BYS Adventure Centre

The Ballyfermot Youth Service Adventure Centre was set up in 2004 to provide outdoor educational activities to the young people of Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard.

We are ideally located in Park West beside the Grand Canal. This location allows us access to the grand canal 7 days a week for swimming, kayaking and many other water sports. Our location also makes it easy for us to avail of local recreation activity areas such as, Phoenix Park, River Liffey, Wicklow/Dublin Mountains, Dublin Bay,  surrounding harbours, rivers, and lakes.

Focus on Adventure Sports

Our focus is on developing and supporting an interest in adventure sports in a safe, controlled and affordable manner. The centre policy is to include and work with young people from all social backgrounds and to try to build a long term involvement in adventure sports. Through involvement in these exciting and very social activities we hope to develop core life skills such as respect, communication skills, teamwork and an awareness of others.

Adventure Sports Programmes

The Ballyfermot Youth Service’s Adventure Centre runs programmes and training courses in many different Adventure Sports all year round in both Ballyfermot and around the country. The Youth Service also avail of other adventure sports providers to give our young people access to a wide range of activities.

Kayaking Levels 1,2,3,4

Our exciting kayaking programs are high energy and always lots of fun for all ages. We run introductory lessons for those who want to experience kayaking in a safe and educational environment. We also run levels 1,2,3,and 4 kayak skills training courses and assessments.

In 2010 the Ballyfermot Kayaking Club travelled to the beautiful country of Wales to kayak down some of the most enjoyable white-water on offer. Check out our video/photo below.
 

 

Mountain Biking, Cross Country, Jump Parks, Bike ability training

Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in Ireland, it offers a great way of keeping fit while getting to enjoy the fabulous views around you. We run mountain biking clubs over the summer months with our local young people. Clubs will get to compete in competitions in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains.

In 2010 the Ballyfermot Mountain biking club took part in the Kippure Mountain Biking Challenge and got some fantastic results.

We also run Bike agility programs in local schools with our mobile mountain biking skills course. This is a fantastic course which improves school relationships and enhances cycle safety and motor skills while encouraging a healthy lifestyle. We also regularly cycle along the Grand Canal on the new Irish Waterways cycle track. This new track passes by our location at the 7^th lock and extends as far as the 12^th lock at Adamstown.

Orienteering

Orienteering is sport that combines running with navigation. It uses specially created, highly detailed maps to select routes and navigate through  different terrain and visit control points along the way. It can be enjoyed as a walk in the woods or as a competitive sport.

We set up orienteering courses in local schools or parks, Students/young people benefit from a healthy activity while using key geography skills to find points and record information.

We also use some of Irelands newest Orienteering courses installed by Coillte, and based in the following locations, Hell-fire Club, Massey’s Wood, And Tick-nock Forest recreation area.

Gorge Walking – Cliff Jumping

The ultimate adrenaline charged activity. Locally we have some of the best Gorge Walking locations in Ireland. You’ll find yourself jumping into plunge pools, traversing along cliffs, swimming and sliding in fast white-water. This a fantastic day trip for groups and the locations include, The Shankill River, Kilbride, Co Wicklow and Jackson Falls, Annimoe River, Co, Wicklow

Rock-climbing

Our Rock-Climbing Sessions take place mostly in Dalkey Quarry. We run training and activity day/evenings. Some of our Rock-Climbing sessions take place on artificial climbing walls around the city.

Participants will gain key skills such as, positive teamwork and responsibility while taken part in this activity, as well as movement & climbing skills. It offers a chance for young people to experience a high level adventure activity in a safe manner.