The perfect time to recycle old outdoor gear

Were you lucky enough to receive a few new outdoors gifts for Christmas? Are you thinking about hitting the post-Christmas sales to buy a new waterproof jacket, walking boots or any number of outdoors products? If so, the chances are you will have some old kit to throw away. But before you add these items to the black bin why not consider recycling them?

Although your outdoors products might seem to be past their useful date, there will be other ways that people can make use of them. For example, at Green Peak Gear old climbing ropes are collected and then turned into rope rugs, dog leads and skipping ropes. Green Peak Gear also recycle nylon (rope), general plastics (harnesses and helmets) and metals taken from old climbing gear.

Another UK-based company that is worth checking out is Recycle Outdoor Gear . This website is the perfect place for selling or swapping your unwanted outdoor kit.

Ebay and Gumtree offer alternative sites for selling unused or unwanted outdoor gear. Perhaps you received a Christmas gift that is not exactly your chosen colour or design. If so, you can sell the item and then buy the one you really fancied.

And if your kit is still in good working order but unwanted, why not give it to a local kids group for their use?

Happy Christmas to all our readers – and an even happier New Year of recycling outdoors kit.

Fancy a dip in the sea this half-term holiday?

Fancy a dip in the sea this half-term holiday?

So, it’s October but it’s not actually as cold as you might expect. And after a summer of variable weather, the last few weeks have seemed pretty pleasant. One place that is surprisingly unchilly is the Scottish coast. With a wetsuit on, it’s a perfectly pleasant experience to jump into the water and head off for an exciting adventure. But what, where, how and why?

Let’s go coasteering

Coasteering is a fun pursuit for adults and children. The idea is to traverse and navigate a section of Scotland’s coastline, swimming, climbing over rocks, jumping into the sea and having a laugh along the way. Coasteering trips are led by a qualified outdoors instructor and are pitched to suit the participants so the pursuit cane tried by all kinds of people.

What should you expect?

No two coasteering trips are ever the same because of conditions and swell but expect to encounter Zawns (rock slots that cut into sea cliffs), Buffer Zones (the swell drop-offs behind rock outcrops) and Pour Overs (areas where waves push over boulders).

Who is coasteering for?

Coasteering trips are suitable for ages 12 upwards. It's important that you can swim and that you have a sense of adventure but participants do not have to do anything they do not feel comfortable with.

Where to go coasteering

Highway2Adventure make great use of the east coast of Scotland for varied coasteering adventures. The selected venues provide a way to explore off-the-beaten-path locations set amid stunning scenery. You may also be lucky enough to catch sight of some of Scotland's fabulous wildlife, including seabirds, seals and dolphins.

To find out more or to book a coasteering adventure for your family or a group of friends contact us.

Here is a recent group of children enjoying a coasteeringadventure

Now outdoors play is even better for your children's health

Playing outdoors is great for your kids because it improves mental and physical well-being – and now a new study has revealed an additional benefit. The UK research shows that outdoors play helps to maintain children’s eyesight. 

The study, conducted by the universities of Bristol and Cardiff, showed that children, aged between eight and nine, who spend more time outdoors are half as likely to become short-sighted by the time they are 15.

The symptoms of short-sightedness, more specifically called myopia, usually start with the onset of puberty. Being short-sighted means that items in the far distance are more blurred and many teenagers find they then need spectacles or contact lenses to correct their vision. 

Did you know?: A third of people in the UK are myopic.

What the outdoors play study found

The study team followed the occurrence of short-sightedness in more than 7,000 boys and girls in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, also known as the "Children of the 90s study”.

More than 14,000 mothers signed up for the long-term study during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and the health and development of their children has been followed in detail ever since.

The children’s physical activity levels were recorded with an activity monitor and this data was then compared to levels of myopia. The findings suggest that spending more time outdoors is linked to less myopia by the age of 15.

What the experts say about outdoors play

Dr Cathy Williams, of Bristol University's School of Social and Community Medicine, is reported as saying: "We’re still not sure why being outdoors is good for children’s eyes, but given the other health benefits that we know about we would encourage children to spend plenty of time outside, although of course parents will still need to follow advice regarding UV exposure."

Great new adventure weekend festival for Angus

We think Angus is a great place for an adventure, especially a family adventure.  And it seems that others agree! Not only are visitor numbers on the up to this wonderful part of Scotland, but now there is news of a new Angus Adventures event.

Taking place over two days on September 1 and 2, the Adventure Weekend will give more people a chance to try a range of outdoor activities. From the magnificent scenery of the glens, to the imposing cliffs and shoreline, there is no better place than Angus to try your hand at something new in the great outdoors.

On offer is the chance to learn new skills in wildlife photography, coasteering, mountain biking to new places, canoeing, rock climbing gorge walking and multi-activity days. This weekend is aimed at children and adults so it’s ideal for a family break.

All the activities will be led by fully qualified and accredited companies and individuals, including us at Highway2Adventure!

Take a look at the Angus Adventure Weekend programme

Hilary Tasker, marketing officer within the Economic Development Unit at Angus Council, which is behind the Angus Autumn Adventure event, says: “The aim of the festival is to offer participants taster sessions of activities they may not have tried before, at a discounted rate.

“Most of the activities we have on offer have been organised by members of Outdoor Angus, which is a group of businesses who work together to promote the Angus countryside and the great activities that can be enjoyed here. 

“There really is something for everyone, from high adrenalin experiences such as canyoning, to gentle walks in the countryside where you can learn the skills involved in wildlife photography. 

“Angus is a beautiful part of the country, with lots to do.  We would recommend that people come to experience it for themselves.”

Will you accept The Next Challenge?

We love people with great ideas, especially in the outdoors. Tim Moss, the founder of thenextchallenge.org has hatched a plan to get us all out and enjoying a range of new adventures.

From May 14 to 18 he is calling for all of us to have a week of adventures, from simple pursuits such as cycling to work instead of driving or taking the god for a different walk.

Every day, for one week, Tim will set a challenge from his website, www.thenextchallenge.org The challenge can be interpreted by every individual according to their abilities and ambitions.

So, on Monday May 14, Tim is suggesting you Start Your Day A Different Way.

· You could choose to travel to work by bike, or rollerblades, or skateboard rather than car

· You could walk the kids another route to school - even if it is out of the way - so they have see new landmarks and get more fresh air

· You could go for a dip in your local loch before going to work.

Whatever you choose to do, the idea is to dare yourself to step away from the path well trodden and treat yourself to a new experience each day for one week.

Tim will also be taking on his own challenges and blogging about them on his site. He will always publicise his location in case anyone wants to join him in his pursuits but be warned, as a professional adventurer, he will be setting a daring pace.

Go on, set yourself a daily challenge and see how great you feel by the end of the five days!

School and youth groups welcome at Highway2

Are you a school or youth group looking for rewarding activities for children? Are you keen to find activities that benefit children both mentally and physically? At Highway2Adventure we are fully licensed to offer a range of fantastic children's activities.

Activities for children-only

Outdoor education plays a vital role in giving young people experiences that will be rewarding, as well as the stuff of memories. Kids will talk endlessly about the day that they went gorge walking, or built and sailed a raft. Being outdoors is also healthy and it's a great way to increase confidence for younger people.

Added to this, Highway2Adventure use the building blocks of the new Curriculum for Excellence to provide an activity programme to suit a school group's needs.

Highway2Adventure school group activities

You can pick and mix from a wide range of outdoor activities suitable for youngsters including:

Hillwalking, first aid courses, coasteering, climbing and abseiling, canoeing, raft building, gorge walking, mountain biking, canyoning, archery, problem solving and team building. We also run National Navigation Award courses.

Why not give us a call and find out what we can offer your school or youth group?

Grown ups just wanna have fun not boring exercise

If exercise is fun, then it stands to reason that we're more likely to keep at it. It seems that the problem with many keep-fit activities is that they are just too dull and repetitive. As well as a lack of time, another big reason for adults shunning exercise is "it's too boring".

But if you think a little outside the boundaries of "normal" exercise, such as going to the gym, running and swimming, it's possible to see a range of opportunities for fun and engaging fitness activities.

For example, have you thought about climbing? Whether indoors or outdoors, climbing is great for strength and toning and also offers advantages of flexibility and cardiovascular benefits. Climbing is more of a "leisure pursuit" and also involves chatting while sorting out belays and next climbs, and breaks for nice cake and coffee. Trying new routes and challenges keeps this sport interesting.

Mountain biking is also high on the fun factor, and great for body toning and cardiovascular fitness. The challenges are there to suit a wide range of people, ages and aspirations. Again, chat and coffee stops are all part of the culture – and you'll rarely repeat the same trail or bunny hop twice so it's very unlikely to become boring.

Outdoor adventure pursuits, including canyoning, gorge walking, surfing, white water rafting and coasteering can be enjoyed on a regular basis. This sports are high on adrenaline and also require you to be physically active. There is no chance of being bored taking part in adventure activities and you'll find yourself pleasantly physically and mentally tired by the end of a session.

Hill and mountain walking: Walking is one of the most accessible, and cheapest, forms of exercise. Walking to the shops or walking your kids to school might become a bit boring, but heading to Scotland's hills and mountains for a walk is completely different. A day in the hills offers physical and mental challenges and will leave you feeling de-stressed and high in spirits. Walking is also a great muscle toner and calorie burner.

Next time you imagine that keep-fit is boring, try thinking of a new activity.