FAQ
Q. So I LOVE the idea, but aren’t the tops of mountains quite cold and windy?
A. Not always! But above all we want the Mountain Boardroom to be a positive experience for you. As trained expedition leaders, but also experienced facilitators, we will always make sure that the you are safe, but also comfortable. ‘Comfortable’ is quite subjective - some people may be inspired by a windy mountain top, others will not.
We will also make sure you have the right equipment with you to deal with whatever the weather my throw at us - as the saying goes, ‘There’s no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong equipment’
Our experience has taught us that once on an expedition, conditions can change quickly and without warning. If the weather becomes a significant impediment to your coaching, we will schedule in a follow-up session to cover any areas that may have been missed.
Q. What if it rains?
A. Our view on the weather is that you can get as much benefit from expeditions in poor conditions as you can in perfect conditions. Indeed, expeditions in poorer conditions can offer something quite powerful that you don’t normally get - strongly enhancing the sense of achievement on completion, and developing resilience, resourcefulness and flexibility.
We will work with you closely to establish the your comfort level generally, and each expedition will consider your bespoke needs.
If inclement weather is forecast that we believe, based on our discussions, is going to detract from your experience, we will contact you to discuss options with you. This could involve changes to equipment requirements, the route, or re-arranging the expedition.
If we believe that the weather poses a significant risk to your safety, we will postpone the session and re-arrange for a mutually convenient date.
Q. Erm… I love the outdoors bit, but you’re not getting me up a mountain.
A. Is that a question? But we totally understand. We have some lovely lowland routes, plus we also regularly hold shorter sessions in larger city parks or the woods, so don’t feel you need to climb something big to get the benefits of outdoor sessions.
Q. I love mountains! Give me BIG mountains!
A. Also not a question, but I hear you. We cover all mountainous regions within the UK (out of area charge applies in Scotland), and our routes cover up to and includining Grade 1 scrambles. For context, somewhere like Crib Goch is probably at the most extreme end of our range.
Q. It is safe?
A. Safety is at the core of what we do. Ant is a fully qualified and insured Mountain Leader and Hill and Moorland Leader, and is experienced in ‘old-skool’ navigation (and ‘new-skool’ navigation too), outdoor first aid and leading groups safely into the hills. We’ve spent a lot of time developing policies and procedures that will actually protect people (and review these regularly), rather than just act as a checkbox. All additional leaders comply with our policies, are fully qualified to lead within the terrain they operate, and also practice outdoor first aid. We are fully insured for the activities we undertake, and our policies and risk management procedures are available on request.
Q. What if we want to facilitate our own sessions?
A. We can take care of leading the expedition and working out the logistics, allowing you to facilitate some or all of your own sessions - book a chat about our Team Connection Walks to find out more.
Q. How do you take notes?
A. Actions are recorded by YOU en-route (I will of course prompt when you should be writing stuff down!), and I dictate session notes immediately after the session. We will recap the actions at the end of the session.
Q. What if I need to draw or write?
A. We carry some convenient foam seats to allow us to hunker down in nature when we need to do some drawing and writing. For group sessions in wetter weather, we carry a tarp that we can set up to be able to shelter and draw any diagrams/nice pictures/plans for world domination.
We also have recently got a nice campervan with a nice, sturdy table and good coffee making facilities.
We also regularly break out (technically it would be ‘breaking in’, but that doesn’t sound right…) into pubs and cafes en-route or at the end, where we can do some plotting.
Q. What is the biggest group size you can accommodate?
A. This depends on the session you have planned, but generally we can scale according to the activity and your needs.
Team connection days and Challenge events are limited to 100 people
For team walkshops, we have found it more effective to break larger teams into groups of 10-30 people (depending on the Walkshop).
For Business Strategy Workshops, we would recommend including your executive team (these generally work best with between 2 and 8 participants). For Walkshops (both public and corporate), we tend to limit numbers to 6-8 people.
Our risk management policy stipulates the ratio of outdoor leaders we assign per number of people in the group, which from a safety point of view, is dependent on the terrain. Our pricing includes any additional leader requirements.
Q. Where are the expeditions held?
A. Shorter sessions are held within 90 minutes of Leeds of our base in West Leeds, and often clients have somewhere local in mind. This can cover local parks, woods and hills, but also offers routes in the Yorkshire Dales, the West Pennine Moors near Manchester, the Nidderdale AONB, the North York Moors, or the Peak District. These locations are easily accessible, and offer inspiring settings, breathtaking scenery and a choice of gentler walks or substantial challenging summits.
Full day sessions are held in the mountains or hills across the north of England or North Wales. This could include locations in the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Lake District, Pennines or Eeyri (Snowdonia).
We do offer expeditions UK-wide, (e.g. Scotland, Dartmoor, Brecon, etc.) but there is a small out-of-area charge (£50+VAT) to support this.
Q. How do I get to and from the expedition?
A. We expect all members of the expedition to make their own way to the start point. We can discuss logistics prior to the expedition (i.e. choosing an accessible start/end point if people are travelling via public transport). All of our expeditions are circular, unless otherwise discussed.
Q. Do you offer accommodation?
A. We do not offer accommodation ourselves, however we are happy to research options and to provide recommendations to you. We do endeavour to make our expeditions accessible on a day trip from most locations in northern England, however appreciate that some people and groups may travel from further afield.
Q. What about multi-day expeditions?
A. We are happy to discuss multi-day expeditions, and are also able to offer trips that involve camping overnight. Please contact us for more details.
Q. Do you provide equipment?
A. We provide any equipment required for the actual coaching and strategy sessions - including paper/pens etc., and also provide any group-wide hill equipment (navigation aids, emergency supplies, etc.)
Each member of the expedition is responsible for providing their own personal equipment and sustenance for the expedition. We can work with you and the group to ensure that each member has sufficient and cost-effective equipment. Note that we have the right to refuse to lead people who we believe do not have sufficient equipment to complete the expedition safely.
Q. How long is a typical expedition?
A. Our expedition days are a minimum of 6 hours long, but may be longer depending on the route. Our shorter Pathfinder sessions are 2 hours long. Please let me know in advance if you have a hard stop at the end of the session, and I will plan the route accordingly
Q. Do you offer expeditions at weekends?
A. Some of our expeditions are specifically held at the weekend, but for businesses, we would recommend organising expeditions on weekdays if possible. There are two reasons for this:
The outdoors is significantly quieter during the week. The popular destinations can get very crowded at weekends and in the summer, making parking stressful and the paths busy.
You may find your mindset is different at the weekend if you are usually not working. Some of your group may resent ginvg up their free time. Others may be really excited about the trip, but be in ‘day-off’ mode. Either way, you may not get the best from them.
Q. Do you offer set challenges? e.g. the Yorkshire Three Peaks?
A. We are happy to lead groups who want to embark on a challenge walk such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, or Welsh 3000s. Check out our Group Challenge page to find out more.
Q. Can I bring my dog?
A. Yes! Having your furry companion along can add to the therapy of being outdoors, so you are welcome to bring them along. In order to protect the natural environment, and be mindful of others (and their land), we ask that:
You let us know in advance that you’re bringing your pet along
They must always be kept on a lead in farmers’ fields, and on open access land during March and October, due to the presence of livestock and ground-nesting birds
They shouldn’t negatively distract your attention from the session
Anything we take into the hills, we take out (scoop the poop!)
In addition, for group events, we also ask that your dog starts on a lead, is well-behaved and calm, and you are mindful of others in the group who may not be as curious/enthusiastic about your friend as they are about others!
Book in a chat with us now to see how we can find your path
Have a question for us that we haven’t covered? Contact us or book in a chat with Ant to find out more
