We do more than take young people into the mountains. We give them the skills to explore wild places safely, the challenge that builds confidence and resilience, and a community that lasts well beyond the week.
Each year we take a small group of young people aged 16 to 18 into the Scottish Highlands for a fully funded week of mountain adventure. Many face barriers to the outdoors, or a difficult time in their lives. We give them the skills, the challenge and the community to discover what they are capable of.
THE FACTS AT A GLANCE
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Up to ten young people, aged 16 to 18
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A week-long residential in the Scottish Highlands
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Fully funded, including travel, food, accommodation and gear
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Led by qualified mountain guides and instructors
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All kit provided, and theirs to keep
A WEEK IN THE MOUNTAINS
Under the guidance of qualified instructors, young people learn the practical skills to explore wild places safely, from navigation to moving on the hill. They are kitted out with everything they need for the week, and it is theirs to keep, so they can carry on adventuring long after they return home.
WHY IT WORKS
We work with young people aged 16 to 18, often a turning point when an experience like this can shape the path they take next. Many are facing a difficult time, or simply have not had the chances others take for granted. A week in the mountains gives them the space to focus, make real decisions and learn their own limits. They push through difficulty, build practical skills and discover they are more capable than they thought.
Confidence and wellbeing
The mountains ask a lot of a young person, and meeting that challenge changes how they see themselves. They return home with the belief that they can take something on and see it through. These are life skills. The resilience and self-belief they build do not stay outdoors, they carry into education, work and everyday life. For a young person who has been short on self-belief, that shift can be life-changing.
Skills for the mountains
A week on the programme is spent out in the Highlands, walking, scrambling and climbing alongside qualified instructors. Young people learn the skills that matter, from navigation and mountain safety to moving over rough ground and the confidence to make their own decisions. For many it is a week of firsts: a first time roped up on rock, a first proper summit, a first taste of what they are capable of. Evenings are for resting, talking through the day and cementing what they have learned. And through it all they are part of a small group who start as strangers and end the week looking out for one another.
Community and opportunity
No one does it alone. Each young person is supported by instructors and by a group who quickly come to look out for one another. Beyond the week, we keep those connections open through our alumni network, our partner organisations and further opportunities to train and progress. A week in the mountains becomes a door into the outdoors, and a community that keeps it open.
THE EQUIPMENT
We work with sponsors like Mountain Equipment and Petzl to kit out every young person for the week. Boots, waterproofs and everything they need come with them, and it is all theirs to keep, so their adventures do not stop when the week ends.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND BEYOND
The week is a beginning, not an end. For young people who want to keep going, we help them take the next step, from further training towards national qualifications. This part of our work is growing, and we will share more here soon.
