• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

Preseli Venture Weekend In Wales

Less than an hour after arriving at Preseli Venture in Pembrokeshire, Wales, I was sick to my stomach. It had been a long day of traveling, starting badly with crowded trains and ending worse with getting stranded in the city of Swansea for an hour. And now, when we had finally reached our destination, I was too sick to think of anything but lying down in my bunk.

I retreated to bed immediately following dinner, and woke up the next day feeling miraculously better. At the time, I was grateful for the relief of not feeling sick. Now, I am grateful that I didn't miss out on the best weekend of my life.

After breakfast on Saturday morning, we struggled into wetsuits and hopped in the van. When we arrived at the beach, we had a brief surfing lesson on the sand and then we hit the waves. By the end of the morning, everyone in our group had been able to stand up on the board. After the lesson we changed into dry clothes, and gathered around the van to share some high chocolate. I was breathless with the excitement of morning, and grateful for the dry clothes and hot chocolate that soothed my tired body.

We headed back to Preseli Venture for a hearty lunch, and then we were on the move once again. This time we were going Coasteering. An adrenaline sport like no other, Coasteering is a combination of swimming, rock climbing and cliff jumping. There is no harness. There is no equipment. Your only protection is your life jacket and your helmet.

I surprised myself with what I accomplished that day. Though my body felt tired and my muscles grew sore, I continued to push myself. I swam further, climbed higher, and jumped from bigger heights than I ever could have imagined.

As we stumbled up from the water and hiked up a steep, grassy hill towards the van, we watched the sun set over the coast. My exhaustion evaporated into feelings of pride and contentment as I was memorized by the brilliant oranges and pinks that swept the sky.

That night, we stood around the bonfire sharing stories of our day and laughing with the group that had accidentally capsized their kayak. Even though most of us met just a few hours earlier, we talked and laughed like old friends, brought together by the quiet night and the roaring fire in western Wales.

The next morning after breakfast, we headed out for a new adventure. The van dropped of us 7 miles away from camp with directions on how to get home. Together, our group walked along the coast, stopping every so often to take pictures in an attempt to capture the innate beauty of it all. We meandered through paths of daisies, crossed fields through flocks of sheep, and pushed ourselves and our sore legs over steep hills. When we reached camp, eager for lunch and a rest, I once again felt that I pushed myself beyond what I ever thought I could do – and was rewarded with new friends and memories that could never be forgotten.

Before we headed back to the train station that afternoon, we grasped desperately for ways to hold onto the weekend. We took more pictures. We bought t-shirts. We exchanged phone numbers and we vowed to return one day.

I will return one day.