Outdoor Adventures in Somerset
Bumping down the stony track, legs straight, fingers gently gripping the breaks and eyes fixed firmly on the path, I was doing my best not to Kamikaze down the hill. To my right was the calm Bristol Channel, flecked in the distance with sailing boats and container ships. To my left the beautiful expanse of Exmoor National Park covered with bright yellow gorse. With me, 7 new friends also desperately trying to look like they knew what to do, as well as take photos and action Go-pro footage! This was outdoor adventures in Somerset.
We were having great fun, mountain biking with Exmoor Adventures in North Somerset under the guise of a photography weekend.
Somsert Mountain Biking – Novice Riders
Despite having been a keen cyclist on and off all my life, it occurred to me that I had never actually been mountain biking before. How had that happened? It really was great fun.
With guidance from the organisers of our Retreat weekend, the outdoor company Exmoor Adventures had been asked to provide a down hill route suitable for unfit novice riders. It turned out to be a bit like asking a Michelin starred chef to run a cookery class for beginners, who then teaches everyone how to make profiteroles.
If fairness though you can’t just go down hill when mountain biking, that’s not really the idea.
Exploring Exmoor
We had already been driven high up out of the well known tourist town of Minehead onto an area of the moor that is also part of the South West Coast path, where we meet our guide Ben, for the session.
A safety brief and instructions complete, helmets on and the Go Pros attached we set off – up hill! It turned out to be the worst hill first and nearly reduced the group by half in the starting 10 minutes! After that though it was a mixture of up a bit and down a bit along brilliant tracks up to Selworthy Beacon.
The views were stunning and we stopped a lot to take photos, well that was partly the point. The session lasted about 2 1/2 hours and was great fun. I left wondering why I had never tried mountain biking before.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Kayaking in Somerset
The next morning, feeling slightly worse for wear after a late night, another group of us bundled into the minibus again and headed for Porlock Weir. Also run by Exmoor Adventures, this was a session of kayaking and SUP (stand up paddle boarding). Trussed up in thick wetsuits (which were provided) and a pair of old trainers, we grabbed a paddle and bimbled off to the beach.
There were comments from a few morning dog walkers about how good we were being so active on a Sunday morning. In fairness I think we surprised ourselves being so keen.
Then out of the harbour and off into the waves. They weren’t exactly crashing, more of a gentle swell, but it was enough to unbalance most of us back onto our knees again!
After about an hour we swapped with the kayaking group. This is physically harder work but you can go further and we headed out along the coast a little way.
Exhilarated and feeling chuffed that we had taken part in such a fun activity on a Sunday morning, we headed back to base at Croydon Hall for lunch and the final sessions.
Outdoor Adventures in Somerset
If you are looking for outdoor activities that are perfect for groups such as hen weekends or work team building that I can really recommend Exmoor Adventure. They offer a full range of mountain biking sessions for all levels, SUP and kayaking. The setting around Minehead. Porlock Weir and Exmoor National Park is just stunning it’s only about 40 minutes from Taunton so accessible for a day trip from many parts of the South West.
What was The Retreat?
My weekend away had been time out with a group of bloggers based at Croydon Hall in Somerset.
I had gone not really knowing anyone and returned with new friends, learnt writing and video tips and and a better idea of how to take my camera off automatic!
Thank you Everyone
Thank you to Sally and Flea Retreats team for all their organisation for what was a brilliant weekend. Learning, making friends and outdoor adventures in Somerset. It was wonderful to spend some time away, all of us focusing on what our blogs are about and why we started doing them in the first place. I learnt to try and be more confident on camera and to start videoing more, as well as making better use of my camera. Just as important it was great to relax, meet new people and actually feel part of a group, dare I say tribe, of like minded people.
I enjoyed lovely yoga sessions with the infectiously cheeky Rachel who runs classes near Minehead in Somerset and photography sessions and advice from Tom Arber (thank you for the group mountain biking photo above)
Other contributors for sessions I attended over the weekend were Confidence on Camera run by Darren and Sean from Aspire Presenting Also Creative Writing by Kirstie who is a very successful writer and travel blogger at The Family Adventure Project, who has inspired me to try something a bit different when I write. Other sessions were held on food, fashion and portrait photography as well as filming – really I needed another day to do everything!
There were lots of lovely people and amazingly successful bloggers. Everyone was very supportive and not at all competitive with their blogs. There are too many to mention here but thank you everyone who inspired, helped or shared their wine and knowledge with me.
Hi! I am Clare and I live in glorious East Devon with my family.
Join me in finding new places to explore in the West Country as well as further afield.
I hope you enjoy reading and taking inspiration from this website. 
I’m exhausted just reading the blog!! Sounds like you had lots of fun and took some great photos
Don’t be fooled, there was a spa, good food and lots of chatting as well, and maybe a few drinks!
The retreat looks amazing and lots of fun! As does the mountain biking – I’ve been meaning to get out and explore more on a bike – I just need to buy one first! I haven’t tried paddle boarding before but maybe one day!
We’ve gone on family bike rides, but this looks amazing! Were the hills hard? #KCACOLS
No luckily we were driven nearly to the top and so the ups and downs were not too extreme. If you wanted you could go even further up before starting! That said for more than a couple of hours cycling you would definitely have to go down somewhere and back up the other side!
It definitely sounds action packed!! (Glad to hear there was a spa too for the aches and pains afterwards!) Lots of fun though, especially the paddle boarding. 😀 #KCACOLS
very exciting and what a fab experience! I’ve never used a go-pro before. Exmoor is lovely too isnt it! #KCACOLS
The Go-Pro wasn’t entirely a success! I managed to film my feet the whole time I was kayaking!
I’d love to try paddle boarding sometime. Looks like a lot of fun. #kcacols
Yes it really is.
We are hoping to relocate to Somerset this year and cannot wait to explore Exmoor. It looks just stunning, my kiddies would love to try paddle boarding.
Wow what a lot of fun! We love Somerset, we’ve had some amazing holidays down there and are down near Exmoor this month. It’s gorgeous! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time
This sounds like fun (though I’m not sure how I’d get on with all the biking). I’d rather walk it and enjoy the scenery! #kcacols
I am reasonably fit so found it quite easy, but walking would be just as good, the coast path is lovely there.
Coastal paths and a nice walk, I dont know how I would get on with the riding but my boys would love it. I would walk and make up the picnic!:)
Mainy
#KCACOLS
Sounds like a good compromise!
I do love a good long walk – not sure on biking with the little munchkin! #KCACOLS
Lots of people do bike with little ones but I have to admit I waited till mine could rise themselves!