About Crans-Montana

Stretching from the Rhone valley to the Plaine Morte Glacier at 3000m, Crans-Montana is one of Switzerland’s foremost skiing regions. Visitors and residents love it for its many hours of sunshine and great slopes, with breathtaking views over a string of mountain peaks that unfold from Bietschhorn to Mont Blanc via the Matterhorn. But there’s also so much more to Crans-Montana than just winter snowsports activities, both for skiiers and those just wanting a fantastic winter break.

Two towns, Crans and Montana, merge together to form the resort and both have their own identities. Sitting on a high plateau above the Rhone Valley and facing south, the views are spectacular, especially from higher altitudes where it’s possible to see Mont Blanc in the west, through to the Matterhorn and way beyond to the east. During the winter, the skiing is well suited for intermediates, with a wide range of blue and red runs, but there are also excellent beginners areas as well as some more challenging slopes for experts, including some interesting off-piste and ski touring terrain.

During summer, the resort is a haven for both road cyclists and mountain bikers as well as hikers and adventure seekers. Accommodation is varied, with a strong luxury element including several 5* hotels and a spread of 3* and 4* options as well as self-catering apartments and Bed and Breakfasts.

Crans-Montana has a host of hotels that contain spas, enabling their elite, older patrons to enjoy a combination of skiing, health treatments and shopping at the resort’s chic boutiques. This well-heeled, health-seeking clientele mixes with bankers from Geneva and – rather incongruously – a huge snowboarding crowd and freestyle skiers, who visit Crans-Montana in winter for one of the best snowparks in the Alps.

Ski and Snowboard in Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana is a good intermediate’s resort with good slopes for beginners.  A good beginners area is Arnouva, accessed by the short gondola from Montana.  The nursery slopes down by the golf course in Crans are even easier.

Long Open Runs Fit for Carving

The largest group of intermediate pistes at Crans-Montana is in the Violettes sector, with trails winding their way through the woods. The Toula chair leads to steeper reds. From Bella-Lui you can head down the Nationale ski slope or Chetseron, both World Cup runs. The only official black run in the resort is a bumpy fall-line pitch on the ridge under the Toula chair, although by the standards of many resorts it’s no more than a red. On the whole, this is a resort of long, open runs fit for cruising and carving.

Snowboarding, Skicross and Snowparks

Crans-Montana is an active snowboarding centre and the Adrenaline snowpark, at top of the Crans gondola, is one of the biggest in the country. It has a half-pipe, several rails, an area for beginner freestylers, a skicross/boardercross course and a brand new snowpark for teenagers.

Some 50km of Langlauf tracks in Crans-Montana include a 10km loipe, set unusually at an altitude of 3000m on the Plaine-Morte Glacier. A host of other winter sports take place on the mountain and in the town, including snowshoeing, ice-skating and curling. Only about half of all visitors to Crans-Montana come here to ski or snowboard.

Crans-Montana Winter Activities

Dog Sledding

For a unique experience that doesn’t involve trying to stay upright on two planks of wood, try a dog sled ride at Crans-Montana on the stunning Plaine Moret Glacier. You’ll get to take the reins and steer your own husky team, guided by a professional musher. Afterwards you can even play with the dogs.

Find out more about dog sledding and how to get a dog sled transfer from airport to resort.

Snowtubing

You and the kids can go snowtubing on Snow Island. Spin your way downhill in a big inflatable ring, knowing that you can use the magic carpet conveyor to get back up to the top again. Perfect for tired children (and parents).

Ice Rink

Channel your inner Torvil and Dean on the ice rink at one of the ice skating sessions.  Or watch the kids going round while you nurse a hot drink.

Paintball and Laser Tag

If you have enough energy left after being on the slopes, you can get rid of your angst with a spot of winter paintball. For those who aren’t keen on being hit by paint pellets, you can opt for the more gentile laser IR tag.

Shooting Range

Learn how to handle a 357 Magnum, 7mm Remington or 9mm Parabellum on a shooting course with a professional coach.

Horse Riding

Panwall Stables in Crans-Montana offer group riding lessons, private lessons on dressage and jumping, forest walks and Shetland tours.

Snow Island

Snow Island transforms the competition standard golf course into a family-focused island of fun. On Snow Island you’ll find plenty of different winter activities including snow-tubing, a sledge run, snowman-building competitions, a ‘magic carpet’ ski lift to make getting back to the start of the run way more fun, huge inflatable towers on the snow and La Maison de Bibi, the house where Crans-Montana’s famous marmot mascot, Bibi, lives. Parents and children alike love the place.

Trail Running

Crans-Montana hosts a variety of routes for trail runners. There is a fitness trail that starts at Moubra Lake which has exercise along the way to test your endurance, mobility and strength.

Climbing Centre

The indoor climbing centre at Crans-Montana has a range of routes that lead up to a height of 13.5 metres, from 4C to 8A.

Curling

This beautiful indoor curling hall is right next to the Ycoor Café, right in the center of Montana. The 3 tracks enjoy an extraordinary ice cream which, according to specialists, curle perfectly. For insiders, it’s a pleasure.
For those who want to discover this sport, you can take an introductory course.

Crans-Montana Winter Activities Indoors

Bowling

When the winter chill is seeping into your bones, you can spend some toasty times indoor. Bowling is a popular family favourite.

Cinema

there are a selection of films to see at the cinema.

Indoor Golf

The indoor golf academy is composed of 5 experienced teachers as well as an assistant in 3rd year of apprenticeship. The academy is located in the golf area between holes 8 and 12 of the Ballesteros course.

The whole area is fully equipped for players of all levels. Whether you are a beginner, advanced of expert, the outdoor and indoor facilities are specially designed to help you progress.

The performance center is equipped with trackmans, a gym specially dedicated to Golf-Fitness and an indoor putting green.

More Indoor Sports and Games

There are more indoor activities to keep everyone amused including:

• Swimming Pools
• Gym sessions
• Badminton
• Snooker
• Table Football
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Yoga

Hiking and Exploring on Foot in Crans-Montana

With its lakes, forests, glacier and vineyards, the region has something to offer every nature lover. Ski touring is available, as are snowshoeing trips exploring the area.

Sports fans will be delighted to discover a large array of amenities dedicated to sporting activities, whilst cultural devotees will enjoy the wide range of museums, events and festivals.

Luxury and Outstanding Service

LeCrans is generally considered to be one of the top in terms of hotels in Crans-Montana and it also has a one star Michelin restaurant that is exceptional.

The Crans Ambassador is also really nice and it has great views as it’s elevated above the town. It’s pretty much ski-in-ski-out too which is the only large hotel to offer that (until the new Sixth Senses opens up but that’s in 2021).  The Ambassador is amazing to be honest.

Another amazing place to stay is Pasdelours , again with a one star Michelin restaurant. It’s very high end and a little more cosy feel too.  The food is amazing.

Then there’s the Chetzeron – it’s a hotel on the mountain.  You can only get there by snow cat or skis during the winter, which makes it a bit like a James Bond lair.  It has really nice super friendly staff including the owner who is a really nice guy. The restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.  It doesn’t have a star but just great food done well, from traditional stuff like fondue to more varied international dishes.

Find Out More About Crans-Montana Winter Activities

You can find out more about events and winter activities in Crans-Montana from the Cran-Montana Tourist Board. The resort is part of the Best of the Alps group.

You can also find out about Crans-Montana Summer Activities

The post Crans-Montana Winter Activities appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Not only will it help beat the winter blues away, but it is a ridiculously good workout for your entire body, especially your core and lower body. It’s a sport that requires a ton of balance and overall body strength to stay upright and prevent injury during steep drops and sharp turns.

The skiing itself is a great workout, but it’s only available for a few months of the year and therefore requires some off-season training to stay in shape for most of us. 

Learn what kinds of cardio and strength training will suit you best so that when the time comes to hit the slopes, you’re fully prepared to take on what the mountain throws at you. 

Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise is vital for your health generally – it keeps your heart healthy, lowers risks of almost every type of disease, and keeps your fitness levels reasonably high. 

Skiing requires quite a bit of cardiovascular energy, so you should be performing medium-high intensity cardiovascular activity throughout the off-season to stay in shape. 

Perform one or a combination of these cardio exercises 2-3 times per week to reap the benefits you’ll need come ski season. As your cardio improves and you grow ever nearer to ski season, amp up the cardio sessions to 3-5 times per week.

Running

Running is one of the most intense cardio forms and requires no extra equipment to perform, besides a decent pair of running shoes. 

Your best bet for great results is to stick with interval training, which means cycling between your maximum effort and a more manageable recovery period at approximately a 1:2 ratio. The time can vary, but this means that for every 1 minute of maximum action, you recover for 2 minutes at a pace that is relatively easy to sustain.

Studies on interval training show that it is better at increasing “stroke volume” (blood pumping), increasing the mitochondria levels in muscle, and can have the same results of steady-state cardio in shorter periods. 

You’ll only need to run for 20-30 minutes in each session if you’re using interval training wisely to reap its benefits.

Stair-climbing

The stair-climber is a star when it comes to ski training. Why? It combines lower body strengthening with cardiovascular exercise. If you don’t have access to a stairmaster for skiing training, get outside and find a big set of steps you can use instead.

The stair-climber impact helps keep your bone density at a healthy, high level, and improves the climber’s V02 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. It is also a good way to strengthen your thigh muscles which are key to long days on the slopes.  These will all go along way when it comes time to dust off your skis.

Elliptical Training

We’ve already discussed how to do some interval training, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore steady-state cardio altogether. It’s still an essential part of training, specifically for recovery.

You don’t want to go hard all of the time and risk over-training and injury. On a day when you want to get in some cardio and get your blood pumping, but your body is sore and tired, do some steady-state exercise on the elliptical for 30-60 minutes. 

This low-impact exercise will aid recovery, keep you moving, and get the blood flowing until you’re ready to push hard on your next workout.

Weight Training

Now that you have a cardio plan let’s talk about weight training.

Skiing requires a lot of balance. The best ways to improve balance are practising and building an overall healthier body composition, focusing on the core. 

For this, you will want to get into resistance training. Instead of traditional weight-lifting using dumbbells and barbells, use resistance bands (like these https://victoremgear.com/products/booty-bands). 

Resistance bands are not only a smaller, more inexpensive option, but they build core strength no matter what exercise you do. Unlike weights, the band creates even tension on your muscles throughout the exercise and works your core to provide stability while you perform the move.

Perform a combination of these resistance band exercises 2-3 times a week with at least 48 hours of rest in between. 

Best Upper Body Moves 

• shoulder presses
• bicep curls
• tricep kickbacks
• resisted push-ups
• assisted pull-ups

Best Core Moves

• planks
• bicycle crunches
• v-sits
• side planks
• oblique crunches

Best Lower-Body Moves

• squats
• one-legged deadlifts
• lunges
• monster walks
• clamshells
• donkey kicks

Final Word

By adding the right combination of full-body strength training using resistance bands and interval/steady-state cardio into your off-season training routine, you will see significant gains by the time ski season rolls around again. 

5 affordable luxury ski deals

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Luxury safari holidays can be tailored by a safari holiday specialist like Aardvark Safaris to provide an African safari package that suits your needs. You could explore the Zambezi River by canoe steering clear of pods of hippos, or fly low over the Rift Valley lakes in Kenya with flocks of flamingos beneath you.

Alternatively you might find yourselves helping baby turtles to the sea, avoiding marauding crabs, or fishing for your lunch just off the coast from Cape Town.

During a stay in Livingstone in Zambia you could meet elephants in the morning, raft in the afternoon and go on the river for a sunset cruise in the evening. The next morning you could head out to the Devil’s Pool on the edge of the Victoria Falls, before bungee jumping in the afternoon followed by a microlight flight to get some aerial shots of where you were in the morning.

Where you stay on a safari holiday

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

Safari holiday accommodation varies widely and can accomodate most preferences.  You could sleep under a cube of mosquito net set up on a beach so you can safely sleep under the stars..  For the ultimate luxury safari holiday, you can stay in a room in a lodge bigger than your house, with a beautiful ensuite marble bathroom and your very own plunge pool.

Traditionally tents have been used on safari holidays, but these aren’t tents as you might have seen them in the scouts or guides. With proper beds, connected loo and shower and wardrobes and chairs, they’re effectively canvas hotel rooms in the bush.

What is a normal safari holiday package?

There is no normal safari holiday package. When you arrange what you want to do with a safari specialist they can alter the holiday to fit your needs.  This includes things such as:

• Your budget
• Your desire to walk, horse ride, canoe etc
• What time of year you are travelling
• What type of accommodation you want to stay in

A combination of safari and beach is quite common.  People use the section of the holiday by the sea to relax after the early starts of the safari days. If you are not a beach lover then you might choose a few days away from wildlife.  You can stay somewhere like Cape Town, in South Africa or Livingstone, close to the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side.

Where should I go on safari at different times of year?

Broadly speaking there are two different climatic zones for the safari areas of Africa.

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

East Africa – Kenya & Tanzania (and to a certain extent Rwanda and Uganda)
Their best weather periods, when they have little or no rain, are June to October and then December to March. So good places to visit for the summer holidays, October half term and Christmas, but not for Easter.

Southern Africa – Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi
They tend to have sunshine from April to November so work for holidays in the summer, at Easter and for the October half term, but not for Christmas (although Cape Town is an exception and is nice at Christmas and not in our summer)

How much does an African safari holiday cost?

It is almost easier to ask what you want to spend as there are safaris to suit all budgets.

Specialist luxury safari holiday operators tend to work with smaller camps and lodges.  Here the guiding and hosting is better and there are fewer people on each game viewing vehicle. These camps are generally in quieter areas ensuring a more exclusive safari.  Clients would typically fly by light aircraft between camps to minimise travel time and increase comfort.

With economy class flights from the UK a two week holiday planned by a safari holiday specialist, with a week on safari and a week on the beach, would generally cost £4,000 per person. This would include all international and internal flights and taxes, accommodation, meals, some drinks and safari activities – very little is excluded.

How do I arrange a safari holiday?

Image courtesy of Aardvark Safaris

There are many companies offering safari holidays; some are purely African specialists, others offer safari holidays throughout the world. You will be able to find many of these by typing African safaris or family safaris into a search engine.

The big question to ask the person who answers the phone is whether they have been to the places they are selling. Discount those who haven’t and work with those who have; they will make sure you are matched to the best safari holiday for you.

Aardvark Safaris

This safari holiday summary was written by African safari specialists Aardvark Safaris who have many years of experience of arranging tailor made holidays for couples, families, honeymooners and singles. Their consultants have incredible knowledge from years of travelling to Africa. They will use their knowledge combined with your thoughts to plan the perfect safari holiday for you

More adventure and activity holidays

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1. Give Up or Quit

   Smoking, drinking and chocolate are bad for you. Stop now! Well, perhaps you want to give up something that you think is bad for you. This will hopefully make you feel better about yourself. Giving up smoking or binge drinking is definitely a good New Year Resolution to make, but get all the support you can if you want to succeed. Get yourself a buddy who can share the experience of giving up with you. You can give each other support and talk about how it is going.

   Buy Nicorette pathces and inhalers from Amazon

2. Fitness

   Stop spending so much time on your backside and improve your fitness. There are many who choose to join a gym. This is a costly business, and by the end of February, you may well have given up as it is becoming a chore. What you need is to use the outdoor gym. If you love being social, outdoor bootcamps will provide you with friends, fun and fitness. Go for a walk outdoors for half an hour every day. Start going for a run, slowly at first, and then build up. Go cycling. It is free, and being outside will lift your mood. The changing scenery will also keep your interest. There are also more and more outdoor gyms appearing in parks across the country.

   Buy Bestselling Fitness Gear from Amazon

3. Diets and Losing Weight

   Food glorious food. After the festive food feast, you may think it is time to shift some weight. Don’t just starve yourself. Find out about a balanced diet, and get your metabolism going. Begin to do more exercise to use up more of the calories you take in.

   Bestselling Diet Books from Amazon

4. Do something unforgettable

   This is the year that you should go out and do something that makes you feel great about yourself. Have a go at one of the amazing activities that the outdoors has to offer, from high speed driving, skydiving, or experiencing the rush of white water rafting.
   Awesome Outdoor Adventures

5. Complete a personal Challenge

   Set yourself a personal challenge for your New Year’s Resolution. It could be to run a marathon, get that promotion, or even do something you have been thinking about for a while.

   Great Challenge Ideas

6. Learn how to do something new

   There are always new things to learn, and you should learn how to do something new or different as one of your New Year’s Resolutions. Get inspiration on taking up a new hobby.

7. Travel and Visit Somewhere Amazing

   Why not travel and visit somewhere new for your New Year resolution? Travel companies are desperate to get you off travelling around the world, and January is one of the best times of the year to grab a bargain. There is an adventure out there waiting for you. These are the top 40 dream adventure trips everyone else has done.

8. Be social

   Make this year the year that you go out and make new friends. Don’t just use Twitter or Facebook, join a club, or get in touch with old friends. Spend more time with your family, or get to know people in your neighbourhood.

9. Charity and Community

   Think about others as well as yourself. You have a lot to offer others who would really appreciate your time and effort. There are lots of charities that are always seeking help, and community projects that you will get to see the results of.

10. Earn More Money

    This year is going to be a year of opportunity, so look for ways to get your cash flow into a more positive position. Get yourself out of debt and into financial stability by getting that promotion, or getting a new job. If you don’t like the desk job, there are plenty of outdoor jobs that pay well.

Good Luck With your New Year Resolutions

Whatever you endeavour to achieve this year, get all the support you can and stick at it. Things may be easy or they may be tough, but keep going. It will be worth it.

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What is a power kite?

A power kite such as the HQ Kites Symphony is a soft canopy kite that provides enough pull and traction to lift you off your feet. Power kites are used in a range of extreme sports for pulling you along. These include:

• Kite Surfing is an extreme sport where you use a power kite to pull you across water whilst standing on a specialist power kiting surf board.
• Kite boarding is where you use a power kite to pull you along whilst you are mountain boarding.
• Snow kiting is an extreme sport where you use a power kite to pull you along on your snowboard.
• Kite buggying is a sport where you sit in a buggy and use a power kite to pull you along a beach.
• Power Kites for Ships – Power kites are so powerful that you can tow ships with a power kite.

Choosing the Best Power Kite for You

There are several key players supplying power kites, with the best brands including Flexifoil, HQ, Ozone and Peter Lynn. The key characteristics of power kites are whether they have two or four line (quad line) control, and how big they are.

Two lines or four lines?

The main two lines on a power kite are used for steering it. If you pull the left line the power kite goes left. If you pull the right line the power kite goes right. On four line power kites, there are two additional lines that are attached to the trailing edge of the kite. These are the brake lines. The brake lines on a power kite are used for reducing the amount of pull the power kite is giving, and also for bringing the power kite down.

How to fly a 4 Line Power Kite

On four line power kites, you control the power kite using two bars, one for the left, one for the right. The top lines are for power, the lower lines are the brake lines. Some power kites also have bungee cords that attach to your wrists to act as a safety device. When you let go of the control bars, the bungees release the power lines and pull on the brake lines which brings the power kite down.

What Size Power Kite Should I Get?

The size of power kite you choose depends on your body weight, fitness and the strength of wind you will be flying your power kite in. Power kites come in a range of sizes. To help you understand what size will suit you, here is a comparison of the different Flexifoil power kite sizes.

Flexifoil Buzz and Big Buzz

The Big Buzz kite is the 2.05m version of the Buzz 1.45m. The only performance difference between the Big Buzz and the Buzz is an increase in power due to the increase in size yet the kite is still a super-easy and safe-to-fly kite.

Flexifoil Sting

Flexifoil’s entry-level 4-line power kite. Designed to provide a precision flying experience, perfect for learning to fly on 4-lines and bridging the gap into the world of traction kiting (skidding, buggying or landboarding). Available with 4-line handles or a 2-line bar.

The Flexifoil Sting power kite comes in several sizes.

• 1.2m The most junior of the Sting power kites, guaranteed to keep you smiling long after you have finished flying for the day.
• 1.7m Gives more power to your moves and introduces the traction element to your flying. Perfect for the younger first-time flyer wanting to get into power kiting.
• 2.4m This is where power kiting can become a reality. With a good wind, the 2.4m Sting power kite is powerful enough to move you on a mountain board or buggy. You will start to get a real sense of power in your kite flying.
• 3.3m Flexifoil’s new 3.3m size bridges the gap between recreational static flying and zooming along in a buggy or mountain board.  This kite is the perfect first time power kite.  If you’re keen on progressing with kite sports then this is the best way to learn.

Flexifoil Rage

A full on 4-line traction kite. The Rage power kite provides fantastic grunt in all sizes and is the ideal first power kite for older teens or adults who want a kite that they can learn with, yet with enough power to use with a buggy or mountain board. The Rage power kite can propel you up to great speeds with a buggy or mountain board. It is the power kite of choice for all kiters wishing to harness the elements.

Available in five sizes sizes from 1.8m to 6m, with either 4-line handles or 4-line bar.

Please seek advice on which size to go for, but for most adults the 2.5m or 3.5m is the right place to start.

Supplied ready to fly with all you need to get power kiting. A legend amongst kite flyers. Pure fun, pure adrenalin, pure power!

Flexifoil Blade IV

The Blade IV is not a power kite for the feint hearted – it is seriously powerful and designed for the most extreme power kiting activities. Flexifoil Blades have an exciting history – sailing the first kitesurfers across the English channel, pulling explorers across the South Pole, and powering our outrageous freestyle buggy team.

The BladeIV is an ideal second kite in your kite bag, best suited for people with some previous flying experience!

It is available in four sizes from 4m to 8.5m. If you already have a Rage then you can buy the BladeIV power kite only and fly it on your Rage lines. Due to the awesome power of the BladeIV, you may need to upgrade your lines in strong winds.

Recommended Best Power Kites

HQ Symphony

The HQ Symphony is an excellent power kite. It comes as a 1.3 metre size and 2.2 metre size power kite.  It allows you to do a lot of stunts and has quite a pull when in full flight. Easy to launch, and because it does not have any solid spars, it survives all crashes.

Children aged 8 and up should be able to fly this power kite with ease and supervision. Also lots of fun for adults who want to practice their stunt flying. Excellent value for money and makes a super gift to get someone outside.

Peter Lynn Hype

The Peter Lynn Hype is incredibly easy to set-up and suitable for all ages and skill levels. Flying the Hype does not require any prior kiting experience, as it’s docile flying behaviour ensures that there are no sudden power surges when flying the kite through the wind-window.

It is a 2-line fixed bridle kite with straps. It has an extremely robust construction, with great control and easy handling. This power kite is easy to launch and relaunch.

Flexifoil Buzz and Flexifoil Big Buzz

The Flexifoil Buzz power kite is suitable for ages 5 to 95. The 2-line Flexifoil Buzz is the perfect first power kite. Simple, robust and set up ready to fly straight out of the bag – all you have to do is unwind the lines.

Great in winds from 10mph up to 30mph, you will be able to practise precision flying with manageable power in all weathers making this the perfect fun family kite that you can fly time and time again.

The Flexifoil Big Buzz is the Buzz’s big brother. With a 2m wingspan, the BIG Buzz creates a strong but manageable pull across the sky. This gives you a more radical experience, with the same user friendliness as the Buzz.

The BIG Buzz is ideal for older kids, teenagers and anyone who wants to have fun with a traction kite that
will pull them in stronger winds. No trip to the beach or park is complete without the Buzz or BIG Buzz.

The Big Buzz comes with 18 metre colour-coded flying lines to ensure easy set-up and pack-down. When packed away, the carry bag is 40x20x10cm so can easily be stored in the boot of the car or suitcase.

You don’t have to buy the best power kite to have fun. Kids stunt kites provide plenty of entertainment for kids of all ages.

For more advanced power kite users, you should get some kitesurfing lessons.

The post The Best Power Kites For Beginners appeared first on Active Outdoors.

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Jobs in the film industry

Movies and films don’t just happen. There is a team of people working closely together to produce the amazing films that you see on YouTube and in the cinema. One of the key roles in the film industry is the director. The role of the director is to direct all of the scenes, filming, and ensuring that the cameras get the right images and action presented to the viewer.

Devin Graham is a fantastic director and cinematographer, and managed to secure a slot to use one of the lots at Universal Studios to film this great parkour RIPD video. See what a great job he made of it, how he made it, and what was involved in pulling it all together.

You can see how all of this was done in this behind the scenes video.

What different film industry jobs are there?

The list is huge, but here goes:

• Producer – The film producer does a range of jobs. Before the film production starts, the producer has to get ideas from writers and directors, and read scripts. The film producer also has to raise the money to fund the film. The film producer has to hire a film production crew.
• Film director – The job of the film director is to direct the artistic vision of the film. This includes setting the mood and visual experience. The director chooses preferred film crews, casting directors, and sometimes film actors as well. He will also have the overall decision as to film locations.
• Casting director – the job of the casting director is to find and cast the actors.
• Film actors – These a the people who act and portray characters in the film.
• Screenwriters – This job involves writing the script for the film.
• Film and video editors – The job of the film editor is to take all of the recorded film and audio and edit it in such a way as to create the desired result. The film director will often shoot a lot of scenes, and it is the film editors job to cut this to be the right length and in the right order. Some movies are shot in a completely different order to how the scenes are sequenced in the final film.
• Film art director – The job of the art director is to ensure that all sets and locations look how they need to for the film.
• Construction manager – Sets have to be built, especially if they are going to be demolished during the movie. The construction managers job ensures that all the right skilled craftspeople are employed to built the sets.
• Cinematographer – This film job takes the vision of the director and translates it into film. This is a visual role, and is usually pivotal in the production of a great film.
• Animation and special effects – Not everything can be done in real life. Some films need animations, CGI effects, or to actually build and create special effects on the set, such as explosions and collapsing buildings.
• Movie extra jobs – In any film, a lot of people are required to make things look realistic. You can’t have a city scene if there are only the lead actors in the shot. This is the job of the film extra. The skill required for a film extra job varies depending on the role to be played. You might need to be athletic as in the video above, or to look a certain way. There are always plenty of film extra jobs being advertised, and it can be one of the best ways to get into the movie industry.

Film Production Schools

If you are interested in getting a film industry job, you might like to look at getting a film production degree. Have a look at the film production schools available and see what courses they offer.

Each film production course provides training in the different aspects of film production. Once you get your film production degree, your video production training will pave the way for you to find jobs in video production.

Don’t just do the course though. You need to produce your own work and provide examples of your filmmaking. If you want to get a career in film, have a look at the films Devin Graham has made on the devinsupertramp YouTube channel to get an idea of what you need to be doing.

So, if you want to be the next lead in Star Wars, start looking for those film extra jobs.

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• Current Outdoor Jobs UK
• Current Outdoor Jobs US

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What is a Game of Conkers?

The game of conkers is ages old. Using the dark brown horse chestnuts, not to be confused with the smaller chestnut, you can have hours of fun trying to smash apart your opponent’s conker.

The game of conkers, also called conker fighting, involves trying to smash your opponent’s conker which is suspended at the end of a piece of string.  The winner is usually the person whose conker is stronger and harder.

How to remove spiky conkers shells

The first thing you will need to play conkers is a conker! Conkers are encased in a hard green shell that has spikes on the outside. When the horse chestnut ripens and falls from the horse chestnut tree, the outer casing often breaks open when it hits the ground. You can then prise the conker shell off with your fingers.

If the conker shell hasn’t come off and you are finding it hard to open, then there is a trick to opening them without hurting your fingers on the spikes. All you have to do is put the conker on the ground and gently roll it with your foot. By applying the right amount of pressure, the shell breaks open as you roll it.

Getting your conkers ready for conker fights

To play conkers, you will need to attach your conker to a piece of string or shoe lace. Make a small hole all the way through your conker with a meat skewer, bradawl or drill. The smaller the hole is, the stronger your conker will be as a bigger hole weakens conkers too much and makes them prone to being broken when hit. The hole does need to be big enough to fit your piece of string through though. If you choose a thin round shoe lace or piece of string, this will be best for your conkers. The string should be between 30cm and 50cm long.

How to play conkers

Conker fighting is great fun between two players. As long as you play fair, you will have a great time. Hopefully your opponent won’t hit your knuckles with their conker either!

The aim of conker fights

The general idea is that one of the conker players holds his conker still in the air by dangling it on the string. The other conker player then has to swing his conker overarm whilst still holding the end of the string so that the conker hits the opponent’s conker. The aim is to smash your opponent’s conker off the string.

Who goes first in conkers?

You usually toss a coin to see who decides to go first. The winner of the toss can choose to hit or receive first.

Conkers Game play

Conkers players take it in turn to try to hit the other conker. There are several outcomes of a swing. You can hit the conker and smash it off the string. You can miss the conker. You can miss the conker and get the strings tangled. You can hit the conker with no damage. You can hit the conker and break your own conker. Both conkers could get damaged.

Winning conkers

To win a game of conkers, you have to smash your opponent’s conker completely off the string whilst keeping your conker on the string. A partial break does not count. Also, if you knock your opponent’s conker off the string without breaking it, then they are allowed to put it back on the string.

Scoring and rating a conker

Scoring is done by counting how many conkers your conker has broken. The winning conker also gains the rating of the losing conker. So if you both have “none-ers” because they have won none, then the winning conker becomes a “one-er.” If you have a conker that has beaten four others, and then beats a two-er, then it also takes on the score of the losing conker and becomes a six-er.

How to Make Conkers Stronger and Harder

Everyone who has played conkers will know that you will most likely win if your conker is stronger than the other conker. Technically, if you make the conker harder, it also makes it more brittle. What you have to do is to make your conker strong. You also have to try to make your method undetectable, so this rules out coating it in an epoxy resin!

Pickling conkers in vinegar

Pickling conkers in vinegar is said to make them rock hard. This can however cause the inside to slowly rot.

Baking conkers

Baking conkers in the oven at a very low heat is one of the best ways to make conkers stronger. You need to leave it in the oven long enough to make it strong without making the outside wrinkly.

Using old conkers

The best way to get a winning conker that is unbeatable is to use conkers saved from last year. So, start collecting next years winning conkers now!

Varnishing conkers

Applying clear varnish to conkers can give them a strong hard shell, but this can be detectable.

Hand cream on outside of conkers

One method that does seem to make conkers stronger is to coat the outside of your conker with hand cream. This makes the outside more resistance to impact. I would bake the conker in the oven first to make the inside tougher, and then coat the outside of the conker with hand cream to make the conker shell more flexible to the impacts.

Conkers banned in schools

Apparently, conker fights are dangerous. The powers that be have decided for you that you should not play conkers in case you get hurt. OK, so there are risks of hitting your opponent in the face, or smashing your conker into their hand, but they will need to have quick reactions to avoid your bad aim. If you can’t play at school, you can always play at home.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

There is also a popular computer game called conkers. The game stars Conker the Squirrel and involves a number of levels to complete. I would rather be outside trying to smash my friend’s horse chestnut to bits than be indoors playing on my own on a computer.

More information about Conkers

• How to play Conkers
• Fun Things to do in Autumn

The post How to Make Conkers Stronger appeared first on Active Outdoors.

If you fancy scaring the pants off yourself and your mates, book your advance ticket for a fright night at a theme park. It is such a fantastic thrill going on the rollercoasters during the day, and even more of an adrenalin rush in the dark at night.

October brings you theme park fright nights and scarefests. Most require advance bookings, even if you are a season ticket holder. Towards the end of the month and into November, you will also get fireworks displays as well.

UK Theme Park Halloween Fright Nights

• Alton Towers Scarefest – 19th October to 3rd November.  Book online now for 40% discount tickets – For real terror this Halloween, look no further than the Alton Towers Resort Scarefest! Be confronted by live terror as a chilling combination of indoor and outdoor scare attractions ensure those willing to be frightened this Halloween don’t leave feeling scared – they’ll leave terrified! Book online now and get 40% off.
• Thorpe Park Fright Night – 11th October – 3rd November.  40% discount off tickets. Fright Nights is back and even more terrifying than ever, transforming THORPE PARK into a world of twisted insanity!Only the brave will escape THORPE PARK Penitentiary as
  Fright Nights transform the nation’s Thrill Capital into a dark and twisted prison facility, where society’s most disturbed and dangerous prisoners have broken out and taken control.Take on THE SWARM for the first time in the dark, as you take a death-defying flight for your life on the UK’s first winged rollercoaster and brave all five terrifying live action horror mazes.Dare to Face Your Fears on the ultimate test as SAW – The Ride comes alive! And for the ultimate horror experience brave the terrifying live action horror mazes The Curse, Se7en, The Asylum, and Hellgate.

  If that’s not enough for you, experience exhilarating rides in the dark and take on the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of Stealth, Colossus and Nemesis Inferno in the pitch black of night until 10pm.

  Due to the extreme popularity of this event, Fright Nights is STRICTLY ADVANCE BOOK ONLY.
  LIMITED TIME ONLY: Grab your tickets now for just £24* – that’s over 40% saving!!

• Chessington Halloween Hocus Pocus – 25th October – 3rd November, 10am – 8pmThe whole family can enjoy spooky entertainment this Halloween as wicked witches and naughty Goblins take over the Park! Plus a mythical Fiery Faun will be weaving enchanting tales of his homeland using magic and fire to delight the younger members of your family. With rides in the dark and the chance to get up close and personal with the Zoo’s spiders, snakes and glow-in-the-dark scorpions there’s so much fun to be had it’s scary!

U.S. Theme Park Halloween Fright Nights

• Disneyland (Anaheim): Halloween Time with Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Halloween Screams fireworks show. 14th October – 31st October
• Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Fla.): Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with Boo-to-You parade and Happy HalloWishes fireworks show. September through to November
• Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights with scare zones, live shows and haunted mazes, including the “Saw” maze. Oct. 2 to Oct 31.
• Universal Studios Florida (Orlando): Halloween Horror Nights with scare zones, live shows and haunted mazes, including the “Wolfman” maze. Oct. 1 to Oct 31.
• Six Flags: Fright Fest with mazes, scare zones, nighttime rides and shows at the chain’s amusement parks across the United States including Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia) and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, Calif.). Weekends through Nov. 1.
• SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando: Halloween Spooktacular with animal shows and trick-or-treating for children. Weekends through Nov. 1.
• Legoland (Carlsbad, Calif.): Brick-or-Treat with live shows and trick-or-treating for children. Saturdays in October.
• Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park): Halloween Haunt with 13 haunted mazes, four scare zones and seven shows. Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 31.
• Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio): HalloWeekends with haunted houses, five scare zones and eight shows. Weekends through Nov. 1.
• Kings Dominion (Doswell, Va.): Halloween Haunt with nine haunted mazes, five scare zones and four shows. Weekends through Oct. 31.
• Kings Island (Cincinnati, Ohio): Halloween Haunt with 13 haunted attractions. Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 31.
• Carowinds (Charlotte, N.C.): Scarowinds with haunted rides, mazes and scare zones. Weekends through Oct. 31.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (Florida): Howl-O-Scream with seven haunted houses, four scare zones and two shows. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 31.
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Virginia): Howl-O-Scream with six haunted mazes, seven scare zones and six shows. Weekends through Nov. 1.
• SeaWorld San Antonio: Howl-O-Scream with haunted attractions, shows and scare zones. Weekends through Oct. 31 (and Oct. 12).
• Hersheypark (Hershey, Pa.): Hersheypark in the Dark with rethemed rides and live shows. Weekends through Oct. 31.
• Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.): National Gospel and Harvest Celebration with gospel music and harvest foods and crafts. Oct. 2 to Oct 31.
• Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pa.): Phantom Fright Nights with six haunted attractions and four scare zones. Friday and Saturday nights in October.
• Darien Lake (Darien Center, N.Y.): FrightFest with a haunted house and tram tour. Weekends through Oct. 18.
• Queen Mary Dark Harbor, Long Beach, California Queen Mary Dark Harbor celebrates Halloween all month long at the Queen Mary in Long Beach as the annual scare-fest takes on a horrifying new dimension. Join us for 15 fright-filled nights of mazes and madness, food and cocktails, and live bands.

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Paintball is a sport that combines strategy, teamwork and skill into an exciting action packed day. It is usually played outside in woodland areas or fields.

Players are supplied with a special marking paintball gun that fires biodegradable paintballs. The paintballs are propelled by compressed air making them very accurate up to a range of 60 metres. And yes, you get to shoot them at the other team!

You do not have to be super fit to play paintball; all you need is the ability to have fun and a sense of humour. Paintball is an exciting outdoor leisure activity, suitable for both sexes from the age of 12 upwards. It is ideal for birthday parties and groups from youth clubs or a bunch of school or college friends.

Paintballing Tips

On arrival at a paintball site you will be given full instructions and tuition, including a full safety briefing. At all times you will be totally supervised by experienced marshals who will accompany you throughout the day explaining everything you need to know about the paintball games and keeping you safe.

You will need to be quick thinking and resourceful as you attempt, with the rest of your team, to outwit the opposing team. During the day you will be set an exciting variety of objectives and missions, all designed to test your abilities in a friendly atmosphere.

Playing in a range of purpose built game zones, with names like The Alamo or Chemical Alley, combining man made structures with natural cover. You might be tasked with attacking then defending a fort or bridge, protecting a convoy of vehicles, ambushing your opponents or capturing and recovering a flag.

If you manage to hit a member of the opposition with a paintball they are eliminated from that round of the game, and the same goes for you. So you need to have your wits about you and work out the best time to make a move, or dive for cover and keep your head down!

After each game you hand in your paintball guns for checking and cleaning and return to your base for the day in the ‘Safe Zone’ where you can wipe of the paint (unless you’ve cunningly avoided being hit), re-load, grab some refreshment or stay for lunch and discuss your team tactics for the afternoon missions – having learnt from your mistakes in the morning!

Paintball is one of the fastest growing sports in Europe with over a million players last year. It can be an addictive adrenalin rush, so you might find yourself becoming a regular player and joining in competitive tournaments around the country.

Does Paintball Hurt?

Yes it does. A lot! It usually hurts as much as if someone flicks you hard on bare skin with their fingers. The rules are that you should not shoot close up, but in the heat of the battle you will usually get some vicious opponent who will get you. One game I went to, quite a few people left with large blood blisters and welts where the paintballs had damaged the skin.

However, if you find play strategically and work well with your team, you can usually come out with just a few slight bruises or none at all.

If you want to get some some protection from bruises, then there is a great selection of padded compression tops and trousers available in black or camo.

You can buy 500 rounds of paintball rounds for under $20 on Amazon.

What to Wear for Paintballing?

Wear old clothes. You should be given full overalls to wear when going paintballing, with a neck protector, head cover and full face mask. If you don’t like the idea of getting hit by a high velocity ball of paint, you might want to wear some thick clothing underneath for padding, but be aware that once you move about, you get quite hot. You are usually not allowed to run about (trip hazards), but the adrenalin usually makes you feel hotter.

Places to go Paintballing

There are paintball venues all over the country. Whichever one you choose, check whether they provide all the safety gear, such as full face masks, neck protectors, and overalls. Paintball is a real adrenalin sport that gets the blood and paint pumping.

Paintball Gear

One of the easiest places to buy paintball gear is from Amazon.com. Here are the recommended paintball essentials on Amazon.

The post Winning Paintball Tips appeared first on Active Outdoors.

But what role models do today’s teenagers have? Pop stars, footballers, and er, well, I can’t think of anyone else? You don’t get to see any of them doing outdoor activities in the wilderness.

So, perhaps you should be getting your inspiration and encouragement from a source a bit closer to home – your dad. Does your dad encourage you to spend time outdoors? Do you enjoy spending time with your dad outdoors? What makes a great outdoor dad?

I have been pondering this question lately as I watch other dads ignoring their children in the park while they lounge around looking fed up at being dragged out with the family, or shouting at them to stop mucking about when they create their own disruptive fun. There does seem to be a big disconnect between dads and their kids. Is this because they spend all of their time at work and not enough time playing with their children? Do they actually know the best way to interact?

I love the great outdoors, and as a dad I try my best to introduce my children to as wide a variety of outdoor experiences as I can . This doesn’t mean taking them on 10 mile hikes over mountains because it will do them good. I encourage them to try new activities and experiences, but it has to be fun. I provide guidance and knowledge from my years of experience as an outdoor adventurer, but also give them the freedom to learn and discover things for themselves.

This led me to thinking, “What makes a great outdoor dad?” With a lot of input from my children, here is my list of 20 things on how to be a great outdoor dad.

1. Fun – Make every outdoor experience fun.
2. Get a dog – The family will love the furry creature to bits, but it is you that has to go out in all weathers to walk the beast. Not forgetting those times when everyone else is tucked up in bed while you are out there in the driving rain and cold waiting for the little darling to do a poo. Or to come back when called, not.
3. Camping genius – Be able to put up the family tent on your own in the pouring rain while everyone else watches from the safety of the car.
4. Be adventurous
5. Be safe – Test out trees and rope swings before they do. You do have to then let them have a go though.
6. Cook an amazing meal over an open fire or on the smallest of gas stoves.
7. Stand on the touch line of the football or netball match and shout encouragement without getting yourself banned.
8. Be able to demonstrate every outdoor sport and activity to your kids and try to be better at it than them. This won’t last as they will soon learn how to be better and faster than you. No fear those kids, especially teenagers or those low to the ground. As a dad you feel the weight of responsibility for making sure you don’t break anything as you have to look after them and get and drive them all home after the holiday.
9. Come up with amazing facts. Did you know that …?
10. Do stuff with them. Don’t send them off on their own while you stay in and watch tv.
11. Be able to run or walk great distances back to the car so that you can go and pick everyone else up on the so called circular route where they are too tired to walk the rest of the way.
12. Bicycle repair man. Have a tool for every occasion and be able to fix everything, usually where over enthusiasm has led to a favourite toy breaking. Fixing bent derailleurs and twisted handlebars from unexpected dismounts. Still, at least it was the toy and not them.
13. Lifeguard on the river rapids. Keeping up with the kids at water parks.
14. Find your way anywhere. Even in the dark. Usually for finding holiday places late in the night whey of arrive down a narrow country lane. Also useful for finding your way to and from the pub when staying in new places.
15. Give their inexperienced friends important advice when descending steep mountain bike trails, such as “keep it slow and use your brakes,” only to be ignored as they know better. Good job young bodies bounce better than older ones.
16. Don’t be afraid of the dark (or anything, especially wild animals).
17. Help to develop self confidence by showing them that they can do things – assault courses and mtb single track
18. Develop independence
19. Guide yet give freedom to learn and discover
20. Enjoy spending time together. You never know how much you will have.

Have I missed anything? What is your dad like? Is your dad great outdoors? Let me know what you think makes a great outdoor dad on the Active Outdoors facebook page.

The post The Joys of Being an Outdoor Dad on Fathers Day appeared first on Active Outdoors.