A to Z Expeditions

What A to Z Expeditions does

A to Z Expeditions (legally Walklean Ltd) is a UK-based, privately held outdoor education provider founded in 2007 by Zoe Mclean and headquartered in Hay on Wye, Herefordshire. The company specialises exclusively in delivering expedition programmes for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE), operating across Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels in walking, cycling, and canoeing modes. It serves two distinct customer segments: schools and youth groups (requiring a minimum of 10 participants) through tailored full-service expedition programmes, and individuals aged 14-24 through scheduled open expeditions in locations including the Brecon Beacons, Peak District, and Chiltern Hills.

The core service offering encompasses in-school training, practice expeditions, qualifying expeditions, supervision by qualified instructors, group kit provision (tents, stoves, first aid kits, maps), DofE accredited assessors, and SPOT Gen 3 GPS trackers issued to every group for real-time safety monitoring. Pricing for school programmes is structured at £55 per participant per day (walking) or £70 per participant per day (cycling), with bundled packages ranging from £275 to £770 per participant depending on award level and mode. Open expeditions are priced between £110 and £275 per programme. The company is licensed by the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority (AALA, licence R1606) and holds DofE Approved Activity Provider status, having been one of the first six companies to receive this designation.

A to Z Expeditions operates with a lean structure of approximately 5 HQ staff and 20+ field instructors, generating scale through repeat school contracts and term-aligned expedition scheduling. The business has no disclosed external funding, operates as an independent private limited company, and reports over 1,500 participants completing DofE expeditions annually across the UK. Strategic partnerships with Activities Industry Mutual (insurance), Pharos-Response (crisis management), The Prince's Trust (youth outreach), and Adventures With Will (instructor training) underpin operational resilience and talent pipeline development.

Name

A to Z Expeditions

Legal name

Walklean Ltd

Website

https://azexpeditions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A to Z Expeditions is a UK-based outdoor education provider founded in 2007 that exclusively delivers Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition programmes at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels in walking, cycling, and canoeing for schools, youth groups, and individuals aged 14-24.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA), Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA)

Keywords

• Duke of edinburgh expeditions
• Outdoor education services
• School adventure programmes
• Expedition programme delivery
• Walking cycling canoeing training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wales

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. School Expedition Services: Full-service DofE expedition programmes for schools delivered at £55 per participant per day for walking and £70 per person per day for cycling, with minimum 10 participants. Includes training, practice expeditions, qualifying expeditions, supervision, kit provision, and assessment.
2. Open Expeditions: Individual and small group expeditions at various price points (£110-£275 per expedition) with deposits and balance payments. Targets individuals who cannot attend school expeditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A to Z Expeditions plans and delivers Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition programmes at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels in walking, cycling and canoeing modes for UK schools (minimum 10 participants) and individual young people aged 14-24. Services include in-school training, practice and qualifying expeditions, supervision by qualified instructors, full group kit provision (tents, stoves, maps, first aid kits), SPOT GPS trackers for safety, and DofE accredited assessors for assessment.

Product overview

A to Z Expeditions is a single-focus service business offering Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition programmes exclusively. Its core portfolio comprises two delivery channels: School Expeditions (tailored programmes for schools and youth groups) and Open Expeditions (for individuals and small groups). Within these, three expedition modes are offered — Walking, Cycling, and Canoeing — across all three DofE award levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold). The company also offers an Instructor Traineeship programme for recruiting and training new instructors. All expeditions include group kit provision (tents, stoves, shelters, first aid kits, maps) and SPOT tracker technology for safety tracking. Pricing is structured either as per-participant-per-day rates (£55 walking, £70 cycling) or as bundled package prices for defined programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Expeditions Tailored Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition programmes for UK schools and youth groups covering Bronze, Silver and Gold levels in walking, cycling and canoeing modes. Includes in-school training, practice expeditions, qualifying expeditions, supervision by qualified Mountain Leader / Mountain Bike Instructor staff, full group kit provision, and DofE accredited assessors. Minimum 10 participants per programme.
• Open Expeditions Scheduled DofE walking expeditions at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels for individuals and small groups not affiliated with a school programme, including training/practice and qualifying expeditions, bunkhouse accommodation where specified, and full group kit provision.
• Walking Expeditions (Schools) School DofE walking expeditions at Bronze (5 days, £275 pp), Silver (7 days, £385 pp) and Gold (10 days, £550 pp) levels, priced at £55 per participant per day with a minimum of 10 participants. Includes training, practice, qualifying expeditions, supervision and assessment.
• Cycling Expeditions (Schools) School DofE cycling expeditions at Bronze (6 days, £420 pp), Silver (8 days, £560 pp) and Gold (11 days, £770 pp) levels, priced at £70 per participant per day with a minimum of 10 participants. Includes bikes, helmets, pannier bags, all cycle-specific equipment, training, practice, qualifying expeditions and assessment.
• Bronze Walking Expedition (Open) Entry-level open DofE walking expedition in the Chiltern Hills comprising a 3-day training expedition (£165, including 2-day training expedition, preparation and camping fees) and a 2-day qualifying expedition (£110). For individuals and small groups at Bronze level.
• Silver Walking Expedition (Open) Intermediate open DofE walking expedition in the Peak District National Park, comprising a 4-day training and practice expedition (£192.50, with 1 day pre-expedition training and 3-day practice expedition) and a 4-day qualifying expedition (£192.50). For individuals and small groups at Silver level.
• Gold Walking Expedition (Open) Advanced open DofE walking expedition in wild remote country, comprising a 5-day training and practice expedition (£275) in the Black Mountains (2 days expedition training and 3-day practice, with bunkhouse accommodation on the first night) and a 5-day qualifying expedition (£275) in the Brecon Beacons (1 day preparation and 4-day qualifying expedition, with bunkhouse accommodation on the first night). For individuals and small groups at Gold level.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 young people safely complete DofE expeditions annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Activities Industry MutualcoreOthersThe Activities Industry Mutual has been set up specifically to cater for the insurance needs of the adventure activities industry in the UK and for those who have operations both in the UK and abroad.
• Pharos-ResponsecoreOthersPharos provides a 24/7 critical incident containment service, helping clients respond professionally and swiftly to major incidents. Through telephony resilience, strategic incident management mentoring, crisis PR, trauma counselling and other integrated strategic services.
• The Prince's TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Prince's Trust supports 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems.
• Adventures With WillminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining partner for delivering Lowland Leader Award training and assessment programmes for new instructor recruits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PGL: PGL is the UK's largest provider of school activity and adventure courses at residential centres. It overlaps with A to Z on outdoor adventure instruction for schools but operates a much broader portfolio including non-DofE multi-activity programmes.
• Rock UK: Rock UK operates adventure centres and outdoor learning programmes for schools and youth groups across the UK. Comparable on outdoor instruction for schools and youth, including DofE-aligned provision, though delivered primarily from fixed centres.
• JCA Adventure: JCA Adventure specialises in school adventure and ski trips, including expedition-style programmes. Directly comparable customer base (school DofE-style groups) though with broader destination and activity breadth.
• Kingswood: Kingswood runs outdoor education and residential activity programmes for UK schools, covering adventure, team-building, and curriculum-led learning. Comparable to A to Z in serving school buyers seeking structured outdoor experiences, though Kingswood's centre-based model differs from expedition delivery.

Direct peers

• Acorn Adventure: Acorn Adventure delivers outdoor activity and adventure programmes for primary schools and youth groups across the UK. Comparable on school-channel GTM and outdoor skill development, though less specialised in DofE expeditions.
• The Bushcraft Company: The Bushcraft Company delivers residential bushcraft and outdoor education programmes for UK primary and secondary schools. Comparable on school-channel outdoor instruction, though focused on bushcraft skills rather than DofE expeditions specifically.
• High Adventure: High Adventure is a UK-based DofE expedition and outdoor education provider running walking and cycling programmes for schools. Direct overlap with A to Z in DofE expedition delivery, instructor qualifications, and school-channel GTM.

Emerging players

• Bendrigg Trust: Bendrigg Trust provides outdoor education courses for schools, disabled groups, and disadvantaged young people. Comparable on school outdoor learning and youth development, with an overlapping mission and regulatory positioning.
• Calvert Trust: Calvert Trust runs outdoor adventure centres for people with disabilities, schools, and groups. Partial overlap in outdoor adventure instruction and school/youth segment, but differentiated by disability-access specialism.
• Hollowford Trust: Hollowford Trust (Lindley Educational Trust) provides outdoor education and DofE expedition support in the Peak District. Direct overlap with A to Z's Peak District expeditions and DofE delivery focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP8X-R91XB5PU8XDpGFeTdQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtoZExpeditions
• Instagraminstagram.com/atozexpeditions
• Xx.com/atozexpeditions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-to-z-expeditions

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A to Z Expeditions