Welcome to our all new website for Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre. Previously Gartan Outdoor Education Centre, the slight change in name is very deliberate. It more properly reflects our full role as leaders in Outdoor Learning, and in Outdoor Adventure Training.
Run under the auspices of County Donegal Education and Training Board (used to be VEC), we felt it time for Gartan to communicate its training provision more effectively. We have always provided a very high level of training, but we’ve probably held that as a little secret! Our staff members at Gartan are hugely experienced, and qualified, across a broad range of adventure sports. Each is also a highly experienced educator, committed to the high impact and lasting learning potential of the great outdoors. Such learning is best achieved in the company of instructors for whom personal and group safety is fundamental, while still being able to challenge people of all ages and abilities to extend themselves beyond their own boundaries, and to develop individually and as teams.
We’re well known for our Outdoor Education and Learning provision, in this stunningly beautiful location on Gartan Lough. And we’re always learning ourselves. We’re also held in very high regard by National Governing Bodies for our various adventure sports. So high in fact that we hold prominent roles within some of our NGBs, and we are called upon more than any others to assist in course and safety development work.
And it’s not just our instructors who make Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre the very best. Our catering staff really understand the need for excellent nourishment after the rigours of the outdoors because they have personal experience), by providing very tasty and plentiful food. Our facilities staff work hard to provide every comfort within the Centre, and ensure a warm welcome to Gartan. Our caretaking and grounds staff do their level best to ensure everything is working properly. That can be a hard enough task, given the use we make of everything! The admin staff hold it all together. They really do! The Director…. She’s probably away in the hills somewhere!
Outdoors, we’re developing our estate in this historic location, so that it can provide even more interest to your visit. Pretty much everyone is playing a role in that, although Sean has led the charge by organising several volunteer weekends in order to develop our mountain biking trail. We hope to keep you up to date with everything that is happening, through our new Blog. Some items are already posted. Barry is next up, with an account of his achievement of twenty years voluntary service to the RNLI.
That’s all just the way it is here. We love what we do in this beautiful place and further afield, and we want you to really enjoy, and benefit from, your stay with us.
Watch out for:
- Mountain Skills (Mountaineering Ireland BOS, the Mountain Training Board, syllabus) Training Courses 22nd May for four weeks costing €100, six places available.
- ‘The Race’ taking place @ Gartan OETC early 2015
- Skills Training Courses in Mountain Biking, Kayaking and Sailing commencing on 28th May and will run for six weeks every Thursday evening, cost €130 -€150, places are limited so contact the Centre to secure your place.
- Ranking Sprint Triathlon 31st May @ Gartan OETC, for more information visit www.letterkenny247.com
- If you would like us to run a training course specifically for your group, in any of the sports that we provide, or even a mix of sports, just let us know.