Dolomite Training REVIEW: outdoor family activity day including abseiling and caving

The experiences offered by Dolomite Training really make the most of what the Peak District has to offer; from climbing, abseiling and weaselling to orienteering, caving and mountain biking. They are designed to push you outside your comfort zone, but in a safe and supportive manner.

Our family activity day was led by Wendy, who really made sure our day was tailored to our needs and interests, as well as to the ages and abilities of our children (aged 4 and 6). It was decided prior to the day that we would have a go at some abseiling followed by caving. Wendy was so fantastic and supportive to both the children and the adults as we navigated some wonderful new experiences.

First activity: abseiling at Millers Dale

This was something we were equally excited and nervous about, but Wendy put us at ease pretty quickly.  We began the day at Millers Dale Car Park, where we first met Wendy. This is a Pay and Display car park, which also has toilets and cafe (more on that later!) Click here for Google Map location, postcode: SK17 8SN. It was quiet when we first arrived but can get very busy.

Wendy made sure everyone was feeling comfortable and ready for the day and had all the gear ready for us: hard hats, harnesses and all the ropes. She had advised on clothing and footwear prior to the day, so we felt as ready as we’d ever be to abseil off a bridge.

It is a short walk to the Millers Dale viaduct, along the very pretty Monsal Trail. We chatted as we walked, with Wendy making a real effort to get to know the kids and making us all feel relaxed and excited.

At the bridge, Wendy talked us all through the process and the equipment, answering any questions and keeping the mood light. Despite my fear of heights (!) I felt I’d lead by example and found myself volunteering to abseil first. Wendy explained the best way to climb over the rails, which really did feel surreal, but Wendy’s calm nature really put me at ease. I took it step-by-step as my family watched on / cheered on and it was all pretty slow as I got used to my positioning. However, each step was so well communicated by Wendy and before I knew it I was abseiling down and then being lowered for the final part to lovely autumnal views all around. It was such a buzz to actually do it!

Our 6 year old was next up. There was a little bit of uncertainty to start with but her excitement definitely won over. Again, Wendy carefully explained each step and made sure she was feeling okay at all times. As parents we were pleasantly surprised just how quickly she took to it. She took in all the information and beautifully abseiled down. On touching the ground, she instantly said “I want to do that AGAIN!”

Our 4 year old was a little less sure. He was fascinated watching others and by all the equipment, but wasn’t so keen to have a go himself, which was fine. Wendy was great at adapting the abseils, suggesting tandem abseils and letting him explore and help with all the equipment. This adaptability really stood out. It all felt like it was very much catered to our family and how it would best work for us. 

We did quite a few more abseils each (especially our 6 year old) and it really did feel more and more natural each time. We did some tandem abseils as well, which added a new dimension.

Wendy then suggested we could have a go at abseiling a little further along the viaduct, over the river! Our 6 year old was really up for this, so off we went. The abseil was even more stunning and dramatic… and really fun! Our daughter couldn’t run up the steps fast enough to have another go. And our 4 year old loved standing at the bottom and being involved in pulling the ropes back in.

After a couple of hours, and many abseils later, we were quite naturally done and ready for some lunch. Once again, Wendy worked to our needs and we pottered back towards the car park.

What to do for lunch

What you want to do for lunch is entirely up to you! Dolomite Training will work around your choices. You can bring a packed lunch, get some takeaway lunch or enjoy a café if there is one nearby to your chosen activity.

We chose to have a half-hour break, with some chips in the sun by Millers Dale car park, which has a lovely cafe. This gave us enough time to soak up the adventures of the morning, rest our legs and refill our tummies. Our children are still relatively young and so a short break worked well. 

After lunch, we regrouped with Wendy and decided together on the best caving option for the afternoon. Wendy clearly knows a lot about the local area and could cater for our family, especially now she knew us all a bit better.

Second activity: caving at Giant’s Hole, near Castleton  

We followed Wendy’s van for around 15 minutes to our next activity – caving! The location was decided upon due to suitability for younger children and the time of year (there had been some very wet days). 

Wendy was once again ready with all the gear that we would need: cave suits, wellies, hard hats with torches and even knee pads if required. We had been pre-warned that clothing was only for 6+ so we had come prepared with all the waterproofs for our 4 year old. 

We were all buzzing after a fun morning and a nice lunch, looking forward to our next adventure. Wendy led us the short walk to the cave’s entrance, chatting away to the kids about all things cave related. She gave great tips about the best ways to navigate slippery stones and wet surfaces and helped each of us whenever it was needed; more than happy to go at our pace and keeping everything relaxed and positive.  

As we entered the cave, Wendy pointed out interesting formations and was brilliant at answering questions and leading the way. Our 4 year old was really in his element as we navigated the cave, splashing along in his wellies and loving the torch on his helmet. Our 6 year old had a few wobbly moments but Wendy was fantastic at every point. As adults, it really does get quite narrow at times and my hard hat did bump the top a few times, but the cave is truly fascinating with so much history; fossils and formations all around. 

Wendy did give us the option of doing some abseiling within the cave, which one day we would love to try. However, our kids were happily exhausted by this point and so we headed back out after another adventure.

It was a really special day and we drove home on such a high. It did force us to be that little bit braver and it felt brilliant. Wendy was so encouraging and helpful throughout the day and was great with the children. Our 6 year old is already planning her next adventure…!

What to take with you

• Packed lunch (or a lunch plan!) / drinks / snacks
• Clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty and wet. Avoid denim
• Warm clothing as you will be outside most of the day
• Waterproof coat and trousers
• Trainers / walking boots for abseiling
• Wellies for caving if you have younger children (these are provided for kids size 1 and above and for adults) 
• Change of clothes for after the caving. You may get a bit wet.
• Towels
• Sun cream, hats and insect repellent in the summer months

How to book with Dolomite Training

Click here to view the Family Activities with Dolomite Training.  A personalised full day adventure experience can be arranged for £300 for a family of 4.

These experiences are tailored to the needs and best fit for each family, which works particularly well if you want to do things at your own pace and want to ensure you have some flexibility.

Final thoughts on our Family Activity Day with Dolomite Training

Despite some initial nerves, from both children and adults, we had such an exciting and memorable day. Wendy’s knowledge and experience really shone through and we all felt comfortable and safe in her hands. 

Despite our children still being relatively young, they both surprised us at various points, with their bravery and attitude in the face of new experiences. It wasn’t always easy, but we really did feel such a buzz after each activity. 

It was wonderful to do something like this as a family; to be outdoors and pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone, making new memories and possibly finding new hobbies!