30/10/2009
Apprentices meet the Secretary of State for Transport
Aspire Rail apprentices meet with the Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport.
23/10/2009
Robin Groth visits Aspire Rail
Aspire Rail had a visit from the Robin Groth
Afon Pysor Viaduct
Scott on Barnmouth Slabs
Adventure training
01/01/2009
Gareth Rothwell reports on some inspirational team-building for Aspire Rail’s apprentices
For three days in early December Aspire Rail decided to take their apprentices, Lucy Roberts (16) Timothy Ray (17) Daniel Morris (18) Jay Roberts (18) Scott Moulton (17) and Sam Beighton (17) on some team-building exercises in North Wales organised by a company called Adrenalin Antics. They certainly organised some challenging tasks over the three days.
On day one the group arrived in Wales and moved into a ski lodge, before setting off to meet Richie from Adrenalin Antics. He introduced the first task, which was a 130ft bridge abseil from the Afon Prysor Viaduct – ironically, an old railway viaduct. Lucy went first and after a little persuasion dropped the 150ft span down into the valley. Being the youngest and only girl on the team she had laid down the gauntlet; this was especially difficult for Danny as he has a healthy fear of heights and with a little baited breath he swung his legs over the edge, leaned back and slid down the rope. At the bottom he had lost all colour but that was soon replaced with a beaming smile and a sense of achievement. At the end of the day all the apprentices had abseiled at least twice from the bridge.
On day two the team undertook a seven-mile walk across some of the beautiful scenery along the Mawddach Trail, staying below the snow level. Each of the apprentices did a stretch of map reading, guiding the group up to a height of 350 metres (1050ft).
Day three took us all the way to the Barmouth slabs overlooking Barmouth Bay. After a 20-minute hike up to the slabs, the team took on four pitches: these ranged
from 40ft up to 80ft, graded from difficult to severe. On one line, which was graded as very severe, all six apprentices would now climb and belay. They were now entrusting their own lives to each to each other. This is where the accumulation of the three days reached a pinnacle, At times the climbing was difficult, cold and wet and a lot of encouragement was needed. I am proud to say that each person was fully up for the challenge and the day was amazing. They had all climbed the pitches and encouraged each other along the way. Peter Gray and the other directors managed to watch the last hour of the climbing and treated the whole group to a meal in Ffestiniog.
Already being planned for next year is a walk along Hadrian’s wall – 83 miles in five days – for a charity of the apprentices’ choice. Judging by this week’s efforts, I see no problems in them achieving this.