"I'd fancied going wild for a while. Life had been too much work and not enough play so after enlisting some fellow non-sporty pals, and swung bythe promise of 4* accommodation (with a HOT TUB dear Reader) we agreed to step out of our comfort zone and, well, quite literally, Go Wild in Wales. Any slight apprehension (though of course none of us admitted it) was halted upon the arrival of the comprehensive Kit List (Great - one less list to write). Besides we weren't too sure what passed as suitablecliff climbing attire to name but one. It included everything from sun cream to gloves to towels to jackets to shoes- perfect for the control freak "need to know everything" side within each of us.

The Essentials Section was my personal favourite. Wisely, Lesley suggested we leave the tiara and high heels at home. Being comfy was crucial. We were urged to bring : "Wine and Chocolate", "DVDs and CDs for the evenings", "Swimming costume (for the hot tub, not in case you fall in the lake)", "lippy, make up and perfume". It seems that lippy (preferably screaming, don't mess with me, ultra-glamorous RED) is a pre-requisite for Women Going Wild Outdoors. Quite simply it set the scene for the next few days.....

 

The laptop was left at home – I confess to being slightly relieved that the iphone worked, tho' I did promise to leave it in the bedroom. The aim was to recharge, refocus and refresh body, mind & spirit… and being honest, post settling Friday evening all thoughts of work, home and anything other than the schedule ahead slipped away….

We gathered Friday evening having all arrived at varying times in the afternoon, sussed the joint out and bagged our lovely rooms with views over the llamas and copious fields of sheep. We tried and failed to work out if there was enough time to test out the hot tub before the rendevous meeting and dinner.

Stick any girlies in a room together and ask if there are any questions and bingo, quickly all fears and anxieties are verbalised – from the size of the rocks we’d be climbing, asking for the Wimbledon score, how would the rock climbing harnesses fit, how deep is the lake, right down to “On the bike ride, if I get a fly in my face I don’t think I’d be confident enough to take my hands off the handlebars and swat it off - will I be Ok ?. But as with all girlie groups problem solving kicked in (offerings of a full bee keepers suit to keep bugs at bay for the bike ride et cetera) and all fears were quelled by the lovely Lesley, whose charisma and energy is utterly infectious.

So – a hearty meal ensued, created by the very handsome Chef Steve. This stoked us all up on the Friday evening during which the wine flowed as freely as the conversation. Saturday morning, Steve arrived back to cook up yet more food and we tucked into a full English breakfast and made up our picnic lunches before we set off for the quarry and the climbing.

Climbing and abseiling ensued and the determination and sheer gutsiness of everyone in the group was phenomenal. Emotions ran high as did the laughter levels. Self confidence increased by leaps and bounds as bigger routes were conquered and Mike the instructor grinned gamely when called to "Ok Mike you can pull us up now!" Lesley gently explained to a pro-plus fuelled Lisa that climbing meant doing it yourself and that in spite of his sweet nature Mike actually wasn't Superman. The only fly in the ointment was none of us could make it up the last challenging crag. Next time we all agreed we needed to invest in some special sticky rubber climbing shoes that Lesley finds so nifty. Oh the retail opportunities that have been opened!

So back to rest aching limbs in the hot tub before a lovely summer evening walk down to the wonderful barbeque in the woods and chatter of the achievements of the past twenty four hours….then a well earned sleep

Sunday was over at the lake – pedalling around a full 12 miles at a rate of knots that had even Lesley struggling to keep up as 'Tail-End Charlie. Then it was a picnic lunch in the Sculpture Park before our paddling expedition with the very laid back Dave. As with the climbing – our instructor put us all at ease and 'with all the gear but little idea' we were all soon pro’s!

Quite simply, as it says on the packet - Women Go Wild Outdoors organises inspirational, life affirming outdoor adventures and activity breaks for women. Whatever our age, size, shape or level of fitness, these adventures are designed with women in mind. I couldn’t have summed it up any better myself…. I am now heading online to check out the cost of those nifty, sticky rubber climbing shoes that Lesley has so I can go quicker next time….!