Geography Camp

Please take a look at the example timetables on this page as the course content may differ slightly depending on location.

Our residentials also give you the chance to develop a range of transferable skills. These types of skills help across many areas of life and are particularly good for including in job or education applications.

Here are some of the transferable skills that are likely to be covered in this residential:

• Communicating with others
• Working as a team
• Managing your time
• Taking the lead
• Reliability
• Decision making

We want to ensure participants get to share in their experience with those of a similar age. Please consider what age the attendee will be on the course date and check they fit into the age category when booking. 

If the attendee is under 18, the booking must be made by a parent/guardian. When you book, it is essential that you enter the age and attendees name in the Order Notes at the checkout.

When attending the residential dates which welcome 16-18 year olds, all participants will be expected to follow the behaviour and conduct rules which will be in place to safeguard young people.

See our Residential FAQs page if you’d like to know the answers to our most frequently asked questions.

If these course dates do not suit you, we run similar courses at many of our other centres.

Example Timetable

Day 1
Arrive 12pm
Welcome
Icebreakers
Geography immersion session
Afternoon
Team session (team games/orienteering challenge) or campfire welcome evening social

Day 2  
Morning/Afternoon
Full day investigating glacial landscapes or investigation physical fieldwork visiting the stunning coastline to investigate coastal processes, landforms and management.
Evening
Workshop – data analysis/statistical analysis

Day 3  
Morning
Investigating cultural landscapes or full day investigation human (one of: urban QoL, regen, rural regen)
Afternoon
Guest speaker or workshop data presentation/GIS skills

Day 4  
Morning
Natural hazards or two half day sessions looking at carbon and water systems and the interactions between them.
Themes could include; trees, peat, carbon - climate change
Afternoon
Career exploration
Or campfire end of course celebration.

Day 5
Morning
Undertake small scale local investigations as a progression of what they have learnt throughout the week.  These mini-investigations will then be presented to the rest of the group.
Afternoon
Reflect on course achievements and outcomes.

Depart 1500

Blencathra Timetable

Day 1

Arrive for a 12pm start. - Welcome to the centre.

Introduction to the Lake District  - Get to know the rest of the group with icebreaker games and an introduction to the Lake District Landscape on a local walk from the centre.

Evening

Orienteering - Test your navigation skills on the centre’s orienteering course.

Day 2

Investigating glaciated mountain landscapes - How has the Lake District topography been shaped? A full day out in the mountains visiting one of the Lake District's iconic glacial valleys. We will look at the glacial history of the Lake District and the landscape that it has left behind, including its Quaternary geology.

Evening

Using Technology - A look at technologies available to geographers & geologists such as GIS to introduce ice flow, glacial landforms, and bedrock geology.

Day 3

Canoeing - Canoe on the picturesque Derwent Water. This will offer an opportunity for rest and reflection, as well as a chance to develop teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.

Ghyll scrambling - Scramble and climb up a Lakeland stream, with plenty of opportunities for jumping in and getting wet!

Evening 

Campfire talks
A chat round the campfire exploring geographical, environmental, and outdoor education career pathways.

Day 4

Natural Hazards – living with floods in a warming world One of the biggest issues facing the Lake District is flooding. Walking from the centre along the old railway line to Keswick, we will look at the impact of flooding on the town and the current flooding defences in place. We will think about how humans have interacted with the landscape to increase the likelihood of flooding and what natural solutions can be used to mitigate the problem.

Evening

The Flooding Game
Make your decisions on flood mitigation schemes and see if you can beat a game of chance.

Day 5

Trees, peat and carbon – can rewilding mitigate the climate emergency? - As geographers, we should be aware of our personal carbon impact and solutions to the issue of climate change. Walking up the scenic Brund Fell in Borrowdale, we will consider how carbon is stored in upland landscapes and explore current debates around land management in the National Park. On an upland peat bog we will use fieldwork techniques to estimate how much carbon they store.

Return to the centre to sign Duke of Edinburgh books.

Depart 3pm

Please note: to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for participants, the timetable may alter depending on weather conditions and local factors at centres.

• 
  Expert Tuition
• 
  Free Wi-Fi
• 
  Full Board Accommodation
• 
  Hot and Cold Drinks
• 
  In Course Transport
• 
  Picnic Lunch

What shall I bring?  

• Boots or wellingtons
• Waterproof jacket & trousers
• Hat and Gloves for warm and cold weather
• Wash kit
• Suitable clothing for the time of year
• Small day rucksack
• Head torch
• Water bottle and lunch box

This residential is only open to young people who will be aged 16 - 18 years old at the time of attending.

We want to ensure participants get to share in their experience with those of a similar age. Please consider what age the attendee will be on the course date and check they fit into the age category when booking.

If the attendee is under 18, the booking must be made by a parent/guardian. When you book, it is essential that you enter the age and attendees name in the Order Notes at the checkout.

When attending the residential dates which welcome 16-18 year olds, all participants will be expected to follow the behaviour and conduct rules which will be in place to safeguard young people.