Accept the SYHActive Challenge!

By Contributor -

Activities on the loch and on dry land will feature in the SYHACtive Day

On April 18, 2015 SYHA Hostelling Scotland will host the inaugural SYHActive Day. This celebration of the great outdoors will be held at Rowardennan Youth Hostel on the shores of Loch Lomond and includes the SYHA Challenge, a 44-mile duathlon.

SYHActive is being staged in the heart of The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and will offer chances to experience first hand the multitude of opportunities Scotland’s stunning countryside has to offer.

The day will feature taster sessions for a variety of adventure activities, from canoeing to raft building. A number of national outdoor, youth, environmental and wildlife organisations will be there, including Forestry Commission Scotland, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, RSPB and Duke of Edinburgh Awards. There will also be refreshments, including a barbecue in the afternoon; local produce and craft stalls, live bands and child-friendly activities.

‘The benefits of outdoor activities and the natural environment’

”We want to highlight all the benefits of outdoor activities and the natural environment,” said Keith Legge, SYHA Hostelling Scotland Chief Executive. “Hostelling provides an affordable way to explore the country and also the option to meet like-minded people, go as a group, with family, try new activities or enjoy some time on your own.”

The SYHActive Challenge is an open, individual or team duathlon (run or walk and cycle) for all fitness abilities. Competitors will be required to raise sponsorship to support SYHA’s youth activity programmes, which offer groups of vulnerable or disadvantaged young people the opportunity to take part in action-packed activity holidays at youth hostels across Scotland.

10 miles round the shoulder of Ben Lomond, 34-mile cycle ride

Setting off from Rowardennan Youth Hostel, competitors will run or walk 10 miles round the shoulder of Ben Lomond to Inversnaid. From the transition point, the 34-mile cycle ride will pass Lochs Arklet, Chon and Ard on the way to Aberfoyle and then head to Drymen and along the coast of Loch Lomond before finishing back at Rowardennan.

To register for the SYHACtive Day, which is free and open to all, email SYHActive@syha.org.uk.

Entry to theSYHActive Challenge costs £20, with the aim of raising a further £50 or more in sponsorship for SYHA youth programmes. For further details and to enter, click here.

For lots more ideas about things to do and places to go around Scotland, pick up a copy of this month’s Scots Magazine. In the shops now or subscribe by clicking here.