Do I have to be fit?
All of the activities we offer are physical and involve a degree of fitness ( some more than others). We recommend you look at each individual activity page to see whether it would be suitable for you, we can also offer advice. Please ensure you meet our minimum/maximum limits on the booking email.
Will this activity suit my group?
This is impossible to answer without knowing you or your group personally. I would recommend reading each individual activity page as well as looking at the photographs provided. Hopefully you will then be able to answer this question yourself.
Is my deposit refundable or transferable to a different date?
A deposit is required to secure a date and time slot, this is non refundable or transferable. This is so we can plan our diary around your booking. The reason it is non refundable or transferable is because we will of turned down other bookings to accommodate yours.
When is my remaining balance due ( if applicable)?
Your remaining balance is due 2 weeks/1 month (group dependant) prior to the activity date. After this point any money paid is non refundable unless WE (Crags Adventures) cancel for any reason (eg unsafe water levels). We recommend you take out personal accident/cancellation insurance for this reason.
What happens if I’m late?
Your instructor will have your mobile number for us to contact you (if you provided it) if you are late. You will also have the instructors mobile number on the PDF you receive when you book. Please be aware there are many parts of the Lake District which do not have mobile service. This includes some of the meeting places where the activities take place, so it is not always possible to contact each other. Please allow plenty of travel time to get to the location, do not leave ‘just’ enough time. It can get particularly busy from mid morning getting from Windermere/Bowness to anywhere and traffic jams are common especially during school holidays and weekends. We may not be able to wait for you as you may be joining others and/or we may have a session after yours to run. There are no refunds if you miss the session due to lateness.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Unfortunately your deposit is non refundable. You will lose your full balance if you cancel within 2 weeks/1 month (group dependant) of the activity date.
What happens if YOU (Crags Adventures) cancel?
First of all we would never cancel a session unless absolutely necessary. This can happen on a ghyll scramble/canyoning booking due to dangerous water levels. As explained on a question further down, this cannot always be predicted in advance. This means you may have a wasted trip, which is annoying and disappointing all round. We fully refund you all monies paid to us if we cancel a session. Whilst it is frustrating if you’ve planned a special birthday trip etc, it’s better than injury or death so please do not think you know better than the instructor with this decision. If WE (Crags Adventures) cancel due to illness/vehicle/personal reasons (this has never yet happened) then please understand we will of done our very best to find a replacement instructor/company for you and paid the difference.
What happens if its raining and/or cold?
We run the activities in all weathers and only cancel if WE (Crags Adventures) deem it to be too dangerous to go ahead. If it’s raining and/or cold this isn’t a dangerous situation so the activity will go ahead. Sometimes heavy rain will make certain ghylls too flooded to enter. We cannot always predict this in advance as levels can rise/fall quite rapidly in some areas. We will be in touch if we can give you a heads up and offer an alternative, but often we have to just turn up at the location and see what the levels are. If we decide it’s too dangerous we will fully refund you or you can reorganise the date.
Can I wear hiking sandals ( e.g Keens ) for Ghyll Scrambling/Canyoning?
No, we do not recommend that type of footwear in the ghylls/canyons. Please see the attached PDF about the activity for footwear recommendations. Keens have open areas (rocks can poke in), are slip on rather than laces so can easily come off during higher water levels (never to be found again!) and have no real support around your heel area.
Will I be cold during the ghyll scramble/canyoning?
We use the best wetsuits possible for this activity , plus we provide you with an added neoprene jacket. We also have special kit for the winter months. So the answer is you shouldn’t be cold, although the water temperature is always cold! Most of our customers are warm, but there are always some people that feel the cold more than others. A lot depends on the weather conditions on the day (eg cold wind) and the state of mind of the participant. If you’re shivering in the car and complaining of the cold before getting changed, then yes you’ll probably be cold!
Are there showers/toilets?
There are no showers, we meet all our customers out near the activity meeting point they have booked (eg in a car park or lay-by). There may be public toilets nearby depending on location or often nearby cafes /pubs. We would appreciate it if you didn’t wee in our wetsuits, it’s not very nice for us when we come to sort out the kit after!
Where do I change for Ghyll Scrambling/Canyoning?
For all except Esk we have large ponchos (not towelling material) that you can put on to help hide your modesty as you get changed, or you can use your vehicle to change in. At Stickle Ghyll there is a toilet block to change in (unless it is closed for cleaning/maintenance). At Esk you will use your towels and hide behind a dry stone wall.
If you have a poncho that is towelling material then bring it along as this is better than the poncho we can offer you. We have tried tents but space can be limited in some venues to put them up. They also get damaged quickly, can only be used when it isn’t windy and you can only fit one person at a time in so everyone else is stood around waiting.
Can I bring my dog?
No sorry. We love dogs, but none of our activities are suitable for a dog to join in and the farmers/landowners are not happy about dogs running around on their land.
Can non participants spectate?
Some venues are great for spectators and some you won’t see a thing. You can always ask our advice if this is important. Please be aware that spectators do so at their own risk and must look after themselves as it is not possible for the instructor to be both in the water and on the path at the same time.
Do you take photos?
Yes we do. This is just a free service and we give you them at the end of the session.
The only time we’ve not took photo’s is if the camera gets damaged or the battery has gone unexpectedly flat. This probably happens on one session a year so it would be unlucky if it happens to you, but feel free to bring your own camera/Go Pro if this is really important to you. If you do bring your own then it is at your own risk and MUST NOT interfere with the session at all eg fiddling with settings so everyone is waiting for you. If you’d rather we didn’t take photos of you just let us know at the start of the session.
