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Welcome!

Welcome to Plas y Brenin, The National Mountain Sports Centre, based in Snowdonia, North Wales.

Courses are also offered further afield, including Scotland, the Alps and the Pyrenees.
Personal Skills (Land)

Get started or improve your skills on the trails, hills, crags or mountains

Rock
Climbing

Scrambling Courses

Hillwalking & Navigation

Adventure Sports

Mountain Biking

Alpine Mountaineering

Scottish Winter Mountaineering

Welsh Winter Mountaineering

First Aid Training

Summer Camps For Young People (12-17)

On our summer camps for young outdoor enthusiasts (aged 12-17) our courses focus on providing maximum enjoyment whilst learning and developing your outdoor skills. To make sure you get the most from your course, alongside a week of all-day skills development, we also run a series of informal evening activity sessions. With the entire site dedicated to young people, you'll learn new skills, see new places and make lots of new friends.

find out more here
Personal Skills (Water)

Take your first steps or develop your outdoor skills on the lakes, rivers or sea

Adventure Sports

Kayaking

Sea Kayaking

Canoeing

White Water Safety & Rescue

Summer Camps For Young People (12-17)

On our summer camps for young outdoor enthusiasts (aged 12-17) our courses focus on providing maximum enjoyment whilst learning and developing your outdoor skills. To make sure you get the most from your course, alongside a week of all-day skills development, we also run a series of informal evening activity sessions. With the entire site dedicated to young people, you'll learn new skills, see new places and make lots of new friends.

find out more here
Free Kayak, Sea Kayak Or Canoe Hire On All Our Paddling Courses

When you come on a canoeing or kayaking course or holiday with us, you can borrow a kayak, canoe, paddle, helmet, spraydeck and any other kit you need free of charge. What's more, you can try out loads of boats to find out what suits you best. We have a huge range of the latest kayaks, sea kayaks and canoes in our fleet and you are welcome to try any of them. Find out more about our kayak and canoe fleet here.
Leadership & Coaching

Courses For Instructors, Coaches and Leaders In The Outdoors

Mountain Leadership

Climbing
Coaching

MTB Leadership

First Aid Courses

Kayak
Coaching

Canoe
Coaching

Sea Kayak Coaching

W.W. Safety & Rescue

Duke Of Edinburgh's Award

Coaching
Orienteering

Fast Track Instructor Scheme

Enhanced Learning Credits

Adventure Sports Coaching Conference

Fast Track Instructor Scheme

Every year we are host to a team of committed individuals who have set their hearts on becoming outdoor instructors. Our Fast Track Insturctor trainees spend four months here at The National Mountain Centre learning from experts in every field, leaving us with a new career and a new direction.Think you'd like to join the Fast Track Scheme? Find out more here.
Families

Courses Families & Children

Family Courses

Summer Camps

Artificial Ski Slope

Bespoke Enquiries

Self catering Cottages

Self Catering Accommodation

Our self catering accommodation units make a great destination for a family holiday in the mountains. Moelwyn Cottage sleeps 16 and Bryn Engan Cottage sleeps up to 20 people in a warm, clean, comfortable bunkhouse style arrangement. If you'd rather be a little more upmarket Bryn Engan Farmhouse has 12 single, en-suite rooms and every home comfort you could wish for. You can add on activities and catered meals as you desire. Find out more here.
Groups

Breaks and Activities for Groups

School
Groups

Adventure Experiences

Team Development

Artificial Ski Slope

Bespoke Enquiries

Superior School Experiences

If you want the very best residential activity experience for your school, there's no better choice than the National Mountain Sports Centre. Enjoy the highest standard of instruction, equipment, food and accommodation. Let us work out a program that's ideal for your school.Find out more here.

Christmas Parties

If your idea of a perfect Christmas party is great food, a stunning location and incredible views, then Plas y Brenin is the place for you. Find out more here.

Accommodation For Groups

Our self catering accommodation units make a highly affordable destination for your group adventures. Moelwyn Cottage sleeps 16 and Bryn Engan Cottage sleeps up to 20 people in a warm, clean, comfortable bunkhouse style arrangement. If you'd rather move upmarket, Bryn Engan Farmhouse has 12 single, en-suite rooms and every home comfort you could wish for. You can add on meals, activities, and conference facilities as you desire. Find out more here.
Resources
Free Advice & Information
Why Choose Plas y Brenin?

What makes The National Mountain Sports Centre so special and why should you choose us? Find out here
Info
General Information & Other Stuff
Why Choose Plas y Brenin?

What makes The National Mountain Sports Centre so special and why should you choose us? Find out here

Welcome To The National Mountain Sports Centre

A national outdoor centre, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, North Wales, Plas y Brenin is a centre of sporting excellence and one of the UK’s leading providers of qualifications and skills-based courses. We’ve been at the forefront of outdoor leadership, training and exploration for over 60 years and have built up a unique reputation for providing world class instruction. Our incredible location allows us to run a year round programme of skill development, training and assessment in a range of mountain sports including walking, climbing, mountaineering, paddle sports and mountain biking.
Courses are both residential and non–residential and we can make bespoke courses to meet your needs. We are also a great venue for a wide range of outdoor-focused conferences and symposiums – a key role given we are a national resource for the outdoors. Our bar, open to the public, has one of the best views in Snowdonia!
We work both with individuals as well as organisations and businesses. The centre is operated on behalf of Sport England, somewhat uniquely, by a non-profit educational charity, the Mountain Training Trust.

Featured Courses

Get Started Rock Climbing - 2 days

Become a rock climber! This introductory course gives you the best foundation in...

Cost from £147

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Hill Skills - 2 Days

This two day accredited Mountain Training course is perfect for anyone with an i...

Cost from £137

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Discover Scrambling

As a summer hillwalker you will often want to reach places which require more sp...

Cost from £195

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Introduction to Kayaking

A five day course which will give you a thorough grounding in kayaking. You wil...

Cost from £389

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Introduction to Canoeing

A five-day course introducing you to the basics of handling an open canoe. Deve...

Cost from £405

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Mountain Bike Fundamentals (Skills Coaching)

This is a day aimed at new riders. We'll help you develop good technical riding ...

Cost from £137

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Got A Date Available - Need An Adventure To Match?

Find out what's going on at the National Mountain Sports Centre between any date range on this handy new search page

Take me to the calendar!

Adventure Sports
Coaching Conference

Our inaugural Adventure Sports Coaching Conference will seek to explore the role of coach developers in adventure sports performance.

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CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

Christmas and New Year On behalf of all the team at Plas y Brenin, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a H....

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SCOTTISH WINTER COURSES 2018

Scottish Winter Courses 2018 Starting January 2018, our Scottish Winter courses are timed to make the most of the incredible wint....

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WINTER WARMERS

Winter Warmers As the nights begin to draw in and the temperature starts to drop, Plas y Brenin are pleased to offe....

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PEAK PERFORMANCE FOR PLAS Y BRENIN PADDLING TEAM

Peak Performance For Plas y Brenin Paddling Team We are delighted to announce that we've launched an exciting new partnership with kayak clothing man....

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BMC WOMEN OUTDOORS WEEK 5-15 AUG 2017

BMC Women Outdoors Week 5-15 Aug 2017 Come and get active for the BMC's Women Outdoors Week here at Plas y Brenin. We have talks, activiti....

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What's On In Our bar?

Our friendly and lively bar is open to the public. From talks and lectures to film nights and live music, there's always something going on. Find out what's coming up next here

Take me to the bar

Adventure Sport
Summer Camps (Age 12-17)

Young climbers, mountaineers, paddlers and mtb riders aged 12-17. Develop your outdoor skills with our top coaches on one of our residential summer camps.

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Enhanced Learning Credits

The Enhanced Learning Credit Administration Service offers funding for armed forces personnel. Plas y Brenin is able to accept ELCAS funding for a few specific non residential courses.