It started with one small shop and a dream from a young Norman Carter; to provide expert advice and carefully chosen specialist equipment to the people of South Wales and beyond! We now specialize in supplying climbing, caving, mountaineering, travel and walking clothing and equipment, all aspects of paddlesport hardware and software as well as beach gear, and via our Professional arm; hard wear for industrial access and working at heights. All three businesses are based at our large shop in Cardiff, on Cowbridge Road East (CF51BL). All our staff are knowledgeable, experienced and passionate about the outdoors and hope to pass that passion on to our customers! We are not some big faceless corporation, we are a bunch of enthusiasts who are thrilled to help others experience and enjoy the outdoors! Up and Under Outdoor Gear
This side of the business specialises in climbing, caving and mountaineering. We take pride in providing unparalleled levels of service in terms of fitting gear. All our staff are trained in fitting footwear, sacks and clothing so you know you are going home with safe, comfortable and appropriate gear. We are not interested in selling you the most expensive pair of shoes, or shifting that excess stock; we are interested in ensuring you go home with the kit that suits your needs, be it a weekend ramble in the Beacons, or an Arctic expedition! We have a small climbing wall to try out new rock shoes on, a ceiling mounted harness sling to check harnesses fit well and even an artificial ice wall for testing crampons and ice axes. Up and Under Watersports
You'll find this upstairs in the building and stocks a wide range of kayaks, canoes, sit on tops and inflatables. The staff's experiences range from white water to touring, even competition canoe polo (Elan is the coach for the GB women's team!) and you will struggle to find a water-based question they cannot answer (go on, try us!). Paddlesport is becoming more and more popular and with many people staying at home for holidays canoes and kayaks offer fantastic fun for everyone. They are great fun in the surf, on flat lakes and estuaries and are a great platform for fishing from. The watersports shop also has loads of gear for the beach including wetsuits, soft surfboards, SUPs, body boards, snorkelling gear and more!
