Aberystwyth ramblers - training with bryn walking

A 3-day training programme by Bryn Walking for Aberystwyth ramblers: Rec Basic first aid for the outdoors and the nnas silver navigator award - written by alan Ward

REC BASIC FIRST AID FOR THE OUTDOORS

The venue for this course was the Jubilee Hall Scout Hut in Newtown and Helen and I were there to set up well before the scheduled start time of 0930. The Scout Hut was particuarly spacious but somewhat difficult to keep warm throughout the course.

There were 8 participants for the 6hr course and they were all Walk Leaders for Aberystwyth Ramblers. This course would be the first to utilise some of the new training equipment recently purchased by Helen for Menhinick Outdoors Limited.

Course content:

• The fundamental workings of the body, in particular the heart, lungs and airway

• Recognising the difference between the healthy, ill or injured

• Ability to record the baseline measurements of the vital body functions

• Introduces a system to cope with all incidents as safely as possible

• Deciding how to deal with an accident or incident
• Includes Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

The course ran smoothly throughout the day and ended with real life practical scenarios in the grounds of the Scout Hut - congratulations to the 8 participants who worked hard throughout the course and passed.

REC First aid - course feedback

1. Helen and Alan were excellent instructors, pitched at the correct level.

2. This was First Aid Course which covered a wide range of issues in depth and detail, The introduction and presentation with Visual Aids was very informative, and the practical hands-on experience with various pieces of equipment and aids which followed resulted in a well balanced informative course.

3. The course was helpful in that it was an excellent refresher as I have not been to a first aid course since before the covid pandemic. I particularly found the section on abdominal thrusts helpful with good aids. I did find the session rather long - seven hours in all as we arrived at 9.30 and did not leave until just after 4.30, I must admit my concentration and interest was starting to flag by then and as we also had to travel it was a long day.

4. Very enjoyable course which taught myself a lot on First Aid. The only problem was the venue being very cold.

​5. The hall we used was not terribly well heated. If we had just been told to wear warm clothes for the day it would have been more comfortable.

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nnas silver navigator award - day 1

Day 1 - The Silver National Navigation Award develops the navigation skills acquired at the Bronze level. It adds skills required to navigate to features and places some distance from paths and tracks. It teaches accurate compass work and will also teach how to select suitable navigational techniques to cross open country.

The course started with a 2hr theory based session, at Bryn Heulog, to introduce the 4 participants to the content of the course and the timetable to be followed during the course. Helen used a PowerPoint presentation which was very effective and combined this with practical tuition of topics such as grid references, map scales and symbols and basic use of compasses.

​We left Bryn Heulog before midday for the twenty minute drive up to Llyn Mawr parking area near the bungalow at the 404m spot height. Once we were all ready we used the road section to go over pacing on the way to where the bridleway left the road opposite some barns. Following the bridleway, the concept of timing was introduced and the participants were then asked to work as a team to locate the intersection of a bridleway (not visible on the ground) with a field boundary at Craig y Llyn-mawr. Two were successful in this challenge but Helen called the other two back and discussed navigational processes.

Continuing upwards to the stile, Helen introduced compass bearings which resulted us finding the Craig y Llyn-mawr trig point (485m) where the geology was quite interesting. Soon after we paused for lunch on the leeward side of Craig y Llyn-mawr where good all round views were enjoyed including of Cader Idris to the north west.

After lunch the participants returned to the trig point and, as a team, worked towards an enclosure and then onto a row of quite prominent, but small, standing stones. Heading southwards to the bridleway at Craig Lithrig (slippery rock), we then followed it back to where the VW Transporter was parked and we returned to Bryn Heulog for a break of about 1.5hrs before meeting up again at 1800 for the "Day into Night Navigation" session.

The "Day into Night Navigation" session took place on and west of the 489m spot height at Banc Gorddwr. The session was interesting and increased in intensity of challenging navigation throughout the session. Helen and I thought that the participants had enjoyed the experience and with their mixed abilities, some did better than others.

nnas silver navigator award - day 2

Day 2 - This started with a 1.5hr review session in the Bryn Heulog Conference Room and covering more theory on the syllabus. 

We left Bryn Heulog before midday in the VW Transporter for the twenty minute drive up to the Cider House Car Park (441m) near the Kerry Ridgeway. After disembarking Helen asked me to demonstrate the correct procedure to use a  Group Shelter.

This day would see individual "leaders" manage the group on point to point navigation sections on an 8km route which circumnavigated Cilfaesty Hill (528m). On these two day courses we try to provide the required training on Day 1 so that Day 2 follows on as the Assessment Day. We noted that the "leaders" "led" or managed their individual navigational sections in different ways while Helen and I made every effort to encourage them to use normal good practice skills which are, of course, nationally recognised.

We stopped for lunch close to a Cross Dyke before continuing on, with the weather becoming milder but wetter and we arrived back at the VW Transporter by 1600. Driving back to Bryn Heulog we all enjoyed a cup of tea before some navigational challenge games to allow for individual debriefings before leaving for home with all four participants having passed the course.

Feedback 

• Helen and her lovely teaching manner, with Alan's assistance.
• Practical application of prior learning.
• Loved it, no improvements to offer other then making the night time markers more visible.
• Thank you, well beyond any expectations.
• Attention to detail, conscientious instructors - knowledgeable and competent.
• Areas available for practice/transport and course facilities generally.
• The outdoor practical learning on the hill in real location and conditions.
• The instruction was done at a level to suit the students.