Northern Ireland’s environment is very diverse, offering many opportunities to participate in a wide variety of adventure sports and activities.
These include hillwalking, canoeing, rockclimbing, paddleboarding, mountain biking, coastal rowing, surfing, coasteering, open water swimming and orienteering. Additionally, we have many waymarked walking and canoe trails, remote upland areas and mountains and a variety of inland waterways and coastal venues that range from exposed beaches on the north coast to more sheltered bays in Co Down.
People can undertake these sports and activities informally; however many areas of our environment are remote and subject to rapid changes in weather. Participants need to be have the appropriate skills, suitable equipment and get (and understand) a weather forecast. ‘AdventureSmart’ is a great resource and provides advice for independent participation in a range of adventure sport and activities.
Many people undertake these activities on a more formal basis, through club membership or availing of courses and opportunities provided by some of the many adventure sport providers in Northern Ireland. There are also a variety of venues, such as cross country mountain bike trails, climbing and bouldering walls, bmx facilities and pump tracks canoe access and egress points at inland and coastal areas.
Unlike GB, we have no statutory licensing / accreditation scheme in NI and participants who book course need to ensure that the provider is competent to deliver the activities offered. A small number of providers in NI have ‘AdventureMark’ accreditation – a voluntary, independent quality assurance scheme that ensures that activities are planned and delivered appropriately. Check the link for further information.
USEFUL LINKS
Sports organisations and governing bodies
Hillwalking, rockclimbing and mountaineering -Mountaineering Ireland homepage
Canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding – Paddle Northern Ireland | Paddle Locations, Safety, Clubs, Events & Training
Mountain biking – Cycling Ireland | Official website for Cycling Ireland
Orienteering – NI Orienteering Association
Coasteering – UK based regulatory body for coasteering – National Coasteering Charter
Coastal Rowing – Home – Irish Coastal Rowing Federation
Other useful websites:
Adventuresmart- Home – AdventureSmartUK
AdventureMark - Welcome | Adventure Activity Associates
Tollymore National Outdoor Centre – www.tollymore.com
GetWetStaySafe – Get Wet NI – HAVE A GO FOR LESS
Swim Ulster – Swim Ulster | Aquatic Sports Northern Ireland
Out-scape NI – Outscape
