Shock mountain centre closure a fresh blow to outdoor sector

THE shock closure of another mountain centre in Gwynedd is the latest hammer blow to the region's outdoor education sector. Blue Peris, in the shadow of the giant Dinorwig quarry, near Llanberis, is to close by October.

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

Bedford Borough Council has decided to end its lease at the site to cut costs. Blue Peris Mountain Centre has provided outdoor skills for generations of Bedfordshire youngsters for 50 years.

Its supporters slammed the decision as “absolutely devastating”, some calling it a “disgrace”. The 60-bed centre is also a national training centre for Mountain Leaders.

Online, people lined up to condemn the move and the wider decline of outdoor education in North Wales. One man said the facilities push youngsters “out of their comfort zone to discover who they are”.

“We still need adventurous young people and minds to lead the next generation,” he said. “Great Britain was made what it is today through the Shackleton spirit.”