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church beck
More Details...
- Coniston
- 2 - 3 Hours (from meeting to leaving)
- £50 per person (plus £6 landowners fee)
What’s Involved?
This is a great little ghyll scramble in Coniston. This option is perfect if you have a mixed group or young children as all obstacles are avoidable.
You’ll do a full ascent of the gorge known as Church Beck. There are avoidable jumps and various climbing and swimming challenges you can choose to join in with.
The braver amongst you will be given the option to also complete the entirety of the “Church Beck Canyon” which ends on an impressive waterslide.
Who is it for?
Suitable from 9+ years due to all obstacles being avoidable. Adults shouldn’t be put off by the age limit. This is great for big stag groups.
The venue:
Church Beck is a fantastic ghyll scrambling trip taking place in Coniston. It is around a 30 minute drive from Windermere in the Lake District National park. There are a variety of cafes, pubs and holiday lets in this popular village.
It is an ideal activity as it suits most ages and abilities. It doesn’t matter if you are just after a fun and non-committing outing or a more adventurous one as there are options available for anyone.
After parking up and getting changed you will have a 5 minute walk to get to the start of the ghyll scramble. Then the fun begins!
what's Involved at Church Beck?
You will enjoy optional challenges such as climbing and swimming obstacles, there are optional jumps and for the more adventurous you will take on the Church Beck Canyon and the famous waterslide!
Prepare to get submerged in the clear water of this beautiful canyon in Coniston from the start.
The activity builds up to an exciting crescendo for the fearless few amongst you, ending on a slide where you will free fall into a deep pool.
who does Church Beck suit?
Church Beck is fine for “first-timers” – no previous experience is necessary. This activity is suitable for most people and most abilities from 8+years.
Our wetsuits are thicker and more expensive than any other company out there. The wetsuit is so buoyant that buoyancy aids are not required, as you will float with just the suit. However if you wish to also wear buoyancy aids due thaving a very nervous member then please ask in advance and we will pack them for you.
You need to have some level of fitness as you must be able to walk uphill for 20 minutes, walk in a rocky stream unaided along with the other challenges of descending the canyon.
Finally, all under 18’s must be accompanied by their own parent or legal guardian for this Lake District activity.
Safety info for Church Beck:
It is an aquatic outing for those you choose to partake in all the challenges. The ghyll scramble can and will be ran in times of moderately higher water levels (group dependant).
When the water level is too high it can become unsafe to enter. If this happens we can often swap to a location near to Coniston that can handle more water.
This location in Church Beck, Coniston does not run low during prolonged dry spells. The slides, jumps challenges will always land you in deep pools!
what's PROVIDED:
When running an activity day at Church Beck you will be provided with the following:
- A Quality wetsuit (10mm) – a clean and dry 2-piece wetsuit that has been specifically designed for canyoning. It’s 10mm thick, warm and has an optional hood
- Wetsuit Socks (3mm) – Clean and dry and 3mm. Any thicker and you wouldn’t get your shoes over the top.
- Helmet
- Harness
- A Buoyancy Aid (upon request at booking) the wetsuits are specifically built for this activity and already have enough buoyancy to act as a buoyancy aid. We do understand though that extremely nervous customers may need a “visible” buoyancy aid to give them enough confidence to do the activity.
- All equipment & a qualified guide
- Medical kit with a dry storage container for personal medication
- Photo’s and videos – taken by the instructor and shared at the end of the session. All photo’s on this page were taken during a session on our phone camera.
wHAT TO BRING:
While most important equipment will be provided, it would be beneficial to come with the following items:
- Trainers – no wellies, sandals, water shoes
- Swimming costume/ trunks/ underwear
- Personal medication – (insulin, inhaler etc)
- Rash vest/ base layer/ gym t-shirt – (not cotton – its cold when wet)
- Towel to get changed under and drying
HOW LONG WILL IT last?
The activity will last no more than 3 hours from the point we meet in the Lake District location to the point we say goodbye.
It will usually last 2-3 hours but the exact time varies depending on group size, water conditions, ability and fitness levels.
what time of year?
We run this location all year, however, it will be adults only roughly November-February. Please be aware that the sessions go ahead even if it is cold, windy, raining and even snowing. So have this in mind if you book for the colder months as there is more chance of poor weather and you need to be up for it.
So to reinforce the point further – please expect for the activity to go ahead even in poor weather and if you are not keen on this idea then don’t book.
The only time we cancel this activity is if the conditions make it unsafe – and this decision is made by the instructor and is usually due to dangerously high water levels.
meeting location:
The meeting point is Old Furness Road, Coniston, LA21 8HU.
This is an industrial estate with parking. There are free spaces to park here but have change handy in case these are taken and you have to use the Pay and Display area.
Our van will have our ‘Crags Adventures’ logos on the side- please come over and introduce yourself when you arrive.
pro's & cons:
Pro’s
- Suitable for “first-timers”
- Free parking (limited) but also pay & display
- Always deep pools
- Great option for large groups, mixed groups and groups with young children
- A nice mixture of jumps, slides and challenges
- Everything can be avoided
- Near plenty of coffee shops, pubs and shops
- Bus transport links
- Easy to find
Cons:
- No toilet or changing area where we park- there are toilets in the village however so arrive a bit early if you need to visit them.
- Limited free parking
Church beck photo gallery:
Our Latest FAQ
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 if it is suitable for you. All of our activities involve wearing a harness, so your waist cannot exceed 46 inches or the safety equipment will not fit.
This is impossible to answer without knowing you or your group personally. If you read each activity page it will hopefully help, we can also give general guidance.
A deposit is required to secure your chosen date, time and activity if you are booking more than 14 days in advance. Your deposit is non refundable or transferable. Full payment is required within 14 days
No sorry, none of our activities are suitable for a dog to join in.
There are no refunds/rescheduling if you miss the meet time and the session may start without you. You may be joining others, we may have a group after you etc so can’t always delay the start time. Allow plenty of time to travel around the Lake District. The traffic from Windermere especially from mid morning can be very slow with jams. Mobile reception is limited but we will have your mobile number and you will have ours on the PDF Info sheet you receive when you book.
You will lose the deposit payment if you cancel with more than 14 days notice. If you cancel within 14 days you will lose the full balance.
You will receive a full refund- or you can opt to rebook. There is no pressure to do this option. If we cancel because of dangerous water conditions at a location (ghyll/canyoning) then we will try to offer an alternative if possible, which you are under no obligation to do.
We run our activities in all weather conditions if it’s safe to do so. If it’s raining and/or cold the activity will go ahead. Wrap up warm with waterproof clothing if you’re abseiling. For ghyll scrambling/canyoning we have high quality, thick canyoning specific wetsuits especially imported from Spain. We wear the same wetsuits as you – so you know you are getting excellent quality. If the rain has been heavy and persistent we may have to cancel/ swap locations if the water levels are dangerous (see question above)