible without ProAdventure and I feel they have really given me the opportunity of a life time and a massive step into becoming a full fledged Outdoor Instructor. I am Keen to learn and put 100% effort into everything that I do.

Overall I would recommend ProAdventure to anybody if their going to do activities, work experience or qualifications, ProAdventure is the perfect place for everything.

Special Features for your Next Holiday

One of the largest Activity  holidays, Adventure holidays and Adventure weekend providers in the United Kingdom is ProAdventure. This company presents an extensive array of training courses and activities fashioned to suit individuals, groups, companies, families and instructors alike.

ProAdventure has been operating UK adventure weekends and activity holidays in North Wales, specifically Llangollen for the past ten years and devoid of any doubt, the company is insured fully and has been accredited by the authority in charge of licensing Adventure activities in the United Kingdom. The name of the body is popularly known as AALA.

Some of the focal customers of the organization include families, companies, individuals, local authorities, and groups. These are people who regularly travel on activity holidays, skill training courses, and team building events. The main aspiration of ProAdventure is to offer the best adventure experience for their customers. The company’s skilled outdoor instructors are experienced, friendly and well qualified. You can call the online website of the company to check the qualifications of their staff members. And for those who are fascinated with adventure holidays and various courses, you can acquire all the information you need from the company website, additionally if you are looking to purchase outdoor equipment to be used for camping, kayaking, climbing, walking and bush craft among others, you can buy them online in our adventure shop and camping department. Depending on the exact area you intend visiting, a good deal of clothing can be made for you by the company.

Proadventure also hold holiday guides to help tourists and visitors get familiar with the environment. With the help of the holiday guide, you will see all the exciting places can visit and the spectacular things you can do for pleasure and relaxation. It is also imperative to know the right time to go on an activity holiday or adventure weekend so you can enjoy both the weather and the activities taking place, sometimes it’s actually more fun in bad weather.

Holiday period is typically a special period when you want to enjoy yourself and relax, away from the pressures of work. Deciding to go on an adventure holiday is ideal. So, if you are craving for a trekking adventure, canoeing or even climbing a mountain for the first time,  then you can be certain of getting the best deal from ProAdventure.

Visiting the website of the company lets you enjoy the opportunity of seeing the holidays and adventure tours for the places you wish to visit. There’s also Activity holiday advice, a trip planner and specialist features; all these enable you to have an unforgettable experience during your break. Visit us here at www.proadventure.co.uk for more information or to book your unforgettable activity holiday or break.

Our first Blog entry is by one of our work experience students, Lorenza

During my time at Pro adventure, I have gained so many new skills and really improved in a lot of areas such as confidence in leading groups. The first activity I did was an all day White Water Kayak from Glyndyfrdwy all the way back to Llangollen on the river Dee. Before this my only other previous experience in a kayak was on the canal once a week for 5 weeks. Straight away this built my confidence and I was able to do so much more. Although I capsized 4 or 5 times, I learnt about edging, ferry gliding and breaking in and breaking out, something that I had never even heard of before hand. This all helped for my next activity which was again a white water kayak all day trip. This time I was allowed to try Serpent’s Tail, something that I had looked at the week before but wasn’t allowed to do for my own safety. First thing I thought of when I was told I could do it was ‘Who’s got the throw line because I’m going for a swim?’ Thankfully I was guided through it before I tried it and managed to pick up the right skills to get myself down it in one piece. Since then I have done a lot more kayaking with different instructors. None of the instructors are the same and they all do things differently so it’s really good to see different people run the sessions and to help out with demonstrations.

Also I have been able to do a lot of all day climb and abseil sessions and indoor sessions. Being a keen climber myself meant that I felt very comfortable doing this because I can help out instructing and don’t feel like a total beginner. I have also learnt how to rig up the climbs, something which I had never done before. Again this helped build my confidence around others.

Mountain Biking is another activity that I had very little experience in as well. But going out doing a mountain biking session meant that I also got to learn some new things and try something different. My only other previous experience with mountain biking was a stunt I tried on some very steep hills that lead from one to another straight onto a road with holiday caravans on the other side. This nearly ended up with a hospital trip and some fees to pay! I won’t be trying that one again in a hurry. But one thing I learnt from mountain biking is that when using berms, don’t press the breaks and lean the bike! Again a really enjoyable activity. Definitely would love to learn a lot more about mountain biking and take it up as a regular hobby.

On holidays in the past I have tried archery and really enjoyed it but only really been messing around and I was never really taught how to do it properly. But going on an archery session really helped and I learnt how to hold the bow properly and how to fire the arrow pretty accurately. Also, I enjoyed watching how the session was run and different games you can play and how to teach it in an interesting way. Again something that I would love to learn a lot more about.

If getting wet is something you like, which I do, then I would recommend Gorge Walking. I have really enjoyed all the gorge walks that I have done. The first one I did was an all day gorge. Both the gorges that you go to are fantastic. The first one that I did, I had the flu so didn’t really have any balance but thoroughly enjoyed myself and the cold water managed to wake me up and make me feel so much better. Again the instructors are brilliant and are all different. I have been on a lot of gorge walks with a lot of instructors and I have learnt something new each time. They all run the sessions very differently and again it was great to be there and demonstrate things and learn different things about the gorges and how you can run the sessions.

All the staff at Pro Adventure are brilliant. They love a laugh and are always there to help out and show you how to improve. They have given me a really great opportunity to stay and help out and gain some more skills before those all important qualifications. Doing this has really shown me how to enjoy life to the max and still help others achieve something. This is definitely the career path I want to follow!