As Christmas becomes New Year and we start thinking about what the future holds we often become uncomfortably aware of the present. Of all those adventures we’ve been putting off and of the ticking of the clock that moves us relentlessly forwards.
So make 2018 a year to remember by trying your hand at some new outdoor sports. Shake off that post Christmas lethargy and get yourself moving!
Surfing
Don’t like getting muddy? (Surely you’re kidding us!) Then why not choose 2018 as your family’s year to try surfing? You don’t even need to leave the UK in order to give it a go – beaches such as Perranporth, Sennen Cove, Abersoch or even Scarborough are just waiting for you and your boards. Pack the right gear to ensure you all stay warm – think childrens poncho towel, flask of hot cocoa etc, and hire the rest until you’re confident enough to know that this is the sport for you.
Geocaching
Be as adventurous as you like with caches to be found across the country from the centre of London to the tops of mountains. You need a GPS receiver, which these days are fairly inexpensive, and may find your smartphone is good enough to find some caches. If you’re venturing into the wilds you’ll also need a traditional map and compass. This will help you find your route and act as a backup in case you suffer a technical hitch.
Coasteering
We’re an island national and have an incredibly varied coastline. Coasteering combines elements of walking, climbing, scrambling, swimming and diving to navigate along stretches of the coast not usually accessible.
Make sure you start off with a local guide who will have experience of the sea conditions, and check tide times to give you plenty of time to complete a route.
Kayaking
Does negotiating a set of tricky obstacles whilst praying that you don’t come a cropper sound like your cup of tea? Then perhaps you should try kayaking to pump up the adrenaline. Many rivers lend themselves to blasting through rapids and there are man-made kayaking centres across the country so there’s sure to be some opportunities wherever you live.
Archery
At the complete opposite end of the the activity spectrum comes archery where being able to stand still and concentrate is more important than your get up and go. Target archery, where arrows are fired at a traditional circular target, requires discipline and strength as well as an ability to aim. There are also Field Archery centres that allow you to experience bow-and-arrow hunting by following a course laid out with model animals to aim for with points given at the end based on accuracy and speed of completion.
So there you go – a few suggestions of new things to try next year that you may not have considered. Maybe 2018 will be the year you find a new passion – or maybe by trying something new you’ll realise that the same-old is what you really want to be doing. Who knows unless you try?
