BF Adventure, an education and activities charity based near Penryn, Cornwall, have benefited from an investment that enabled them to install a via ferrata climbing route on their Longdowns site.

The protected climbing route - an 'Iron Stairway', has been built with a steel cable rail fixed to the rock, metal steps, ladders, suspension bridges and a zip wire around and across two of the site's quarries.

The route was secured with a £150,000 investment from Resonance, a social impact investment company with its headquarters in Launceston, Cornwall.

Adrian Richards, BF Adventure’s CEO said: “We’re excited to have launched Via Ferrata Cornwall, the first ever via ferrata in the south west!

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"This high-adrenaline activity gives people the chance to journey across old granite quarries over 20 metres high, pushing their limits, overcoming fears and focusing their minds on an epic and unforgettable adventure.

"As a Community Interest Company, all profits go straight towards BF Adventure, a charity supporting local disadvantaged children and young people. Helping them on a journey of change, it uses its beautiful 60 acre site of heathland, woodland and flooded quarries to enable them to identify their own social, emotional and physical barriers and choose their own challenges to overcome these.”

Falmouth Packet:

Climbers 'in action' at the site

Leila Sharland, senior investment manager at Resonance said: “The BF Adventure investment is an exciting opportunity to bring a new adrenalin activity to Cornwall which will provide a fresh income stream to an excellent Cornish charity - and its social enterprise arm - which has been supporting young people from across the county for decades.

"It has been great to work with a team who are so dedicated to improving lives and who have the vision to make the most out of their site.

"I am really looking forward to seeing the via feratta in action, but they may have a job convincing me to go on there as I am not very good with heights!”

The new instalment is one of very few operating via ferratas in the UK, and the very first in the south west, attracting adventurers near and far to experience this ultimate high challenge. It’s a unique climbing adventure which sees adrenaline and thrill seekers following the 20 metre high Iron Stairway, experiencing Cornwall’s granite quarrying heritage as they ascend cliff faces, cross high wire suspension bridges and tackle high challenges – all fixed onto the quarry rock - and zip back down to ground level.

BF Adventure has been running challenging and creative programmes for thirty years, focusing on improving self-esteem, building life skills and coping strategies in young people, empowering them through a wide range of outdoor activities from archery and abseiling to coasteering and canoeing. These outdoor activities help disadvantaged young people to overcome social and educational barriers in their everyday lives, supporting them on journeys of positive change.