With Kilimanjaro in their sights, two families arrived down to Kerry once again for more training on the 12th April as they prepare to travel on our June departure. Following a briefing at the lodge we left for the Hags Glen joined by Wesley and Tom to climb Carrauntoohil. The day was bright and cool, with wintry clouds looming over the peaks around us from 7-800m upwards. We chatted about the upcoming trip to climb Kilimanjaro for the Quirke and Ronayne families, a mountain I had the pleasure to guide back in January. Training and getting gear sorted out were going well for them. With a sense of understanding about how to train achieved from our Meet day they are now focused on strengthening up the team and finalising gear selection.

Our walk in the valley was quiet because we started around midday. We got a taste of winter with a downpour of rain, not far of sleet as we left the main track at the ford and headed toward O'Sheas.Our gradual pull up the path with the 2 scrambles up steep ground proving adventurous for some of the group. After lunch the the pace was and when we started to climb the bottom of O'Shea's gully, we were reminded once more of winter with an intense shower of hard hail stone pounding our faces for 10mins and then stopped.

Exhilarated we put on an extra layer before heading toward the summit. There on top also were a few others in cloudy grey cold conditions although dry. After a few photos and congrats we left to descend toward the devils ladder. Half way down the cloud lifted and gave us brief views out to the sea in Kenmare bay. The decent was wet and took some care weaving a way through the loose gravel and rocks before we walked out the valley back to the cars.

Later the lads from Cork departed for home and the two families made for town to eat before getting up again at 2.30am for a night climb.

Starting from the top of the gap at 3.30am the head torches were bouncing around in a line as we started purple mountain. We adjusted our clothing with conditions being good and dry for now. We had 2 small breaks for water and snacks before we caught glimpses of the moons reflections on the upper lakes of killarney. As we crested the col nearing the summit the light was approaching but only just. we wrapped up a little more and slowly got to the summit for 6am. The decent was easy at the start due as you feel good following the summit but then tiredness that feels like youre in autopilot mode. That's when accidents and stumbles happen but luckily everyone was concentrating and we got back to the cars around 8am.

This fitness assessment course is ideal for setting a mark on physical and mental training required for trekking holidays and climbing Kilimanjaro. We recommend all groups to undergo this process and find out about gear selection along the way. Contact us to discuss options and dates for upcoming meet days and courses. The success rate is much better when you prepare well.

I wish the Quirke and Ronayne families the best, keep up the preparations.

Guide report: Niall Foley

Want to win a €50 voucher? - Ideal for spending at patfalvey.com or on any of our upcoming events?

In January we will be announcing details of a loyalty programme for existing customers and since we're getting into the Christmas spirit and feeling generous we've got vouchers to give away, exclusively for Facebook fans.

We're looking for an inspiring photograph to appear on our welcome page in 2012. So post your photo, and whoever gets the highest number of likes before 31st December will win this months voucher! So get your friends involved and good luck!!!

You can access our Irish & Worldwide Adventures facebook thru our travel & training section righthand tab or simply follow link www.facebook.com/IrishandWorldwideAdventures

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.

Rise in rescues on the Reeks.

More and more people are taking to the hills and are ignoring the fundamental basic requirements that is necessary for a safe journey on Ireland's highest mountains. Proper gear, navigational skills for leaders and bad route finding decisions.

Over the coming months we at the Pat Falvey School of mountaineering will be giving free advice on our monthly newsletters on proper procedures on how to look after yourself and your team mates on the mountains.

Every year we see unnecessary accidents on mountains and we hope these educational pieces starting next month will help you to make your trekking, climbing and walking on the hills here at home in Ireland and abroad safer.

A very famous mountaineer coined a quote:

"Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end".

Edward Whymper, first ascensionist of the Matterhorn, 1865.

Be prepared, plan your journeys and be logical on your chooses.

Kerry Mountain Rescue reported 4 rescues for July. While we at the Pat Falvey school of mountaineering and kerry guides have had three contacts from different groups on the mountains for assistants on route finding after walkers and climbers have been misplaces on the mountain and required assistants with navigational help to get off the Reeks.

Lots of people are not taking the dangers of the Reeks into consideration and are going ill prepared for what is potentially a dangerous activity on very tricky steep mountains.

Mountaineering is a dangerous sport/ pastime. People must ultimately take responsibility for their own safety and due diligence is required from walkers, trekkers, leaders and guides.

No experience is no excuse to put yourself in danger.

People who have no experience should ensure that leaders they are going with have adequate experience before climbing into dangerous situations.

Also they should take responsibility for proper clothing, to have adequate boots and to ensure they have enough food and water for a hard days climb or walk on the hills..

Most accidents are caused due to lack of proper planning and the mistakes are simple.

If people are not experiences they should go with a leader/ guide when they are outside their comfort Zone. They should not go in groups unless the ratio of guide to inexperience people on the team should only be 1:6 and over 6 two leaders are required in the event of an accident.

Here at the Pat Falvey School of mountaineering we provide Leaders- guides- and courses in Kerry and throughout the world to make efficient those requiring our services. Contact ?????????

Next month we discuss the importance of navigation........

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.

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

Congratulation's Megan..we will be in contact in the coming days to arrange delivery of your €200 voucher for use against any of Irish & Worldwide walks, treks, climbs or expeditions!

We know you have a keen interest in 'travel' and look forward to planning with you your adventure!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our stand and filled out our questionnaire. We are delighted to see so much interest in the outdoors and it was great to put faces to so many of you with whom we have spoken with in the past..and look forward to meeting again in coming months.

And what an adventure weekend it's going to be!

We are just back from setting up our stand (No 19 & 20) - Having been given a sneak preview of what's instore, We can only say if you can come along, Do!

Find new ways to spend your time or develop your hobbies. Test the gear, try the activities and find out how to get involved in new adventure sports and holidays. We will be available throughout the weekend to meet with you and discuss your next adventure with Irish & Worldwide Adventures. We also have some giveaways at the stand so please visit us at 19 & 20 : See a floor plan PDF on download attachment link  at the bottom of this article.

We have 2 tickets to give away enabling free entry on Saturday or Sunday, just text 'adventure' to 087 2594090 and a winner will be announced at 9pm friday evening. Competition Now Closed

Congratulation's Eddie Kavanagh of D24- See you over the weekend! We will be in touch to arrange for you to collect your tickets

Lorraine Gordon will be at the stand over the weekend to discuss Travel, Training & Expeditions

Tony Nation will be at the stand on Saturday & Sunday to discuss Bootcamps, Get Fit Programs & Teambuilding

Pat Falvey will be also be visiting the stand over the weekend and will speak at the 'Think Tank' supported by Outsider Magazine on Sunday at 13.30. See the Sunday Schedule below:

12.30 – Mark Flagler on tackling the International Appalachian Trails

13.30 – Irish explorer, Pat Falvey

14.30 – Adventure athlete, Mark Pollock, Geaorid Towey & Roisin Finlay

15.30 – The first Irish man to visit the deck of the Titanic, diver Rory Golden

16.30 – Ireland’s answer to Bear Grylls, Aebhric O’Kelly will speak about the psychology behind survival in the great outdoors

Have a look at Adventure weekend website for more details

Opening Times

Friday 20th May – 2pm-9pm

Saturday 21st May – 10am-9pm

Sunday 22nd May – 10am-7pm

Entrance prices

Adults: €15.00

Students & Seniors: €12.00

Children under 13 years: €6.00

Children under 3 years go free

Family Ticket: €40.00 (2 adults and 3 children)

Visit us at 19 & 20 : See a floor plan PDF on download attachment link below