Coasteering

Not surprisingly, the first thing you need for coasteering is a coast! Not just any coast, but one with cliffs that are not too high, and a sea that is safe to fall or jump into from said cliffs. The aim is to make your way along the cliffs, rock climbing in places and swimming in others.

Coasteering is not a sport that should be tackled alone, but only as part of an organized group that is led by properly trained and experienced instructors. That means that they will not take you to coasts that are inherently dangerous, or in conditions of tide or weather that will put you at undue risk. It is also a summertime activity when the water is not too cold.

Of course, if you scramble along cliffs and jump into the sea, there is a risk that you could be injured. No extreme sport is entirely without risk. However, the whole point of doing these things is to challenge yourself, to achieve something that you never thought you could do, and to come home in one piece.

Within the United Kingdom, the south-west peninsula offers a number of coasteering possibilities, due to the rocky coastline of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. One very popular location is Newquay in Cornwall, which is also internationally renowned for its surfing beaches. The lifeguards who look after your safety on the beach could be the same people who take you coasteering.

The Newquay centre offers a variety of coasteering experiences, from a two to three hour trip along the coast to a four-hour military-style expedition for experienced coasteerers only, this including a swim through a sea cave. Some of the trips include guidance on the flora and fauna of the cliffs, although every effort is made to avoid disturbance to the birds and animals for which this is their home.

The Pembrokeshire coast of south-west Wales is another popular coasteering location, such as Strumble Head near Fishguard. As well as the thrill of jumping off cliffs into safe pools of water, there are seabirds all around and the bemused looks of nature’s coasteerers, although the seals tend not to climb the cliffs a lot!

In North Wales, the cliffs of Anglesey and the Llyn Peninsula offer many coasteering opportunities, and the activity can be combined with rock climbing and other sports in nearby Snowdonia. Abersoch, on the Llyn, is like Newquay in that it is also a Mecca for surfers.

In Scotland, there is a coasteering centre near Fort William, which is overlooked by the highest mountains in Great Britain. Coasteers are taken by rigid inflatable boats to find cliffs and sea caves and experience some of the wildlife that can only be properly seen at sea level, such as otters and sea eagles.

Coasteering is available at many other places in Britain, with around 100 centres licensed to offer this sport. Most of the centres are on the west coast because that is where the most interesting cliff scenery is to be found. However, there are locations in places such as Fife on the east coast.

Although coasteering has been developed mainly in the United Kingdom, it has also become popular in other countries with rocky coastlines, such as France, Croatia and Ireland.

However, it has to be emphasised again that this is not a “go it alone” activity. Jumping off cliffs is an inherently dangerous thing to do, and there are many places where coasteering is far from safe. However, for an adrenalin rush second to none, in the company of similarly-minded people, it is hard to beat!

© John Welford