Adventurous Activities

Definition

Adventurous activities include:

• Climbing — for example rock climbing, abseiling, ice climbing, gorge walking, ghyll scrambling, sea level traversing, high- and low-level ropes courses
• Watersports — for example canoeing, kayaking, dragon boating, wave skiing, white-water rafting, improvised rafting, sailing, sailboarding, windsurfing
• Trekking — for example hill-walking, mountaineering, fell-running, orienteering, pony trekking, off-road cycling, off-piste skiing
• Caving — for example caving, pot-holing, mine exploration
• Challenges and Skills — for example archery, quad bikes, assault courses, mountain boarding, initiative exercises.

Depending on the environment in which they take place, some of the adventurous activities listed are subject to licensing, under the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996.

However, not all adventure providers are required to hold a licence. Activity centres with an artificial climbing wall, for example, do not need a licence for that specific activity, though their instructors would still need an appropriate qualification or training to lead the activity. Many centres outside the scope of licensing submit to non-statutory inspection and accreditation.

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