Carrauntoohil Challenge - Abbot reach the summit

Hi Lorraine, Just wanted to say thank you so much for your help in organising this.  We had an amazing day.  The weather was fantastic and we all made it to the top - still not quite sure how!!! Looking forward to the next one!

Report from Tony Nation, Lead Guide

Saturday started off as a fine fresh day with little or no cloud to be seen as we headed to Kate Kearney’s to meet the 18 staff from Abbot, Cork.

The team started to arrive from 10:00 but not all arrived till 11:00 due to some confusion on directions from Cork to Kate’s.

Once all had gathered and safety briefing completed we headed in convoy to Lisleibane car park for the start of our climb.

Clouds had started to form on the hills and a cold wind had blown up. The trek in the valley to the stream was brisk and everyone was in good form. Just before the stream we headed right and began our climb up. As we made our way up we pointed out points of interest in the area as well as local place names.

The climb up was steady with plenty of opportunities for photographs. There was a biting cold at the top of Brother O’Shea’s but all were doing well. On reaching the top we were in snow for the last 100m this added a new element to the day. Everyone made it to the top in high sprites. After the photos taken at the cross and lunch digested it was time to make our way down, visibility was good from the top which added to the day.

On reaching the Devil’s ladder it was agreed that we would opt for the ZIGZAG’S. Due to erosion on the ladder, the zigzag’s is a better option.Everyone got back to the car park without issues. Then it was off to Kate’s for some well deserved food and refreshments.

Well done to all of the Abbot staff hope to see you on the hill’s again soon!

For all you outdoor team adventures contact us here

Carrauntoohil Challenge - Abbot reach the summit

Hi Lorraine, Just wanted to say thank you so much for your help in organising this.  We had an amazing day.  The weather was fantastic and we all made it to the top - still not quite sure how!!! Looking forward to the next one!

Report from Tony Nation, Lead Guide

Saturday started off as a fine fresh day with little or no cloud to be seen as we headed to Kate Kearney’s to meet the 18 staff from Abbot, Cork.

The team started to arrive from 10:00 but not all arrived till 11:00 due to some confusion on directions from Cork to Kate’s.

Once all had gathered and safety briefing completed we headed in convoy to Lisleibane car park for the start of our climb.

Clouds had started to form on the hills and a cold wind had blown up. The trek in the valley to the stream was brisk and everyone was in good form. Just before the stream we headed right and began our climb up. As we made our way up we pointed out points of interest in the area as well as local place names.

The climb up was steady with plenty of opportunities for photographs. There was a biting cold at the top of Brother O’Shea’s but all were doing well. On reaching the top we were in snow for the last 100m this added a new element to the day. Everyone made it to the top in high sprites. After the photos taken at the cross and lunch digested it was time to make our way down, visibility was good from the top which added to the day.

On reaching the Devil’s ladder it was agreed that we would opt for the ZIGZAG’S. Due to erosion on the ladder, the zigzag’s is a better option.Everyone got back to the car park without issues. Then it was off to Kate’s for some well deserved food and refreshments.

Well done to all of the Abbot staff hope to see you on the hill’s again soon!

For all you outdoor team adventures contact us here

Mountaineer and entrepreneur, Pat Falvey, helped the County and City Enterprise Boards launch the ‘Enterprise Mid-West’ initiative which was designed to help small business owners reach their full potential on the 22nd September.

Speaking at the launch, Eamon Ryan said: “The Enterprise Boards in the Mid-West are collectively staging fourteen different events during the the month of October, which is the largest ever initiative of it’s kind in the region”. It also coincided with the 2011 European Week for SME’s.

The Enterprise focused on Kerry, Limerick, North Tipperary and Clare for the month of October as host counties of ‘Enterprise Mid-West’. Aimed at the small business community and those thinking of setting up a business, highlights of the event included an inspirational talk from Everest mountaineer, Pat Falvey in Co. Clare and the events were all either highly subsidised by Mid-West County and City Enterprise Boards or free of charge.

Testimonials

Pat,

"Just to say how much I enjoyed your presentation in Woodstock on Wed night. It really hit the nail on the head for the audience. Thank you so much and good luck."

Eamon Ryan

Chief Executive Officer - Limerick City Enterprise Board

"Pat recently delivered a most inspiring presentation to a large group of owner/managers of SME’s in Ennis for Clare County Enterprise Board.  During his 90 minutes, Pat totally captivated his audience while openly sharing the highs and lows of his own life experiences encompassing many emotions that went from success to fear to despair and again turning a corner in his life to experience hope, self-worth, peace, elation and success once again.  I have no doubt those present went away that evening following Pat’s presentation, totally invigorated, with a renewed sense of hope and self belief for both their business and personal lives.  Definitely, the best presentation I’ve experienced – Pat continued success, may you go from strength to strength!"

All the best

Lucy Reidy - Asst. Chief Executive - Clare County Enterprise Board

See attached brochure of the event below.

On Friday 23rd September, a group of colleagues/friends from Pepsico Carrigaline / Little island arrived down to Kate kearneys to Climb Carrauntoohil. Conditions were fair with some cloud about as we headed to Lisleibane, our start for the day. After a short briefing our pace was set by John heading us into the Hags Glen. Our group were mostly in I.T. dept. at Pepsico and were all well up for the climb.

The Route to the Summit of Carrauntoohil: We climbed up through one of the most beautiful routes on the mountain as we made our way through Coomcallee (The Hags Glen) before going off track passing Lough Gouragh (The Lake of the Goat) Breaking through the cliff barrier over the Step of the Goat, where we learned some scrambling techniques to gain the upper reaches of the mountain as we climbed through the three tiers of Coimin Iochtarach, Lair and Uachtarach (The lower, middle and upper valleys) to Ireland’s highest lake (The Eagles Nest).

We breaked for some lunch in very quiet and peaceful surroundings having some banter awaiting our next stage Brother O Shea’s Gully, a good pull up it is but only 30 mins or so did the trick. We ascended to the summit from the Beenkeragh ridge in breezy misty conditions. On top there was only about 6-8 others besides us and we all gathered elated for our summit photo.

On our decent the clouds lifted as we approached the Devils Ladder. It was still fairly breezy at this stage, we headed down into the shelter of the ladder slowly making our way left, right and mostly left again amongst the large boulders and loose scree which feels like moist gravel. The group were in flying form at this stage seeing the completion of their challenge only an hour or so down the valley realising they were nearly done!!

The track out the glen was still breezy with gusts nearly toppling us on the open ground as we viewed the route we took earlier described by John. Once back at the car, a decision was made to head for Kates, where we finished our day over a coffee/pint.

"Thanks soooo much for last Friday - we had a really great time - and everyone is still raving about it, was such a great experience" Rosie Coffey

Well done to all everyone on the day and especially Rosie for organising, hope to see ye again in the future, all the best!!

Guides: Niall Foley & John Healy

Report by Niall Foley

Charity Climb Cystic Fibrosis raise €10,200

Pat Falvey presents a cheque for money raised on Corran Tuathail climb from the supports of  Build 4  Life 4 Kids.

Over the years the Pat Falvey School of mountaineering have been involved in walks in Kerry and around the world helping raise over 2 million euros for different charities to raise money for worthwhile causes.

Commenting on this event Pat said " It constantly surprises me the generosity that we have as an Irish nation to help our charities to help others and it gives us a great pleasure in being involved in such events here and throughout the world."

As part of our courses we have a number of fun days out that bonds teams of people together. As well as being fun, all of our events are geared to bring out the qualities that are required for teams to succeed - Planning; Cmmunication; Listening; Organizing & Implementation.

We cater for all size groups up to 100 on these activity based courses. We also run in house and conference based training courses for up to 500 people.

Brief on recent Team Day: Heavy showers were forecast as 18 souls from Peter Mark (Wilton) boarded their bus for a secret location, they were informed that they were going on a bootcamp. Alan and Darren (Bootcamp instructors) were waiting. As the team filed out of the bus, they were lined up and so began the induction to their day.

During the session, they were put through their paces doing physical and mental challenges. After each challenge, it was explained to the group why they did it and what learning was to be got from it.

At the end of the day all enjoyed home cooked pizza and light refreshments and left the secret bootcamp location as one happy Team.

These one day bootcamps  are proving to be very successful with companies that need that extra edge to creating team work within their companies. Let us know your requirements and we will have Pat or Tony contact you to organise your next training day out.

Vocational Educational Commitee choose Pat Falvey teambuilding for their organisations away day.

33 Administration staff from the VEC took part in a team away day in Jury’s Hotel Western Road Cork on. This was facilitated by Pat Falvey staff headed up by Tony Nation, Ian O'Neill, Darren Healy and Alan Walsh. First up was a topic on self defence which covered, definition, threat, awareness, attack, values and conflict, what makes a victim, stages of attack as well as all above participants were given practical demonstrations on self protection.

The second half of the morning was given over to team games with each game having a message to give to members of the staff. This covered the areas of communication, active listening, team participation, problem solving and setting goals. This was a highly active day with learning for all through fun and interaction.

More details of our teambuilding and company/organisation away days in our corporate services section,

View some photos from the day in our gallery

Company Away Day & Teambuilding in Killarney

50 Staff from the Merck Sharp and Dohme OPS1 Manufacturing plant in Cork assembled at Kate Kearney’s Cottage in Killarney at 10:00 on Friday morning 17 June 2011 for a team building and bonding active day out in the beautiful surrounding of Ireland most spectacular landscapes of mountains, lakes and valleys. The day included a variety of activities the stimulated the mind and body. Incorporating Get up, get out, get fit with team building activities that was incorporated throughout the day to include  communication, process, listening and thrust skills all with the goal in mind of an enjoyable team day. 

Brief on day:

The weather forecast was not good but luckily several hours of downpour had passed before the company arrived, maybe the gods are looking down on us today. After tea and coffee in Kate’,s Pat Falvey Ireland's leading team building facilitators gave an introduction to his team and the schedule for the day before a brief presentation on his life as an Entrepreneur- Adventurer- Explorer and the challenges that faced him throughout his life of success, failure, learning and the challenge of change. Following this the group got their first challenge which divided them up into teams.

Outside Kate's the fun begins as the next challenge was to subdivide the groups into two and then to do a challenge game called Traffic Jam. This involved team members getting across steeping stones and exchanging their side for the other side starting the day learning communication & cooperation and process with an element of frustration built in.

All teams then started their walk through the majestical Gap of Dunloe to Lord Brandon’s Cottage. The day was glorious and the pace just fine as we weaved our way through one of Irelands best examples of a glaciated valley. Apart from meeting local horsemen, sheep and the odd tourist they had to find locations on their map which gave clues to a Murder Mystery. This is to introduce the group into the concept of “Why, What, Where, When, Who”. On reaching Lord Brandon’s lunch was served just as the 1st rain shower of the day approached.

After lunch the group had to complete four more challenges. One was to get people to walk around a rope which was supported by team members. The object of this game is all about trust and how we as a team support we can each other. The stick game was next on the agenda and the object of this is to get the team working together. A Navigating game was used to introduce people to problem solving and if an answer was wrong to direct them back to the last correct known answer. Using a printed image, another game was to introduce the group to the concept that as individuals we all have some of the picture but together we can see the big picture. Throughout the tasks there was confusion, discussion, frustration, laughing and plenty of fun.

When all had completed their tasks, Pat gave a talk on following your dreams and that its not enough just to want something but you have to do something to make your dreams come through.

To end the day we all got into boats and travelled down through the high water of the Lakes of Killarney passing Derrycunnihy, Eagles Nest, Old Weir Bridge, Meeting of the waters, Dinis Cottage, Bricin Bridge and Innifallen island to Ross Castle where the solution to the murder mystery was explained and Pat announced the winners which was the group in total.

Many thanks to the boatmen, staff at Kates & Lord Brandons and especially to the Merck team who travelled down for the day to participate, it was a great day throughout!!

Report: Tony Nation & Niall Foley

If you are interested in a company away day, teambuilding activities or personal development be sure to contact us.

View some photos from the day in our gallery

Our studies have shown that in the Corporate World companies that have a healthy work force do better.

Because of this Pat Falvey and his team of trainers have developed a new initiative in corporate teambuilding in the workplace, at home and in the great outdoors.

These Programs  have grasped the imagination of companies and  is going from strength to strength with companies realizing both the importance and need to start to rebuild the confidence and bonding of their staff after the huge change of the last few years. We are working with both the companies and their Social clubs to encourage a walking fit program within organizations. Creating a healthy environment in fitness which in turn creates a healthy mind to take on the stress of work.

Fitness & Wellness Courses for companies Include:

Initial Fitness Assessment

Cardiovascular (aerobic exercises)

L.M.E. (muscular endurance)

Flexibility

Team building

Motivational training

Diet & nutritional advice

Weekly handouts

6 week progressive course taking place 1 session per week with a duration of 60 mins followed by flexibility improvement session.  2 instructors onsite each session.

Fitness goals

We at Pat Falvey will assist you and your team in setting personal fitness goals. Setting clear fitness goals is one of the fastest and most effective ways of ensuring that you and your team make progress with their workout and gain maximum benifit in results at work.

Many people work out without ever setting themselves fitness goals - beyond the very general one of "I want to get in shape" - and as a result fail to make satisfactory progress. Disappointed, they often quit.

However, if you  and your team set themselves clear fitness goals, and regularly update them, Then you and your team are using a powerful tool, proven successful in all kinds of fields. The key is to set fitness goals that are SMART. This means that they should be:

Specific: Can you or your team answer the W questions? Who, what, when, where, why. For example, "getting in shape" is not specific, but "Doing workout three times a week" is.

Measurable:  This usually involves numbers - thus "to run faster" is not measurable, but "Walking 5km in under 60 minutes" is.

Attainable:   Working out the steps involved in reaching a particular target will help you to figure out if it is attainable.

Realistic: To be realistic, you and your team must be working towards something that you are both willing and able to work for. This can be quite personal - for one person working towards climbing Carrauntoohil might indeed be realist, whereas for another it might be a fantasy.

Time-limited: Now you've figured out what you're going to do, the last step is to decide when you'll achieve it by. Having a time limit makes everyone much more focused on the end result.

We at Pat Falvey combine the three main areas of physical conditioning - cardio, strength, and flexibility. Where as in the past many practitioners focused on just one area - typically aerobic, or cardio training. At Pat Falvey our instructors are constantly updating and designing new program's  to incorporate much greater variety into each individual session.

This greater understanding and variety means that you'll get a better workout, with less chance of injury. It also means you're likely to have a more enjoyable time. So if you like group activities, enjoy the motivation of having others around you when you workout, then check www.patfalvey.com  . There's bound to be something there that will not only be great fun, but will also get you and your team in shape.  For more information why not contact us.