HYMB: Equipment and facilities available

HYMB has a large range of equipment available, and we can also provide qualified leaders to provide instruction in all these activities

Activity Equipment

Sailing dinghies (Topper, Laser, Coypu, Optimist, Wayfarer, Wanderer, Topaz, Laser II, Topper Tazz)
Lake on site
Climbing wall
Canoes/Kayaks - Bats, Lightenings, Revenges, Prijons,Canadian and others.
River Lea Navigation adjacent to site
Canoe Polo Pitch
Windsurfing boards and Sails, both large and small
Caving complex
Dragon Boats (2)(hold 20 people)
All terrain bikes
Problem solving equipment (raft making, etc.)
Wetsuits
Buoyancy aids

Centre Facilities

Canoe Slalom (basic)
Orienteering Course
Adventure course
Purpose built building (built 1998)
Disabled access
Camping areas and indoor washrooms and facilities
3 class rooms and 1 meeting room in the new building
Cafe area with Vending Machines
HCC Camp store on site loaning camping equipment (Opening 2005)
Close to shops
3 minutes from Railway station (Central London just 17 minutes away by rail)
Plenty of Parking Space
Situated within Lee Valley Park, with plenty of opportunities for nature studies.
Lee Valley Youth Hostel next door

Our new building, opened in April 1998. Includes a cafeteria, reception, elevator, 3 multi-purpose rooms, a meeting room, camping washroom facilities, showers, lockers, boat store and maintenance area.

The new "Crag" climbing complex.
The "Crag" incorporates leading features in climbing wall technology including "live" leading systems as well as easy slabs for the novice or timid. For the experts, overhangs, chimneys, and crack should provide sufficient challenge to keep them absorbed for hours.
It is possible to climb to the top of the wall, climb down inside and then enter the caving system from within the climbing tower. Most users will use the normal cave entrance.
The cave, complete with pheratic tubes and squeezes brings the world of caving to life in a system that extends for over 100m. Particular features include the cave paintings, fossils and real stream passage. The introduction of both horizontal and vertical techniques can all be covered in this system. We run a range of courses in climbing and caving, from introductory to more advanced.

One cave entrance is designed to allow easy access for people with disabilities. The side shown is the "easy side" for beginners. Around the side is a crag, and around the back, an overhang.

This is a dragon boat. It is basically a canoe that holds 20 people, and can be raced. In fact "HYMAC" a youth group that operates at the base won the National Dragon Boat Junior championships twice. No experience is needed to paddle in one, but it take a lot of training to get good. The key is to ensure each paddler paddles in time with the others. At the front of the boat is a drum, where a drummer beats the pace. Dragon boats originate from Hong Kong. The picture below show the HYMAC Junior Team at the National Championships in Nottingham.

Sailing at Herts Young Mariners Base. A Laser, a (reefed) Wayfarer and a Duo