Who are TrekCo? TrekCo are one of the UK’s largest independent outdoor companies. There’s a company history on this website; we are based in the south east and are within easy reach of London. Simply a great outdoor activity provider, established in 1989, we have 50 instructors in the summer, and provide activities in Sussex, The Peak District, The Lake District, North Wales and the French Alps. We are known for our friendly and professional instructors who are older than the industry norm and have tremendous enthusiasm for making sure you have a great time and are safe and happy all along the way. TrekCo provide trips for Schools and Colleges, Corporate groups and Teambuilding, Families, and Leisure. Schools If you’re a school or college, please refer to our Schools Information pages Adults Insurance cover We hold £10m Public Liability cover for all of the hazardous activities we provide. We do not provide ‘Travel’ type cover – so you are not insured for cancellation, loss or damage to property, injury, illness, cancellation and the like. We strongly recommend that you take out this type of cover for your adventure, although it is not a requirement. Do I need any experience in the activities? These activities are aimed at beginners, and our instructors work with beginners every week – so you can expect the highest standards of care and professionalism as well as TrekCo’s renowned friendliness and sense of humour. Is there a maximum age? No – we welcome people who want to take part and are happy if you are. Not sure? Then call our office, who can talk you through the activities, and see whether they’re suitable for you. Call our experienced team today on 01273 487509. Is there a minimum age? These adventures are really aimed at adults, so you need to be 18 when you attend. You may be under 18 on booking, which is why we’ve asked that a Parent/Carer signs in this case. Do I need to be really fit? For most activities a normal level of general fitness is all that is needed. We don’t schedule things that we don’t think people will be able to do, and our instructors are expert in helping you achieve what you didn’t think you’d be able to do. Do you provide food? Our adventures are about the activities, and we don’t have catering available everywhere – so you’ll need to bring a packed lunch. If you’re at Deers Leap there is a basic snack bar with hot & cold drinks, chocolate etc. On Peak District weekends you will get breakfast if you’re in a B&B or hotel; that’s the only meal included in your price. We will stop to get lunch on the way to our first activity and evening meals are usually in the great atmosphere of a country pub. What about equipment? Do I need to buy anything? You don’t need to buy any special kit – all specialist safety equipment is included in the cost, and we’ll send you a list of the basic kit (like outdoor clothes) that you need to bring. If you have some of your own kit because you’ve tried this before, been to a climbing wall or have a little experience, you’re welcome to bring it. Our staff will give it a check to make sure it’s OK for the activity. How far in advance should I book? The earlier, the better (we would say that, wouldn’t we?). Often our courses fill up months before the event, because we are known as one of the premier providers of outdoor activities. We’d recommend at least two months ahead – but you never know, give us a call! The crucial thing is to pay a deposit – then, and only then, is your place secured. All paperwork can be completed very quickly. We even have forms available on the day for those who are organisationally challenged! What if I cancel? If you have to cancel, you’ll lose your deposit. This is something we can’t control, and we can’t refund you under any circumstances as we have to plan trips with some degree of certainty. So in the event that you become ill, have an accident and so on, make sure you have cancellation insurance in place from the time you book. What if the weather is bad? There are very, very few occasions when the weather is too bad to undertake these activities. It’s surprising how the weather can seem terrible from indoors, but is actually OK when you’re out in it. If we do have to cancel, we’ll give you as much notice as we can – please be aware that in the outdoors things are sometimes unpredictable and we just have to do the best job we can if this happens – so it may be short notice, but we really do try to avoid this. If the weather is OK for some activities but not others, we’ll offer you an alternative activity. For example, strong wind in one direction may mean canoeing is a problem – but this wouldn’t affect the climbing wall or abseiling, so we can go ahead with those. There are several combinations. Instructor Qualifications Our instructors are very highly qualified and experienced, and whichever instructor is leading you will hold the relevant qualification. These qualifications are checked by AALA, the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority, on behalf of HSE, for our work with under 18s as this requires a licence. We also hold the ‘Adventuremark’ which covers activities outside of the AALA licence and looks at our procedures overall. If you are interested in the qualifications, give us a call and we’ll tell you who’s running your adventure and what qualifications they have – but there are some outlines on the adventures staff page.
