Meet the Team Behind Bear Creek Adventures
Hello! We're Katie and Monty Beaumont, the husband and wife team behind Bear Creek Adventures and our sister business, River Severn Canoes.
Between us, we bring over 40 years of combined experience in outdoor adventure, education and school travel. But our love for what we do goes much deeper than our professional experience. We've both experienced firsthand how the outdoors can help people discover strengths and abilities they never knew they had.
Different environments. New opportunities to shine. It's a belief that sits at the heart of everything we do.
Meet Monty – Outdoor Adventures & Operations
For Monty, it all began with a school kayaking trip. As a young person, Monty struggled with aspects of school life. His dyslexia went unrecognised for years, despite his natural intelligence, excellent memory and enthusiasm for learning. But that first experience on the water introduced him to a completely different way of learning and changed the course of his life.
What followed was a career that took him around the world as an accomplished paddler, climber and expedition leader. Along the way, he worked with organisations including The Prince's Trust, helping young people develop skills and confidence through outdoor experiences.
Today, Monty leads the operational side of Bear Creek Adventures, designing and delivering our outdoor programmes and expeditions. He's also Managing Director & owner of River Severn Canoes.
With decades of practical experience, Monty understands the value of giving young people opportunities to learn by doing, overcome challenges and discover what they're capable of.
And if he's not planning the next adventure, you'll probably find him out on the water!
Meet Katie – School Relationships, Planning & Customer Experience
Katie's journey into outdoor adventure was different, but no less important in shaping the philosophy behind Bear Creek. Although she did well academically, Katie never really felt she found "her thing" at school or had a chance to shine. It wasn't until she discovered the world of outdoor adventure through her career at Acorn Adventure that she found an environment where her own strengths could flourish.
She went on to spend 20 years at Acorn Adventure, working closely with schools and teachers to help plan and organise UK and overseas outdoor experiences for young people.
During that time, she developed extensive experience in school relationships, customer service, sales, marketing and adventure programme planning, gaining a real understanding of what schools need when organising activities away from the classroom.
Today, Katie looks after the customer experience at Bear Creek Adventures, working with schools, families and groups to help them find the right activities and plan their adventures.
For Katie, it's about making the whole experience straightforward, from the first enquiry through to the day of the adventure.
Why We Do What We Do
Our experiences have taught us that everyone learns differently, and that sometimes a change of environment can make all the difference.
That's why we choose to offer such a variety of outdoor settings and activities, from canoeing on the River Severn and kayaking along peaceful canals to woodland adventures, climbing, bushcraft and team challenges.
Different environments offer different opportunities. A quieter child might discover they're a natural leader. Someone who lacks confidence might surprise themselves by tackling a new challenge. Others might discover a love of nature, adventure or learning something practical.
By combining Monty's operational expertise with Katie's understanding of schools and programme planning, we aim to create experiences that are exciting, well organised and genuinely rewarding.
Because sometimes, one experience is all it takes to discover what you're capable of.
The Story Behind Bear Creek
You might be wondering where the name Bear Creek comes from! Bear is our much loved Labrador, while Creek takes us back to the wonderful time we spent living and working in Creekside, Canada.
It's a name that feels very much like us!
Meet Our Instructors
Of course, we couldn't do it all alone! We're supported by a fantastic team of experienced, enthusiastic outdoor instructors who share our love of adventure and our belief in the benefits of outdoor learning.
Together, we work to create safe, welcoming and memorable experiences where everyone feels encouraged to get involved, try something new and enjoy the outdoors.
Whether you're a teacher planning a school enrichment programme, DofE, a family looking for an adventure or a group organising an outdoor experience, we'd love to hear from you.
We look forward to meeting you!
Katie, Monty and the Bear Creek Team
