Outdoor Alternative - Activities in North Wales
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Anglesey Outdoor Activities
Outdoor Alternative is used as a base for a wide range of activities. Users of the Centre include universities and colleges, schools, companies, clubs and family groups.
Andy Short operates as an AALA licensed freelance kayak coach and activity instructor from the centre providing a range of activities for groups and individuals including kayaking and canoeing, orienteering, treasure hunts and group / team building tasks. Visit his web site for more information or call him on 01407 740247.
Multi activity courses can also be arranged with Surf-Lines, to take place locally.
Rhoscolyn is an ideal location for a wide range of active pursuits including: kayaking; climbing; sea level traversing; sailing; windsurfing and subaqua as well as walking the Anglesey Coastal Path, bird watching and family beach holidays.
Outdoor Alternative is just 300m from, and has direct access to, Borthwen beach and the stunning local coastline.
Just a 40 minute drive from Llanberis, in the Snowdonia National Park, all the attractions of Snowdonia are easily accessed from Outdoor Alternative.
Outdoor Alternative is a member of Snowdonia-Active. Snowdonia-Active is a recently formed group of independent, freethinking business people from within the Gwynedd, Mn and the rural Conwy area.
We have come together as a result of sharing a common desire to better promote and safeguard Adventure Tourism and associated Outdoor Industries within our geographical area.
KAYAKING
Rhoscolyn is a great venue for kayaking at all levels with classic sea-touring, overfalls, surf, and daily moving water at the Inland Sea inlet/outlets (Stanley Embankment and Four Mile Bridge). The coastline is stunning, and attracts international visitors on a regular basis. There are caves, inlets, coves and beautiful beaches. There is plenty to see, with stunning rock scenery and seals and sea-birds in profusion on the outlying stacks and islands. Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula provide a wonderful mountain backdrop to many of the trips.
Borthwen, Rhoscolyn Bay, is an excellent put-in. The bay is safe and sheltered making it ideal for supervised introductory groups. Further up the coast the cliffs get bigger and the trips more committing with the classic Stacks and Skerries trips that continue to inspire and intimidate. There are all levels of sea-trips, from short days to multi-day camping journeys circumnavigating the island.
General purpose Kayaks and sit-on Ocean Kayaks are available to hire from Andy at the centre
CLIMBING
'The rugged coastline comprises a variety of rock types; mudstone and shales with quartz intrusions, plus quartzite of a similar nature to Gogarth'. ' South facing, the cliff receives more than its fair share of sunshine and there are routes to cater for all tastes from 'Delightful Diffs" to "Dynamic Desperates".'
'Despite the fact that the cliffs are only around 35 metres at their highest point, the harder routes have a 'Gogarth feel' without the attendant grip factor normally experienced on that crag, and are well worth doing, while many of the easier climbs are no less worthy. There are also many enjoyable sea-level traverses and picnic sites when one gets tired of roped climbing.'
With the opening of the new A55 across Anglesey it is now only a 40 minute drive to heart of the Snowdonia National Park and some of the finest climbing and mountain walking in the UK.
SUBAQUA
Launch sites are available at Rhoscolyn and Trearddur bay. There are many shore-diving opportunities, mostly around Ravens Point at Trearddur Bay. Strong currents and heavy overfalls will be found at Rhoscolyn Charts required - Caernarfon Bay (Number 1970) and Approaches to Holyhead (Number 1413)
Dive Sites
* Porth Corwgl at Rhoscolyn (Shore)
* Porth-y-Cwyfan, Ravenspoint Road, Trearddur Bay (Shore)
* Ynysoedd Gwylanod (Rhoscolyn Beacon), Rhoscolyn' (Boat)
The area around Rhoscolyn Beacon "is excellent for marine-life enthusiasts, with sun stars, yellow boring-sponges, and dead-mens fingers, while the rocky gullies in the more sheltered areas are totally covered in feather stars. Most diving here is in the 10-15 metre range where there is a wide variety of fish life." There are conger eels in small caves and a family of seals living around the islands.
The area has also attracted many wrecks over the centuries. 'To the south of the tower, more scattered wreckage is possibly all that remains of the Elizabeth Kloosterboer, a small dutch schooner wrecked here in March 1878. Chains, hinges, bricks, copper bars and hull sheathing are often seen during a dive.
