Richard marks 100 days to go until the Year of Adventure
Today marks 100 days to go before the Year of Adventure starts in Wales for 2016. To mark this day, Year of Adventure Ambassador Richard and the Welsh Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates visited Cardiff International White Water today, calling on the Welsh public to plan their adventure in Wales for 2016.
The Year of Adventure 2016 will see Wales building on a wave of exciting new openings and developments, and over 10 years of ongoing investment to make Wales one of the UK’s leading adventure destinations.
Ken and Richard visit CIWW. The white water facility and indoor surf centre, in the International Sports Village is one of the premier adventure centres in Wales.
Deputy Minister for Culture Sport and Tourism, said: “Adventure means different things to different people and today, with 100 days to go I’d like everyone in Wales to plan their adventure - it can be anything which is different to the individual and creates a personal sense of challenge. You may have always wanted to watch the sun rise on your favourite mountain, ride a horse on a beach, walk the coastal path, fly on a zip wire, go camping or sleep under the stars. Now is the time to plan your big adventure for 2016 – here in Wales.”
Year of Adventure ambassador Richard, who recently returned from completing the Tour Divide - a self-supported and off road bike race traversing the length of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to the Mexican Border as part of a training block towards his next world first expedition, stated; “2016 is going to be an exciting year, I’m super proud to be an ambassador for the Year of Adventure.”
“Throughout my life the landscape of Wales has been the foundation to all my endeavours. From hill repeats on Merthyr Mawr sand dunes as a rugby player, pounding the trails and the roads on my bikes, to deprivation training in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Parks, Wales has helped forged the person who I am today.”
He added; “It’s my privilege to help engage and inspire people to get outside more to make the most of our riches here in Wales, as well as showcasing them as an international adventure destination. I proudly carry my Welsh flag on all my expeditions, to some of the most remote and wonderful corners of our planet, and yet it never fails to amaze me just how blessed we are here at home in Wales.”
Richard also picked out a couple of his own favourite locations in Wales for the campaign:
Llyn Y Gadair Lake - It’s a tough call, but Cadair Idris is my favourite mountain here in Wales. Of course Snowdon is the highest and has some amazing routes of varying technical difficulty, but I love Cadair! I love the legend of the giant warrior poet Idris sitting in his armchair (the summit ridge as the back rest with the Llyn Y Gadair lake the seat) gazing at the stars in the beautiful southern part of the Snowdonia National Park, close to Dolgellau. It’s a beautiful walk and the summit ridge is genuinely spectacular on bluebird and stormy days alike.
Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfalls - Sgwd Yr Eira is my favourite of the waterfalls that make up the area known as “Waterfall Country” in the southern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. In fact the Henrhyd Falls in this region is where they filmed the bat cave for the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises! That’s pretty cool! There’s a great walk from Cwm Porth car park that’s called the “Four Falls Walk” for obvious reasons! The Sgwd Yr Eira falls has a footpath that goes behind the water cascade and for a big kid like me is truly magical! It’s so funny to see Ben my dog freak out but then want to go back through!
