Adventure Gap Year
The right gap year for you
If you picture the average gap year you might think about someone with a back pack, taking a train from one European capital city to another, marveling at the architecture and enjoying trying out new foods in a range of cafes and bars. Or perhaps you imagine someone teaching English to a classroom full of business people in somewhere like Tokyo, or Beijing. Those are rewarding experiences and make for great gap years, but what if you want to do something a bit different? What if you want a bit more of an adventure, something more exciting that will make your friends stop and listen when you get home?
The options
Luckily there are a handful of specialist gap year companies offering proper adventure gap years. Someone them will still carry your bags and take care of you, others you will be expected to pull your weight - literally! If you are not the type of person who likes to pass the time watching the world go by with a glass of wine and a book, while other people rush about, you will probably want to read on...
Arctic Expeditions are not the sole preserve of the rich and famous. Spend the first few weeks improving your mountaineering skills, arctic living and safe travel. Then it is off to the first expedition base camp. But remember, this is not one of those papered gap years we were talking about earlier. There are skis on your feet and you will be pulling your own sledge of equipment. You will be taking part in valuable scientific research on Svalbard, cooking your own freeze dried food on a Primus stove, in a tent, surrounded by snow.
Prefer your adventure gap year warm? Go to Oman, and take part in an eight week trek through some of the harshest desert environments on Earth. Remember to collect kindling along the way or you will not be able to make the fire on which to cook your food. Enjoy spectacular starry night skies that you will not see in the UK, and make your way to the tropical cloud forests near the Arabian Peninsula.
How about taking part in some extreme sports on your adventure gap year? Try your hand at bungy jumping, zorbing, or rock climbing in New Zealand, skydiving, canyoning and cave diving in the USA, martial arts training camps in South East Asia, getting up close to big game in Africa, or free diving with sharks in Australia.
Popular Adventure Gap Years:
Trainee Activity Instructor Employer: PGL Join PGL, the UK's leading provider of residential activity holidays, as a Trainee Activity Instructor. This role offers the opportunity for you to begin your career in the outdoors industry and also the chance to gain instructor awards as you progress. No qualifications required: we'll train you!
| AlternativeGap Kenya Employer: Adventure Alternative Adventure Alternative offer a ten week gap adventure in Kenya for people aged from 18 to 24 which combines extensive adventure travel, International Fair Trade volunteering and an expedition. The trip is fun and exciting and informative, and long enough for you to feel a difference in yourself
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Coach and Play a variety of Sports in Clubs, Schools, Community Centres and Grassroots Organisations Employer: Travellers Worldwide Whether you’re a professional or just love sport we have a project for you! Sports include Football, Rugby, Cricket, Polo, Badminton, Baseball, Hockey, Swimming, Gymnastics, Tennis, Athletics, Surfing, Capoeira and more! No experience required other than a desire to use Sport to help others! | Frontier: The experience of a lifetime Employer: Frontier Frontier specialises in offering gap year expeditions for adventurers of any age. Our ethical tours are perfect for providing you with a fantastic experience before going to university or starting a job. Whilst away on a Frontier project, you can also volunteer abroad and you will be able to make... |
Global Volunteering Employer: Lattitude Global Volunteering Lattitude Global volunteering is an international youth development charity specialising in long term, adventurous and rewarding placements. Opportunities available include; teaching, conservation (environment and wildlife), medical, community work and caring as well as outdoor education. | Volunteer Abroad Starting £140 Employer: Volunteering Solutions Volunteering Solutions provides reliable, safe and affordable International Volunteer Abroad Programs in 19 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin/South America to serve the local and needy communities. Our mission is to provide meaningful and fully researched volunteer and internship programs. |
AlternativeGap NepalEmployer: Adventure Alternative A ten week Gap adventure in Nepal with Adventure Alternative, combining extensive adventure travel, volunteering and an expedition. AlternativeGap Nepal should attract people who have a real desire to explore a country and understand both it's development needs and also appreciate it's uniqueness | Sport – Polo in Argentina, Horse Safari in South Africa. Employer: The Leap The Leap offers 2 unique equine experiences...
Live on a private estancia and learn to play polo in Argentina
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Horse safari across the African bush in search of game whilst helping with local conservation and community projects.
Both experiences are team based, for 10 or 6 weeks. |
Paid Work Employer: Oyster worldwide Want the ultimate work hard, play hard experience? Get paid work in one of three ski resorts in Canada or in the Aussie Outback or cosmopolitan city of Sydney. From the friendly people of Canada, to the chilled out surf of the Australian coast, both these countries offer excitement and adventure.
| Volunteer Community Projects Employer: Madventurer Spend your GAP year or career break with Madventurer and become part of something special! Based out of Newcastle University Students Union, Madventurer run Award Winning Projects, exciting Charity Treks and Overland Adventures that span the world, all lasting from 2 weeks to 6 months. Volunteers work as part |
Apprentice Outdoor Instructor Employer: Kingswood Want to get paid for your gap year? Have the time of your life giving children the holiday of a lifetime! Join Kingswood's Apprentice Outdoor Instructor scheme and take your first steps towards a dream career in the outdoor industry. | Voluntary work Employer: Inspired Breaks Want to teach English in Thailand, help with wildlife conservation in Australia or work with a Himalayan community? Our volunteer options across the globe offer not only the chance to do something worthwhile with your career break but also a fantastic opportunity to visit amazing destinations. |
Round the world travel Employer: Real Gap Can’t pick just one destination? How about setting off on a thrill-seeking tour of Australasia or getting a real dose of culture journeying across South East Asia! Choose from our range of round the world options or mix and match our trips to create your perfect gap year experience. | Adventure toursEmployer: Inspired Breaks Leave the tourist track behind and set off on the trip of a lifetime! Get your fill of culture and adventure, volunteer and catch a glimpse of the hidden sights most travellers miss. From Cambodia to Peru, you’ll get a unique view of local life and see the best each destination has to offer. |
Adventure travelEmployer: Real Gap Our trips and tours across the globe offer the perfect combination of adrenalin-fuelled activities, cultural immersion and sightseeing. Whether you want to unleash your wild side with lions on the African plains or take in the best of Thailand, we can help you plan your ultimate gap year trip! | Affordable Volunteering Gap-Years in Africa Employer: Agape Volunteers Volunteer in Africa from £190. Explore an exciting new country, volunteer in projects including schools and hospitals whilst making the most of your stay. Take a safari, white water raft the Nile, quad-bike the Sahara and go ape-trekking in Uganda. Stay as long as you want, starting when you want. |
Pre-Instructor Training Course Employer: CMC Pensarn Harbour Booking Now for 2012!!! CMC Pensarn Harbour is offering capable people wanting to pursue an exciting career in Outdoor Education an opportunity to gain many of the personal skill awards, in an intensive 8 week training programme designed to prepare you for National Governing Body coaching awards. | VolunteeringEmployer: Real Gap Fancy helping with teaching work in Malawi, rehabilitating monkeys in South Africa or caring for disabled children in Vietnam? You can make a real difference to hundreds of projects around the world, whether you want to save the planet, protect a species or impoverished youngsters a better future. |
Ski Season Jobs and Courses Employer: Ski Jobs Looking for more exciting Gap Year opportunities? Take a look at Best Ski Jobs for the very best Ski Season Jobs and Courses, offering you the chance to spend long hours on the slopes in some of the most stunning resort locations, all while your earn or train! | Combine Conservation, Community & Ecotourism Projects.Employer: The Leap Volunteering doesn’t have to be about about choosing between your interest in people or wildlife. Here at the Leap we believe that by combining several different projects Leapers gain a more challenging, insightful and exciting volunteer experience. So, pick a country and get stuck in. |
Trainee Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Course Employer: Open Door Training For individuals who wish to make an exciting career in the outdoor industry, Open Door Training offer a selection of the very best TOPIC courses, (trainee outdoor pursuits instructor course) which range from our eight week introductory course, sixteen week course to our 6-month or one year course. | Ski / Snowboard Instructor Course Employer: Non Stop Ski and Snowboard Whether you're planning to spend time as a ski or snowboard instructor, or you just want to learn to ride at a professional level, NONSTOP’s courses are the way forward |
Canadian Mountain Bike CoursesEmployer: Non Stop Ski and Snowboard Our mountain bike programmes are hosted in Fernie, British Columbia. Highly regarded as one of the best winter mountain destinations in the world, it’s a hidden gem in the summer and perfect for all-mountain and downhill riders | Outdoor Adventure Jobs and Courses Employer: Adventure Jobs Have you ever dreamt of becoming an Activity Instructor, spending your working days out on the water or up in the mountains? If the answer is yes, then take a look at Best Adventure Jobs for all the latest Outdoor Adventure Jobs and Courses. This could be your first step towards that dream career! |
Surf Gap Year Experiences, Instructor and Life Guard CoursesEmployer: Non Stop Ski and Snowboard NONSTOP offer a range of amazing gap year surf experiences. Based in two contrasting, but equally epic, surf locations we can help you to become a globally recognised instructor or lifeguard and get your surfing skills up to a professional level | Group Leaders Employer: Robinwood Robinwood Selection Days taking place from September 2011 for Spring 2012 start. Why work for us? Group leading at Robinwood is enjoyable, rewarding, but also challenging. Its definately not a 9-5 job but the opportunities that Robinwood offers can give you a wonderful lifestyle..... |
Worldwide Adventures Employer: Round the World Experts. Our Round the World Experts is committed to providing great travel at the cheapest available price. You may be a school leaver looking to do a GAP year, taking a career break or wanting to book that well deserved trip of a lifetime; Round the World Experts will |