Action and adventure on the craggy Welsh coast
Stepping off is the hardest part - I'm at the edge of a ridiculously high cliff on the Pembrokeshire coast, trying to summon up the nerve to jump. Far below, the rest of my group are treading water, urging me to take a leap of faith from my seven metre-high perch
STEPPING off is the hardest part. I'm at the edge of a ridiculously high cliff on the Pembrokeshire coast, trying to summon up the nerve to jump.
Far below, the rest of my group are treading water, urging me to take a leap of faith from my seven metre-high perch.
My legs tremble. Time seems to slow. But my fear of missing out overcomes the fear of falling. Heart in mouth, I take a deep breath and step into thin air.
The beautiful Welsh scenery blurs as I rush towards the water, screaming wildly — and surfacing with a wide grin.
When put together, the art of cliff jumping, wild swimming and splashing about in caves is actually a thrilling sport called coasteering.
Invented on these very shores, it's just one part of the Adrenalin Cocktail adventure weekend I've signed up for with Preseli Venture.
Surfing and self-guided hiking are also available on these two-day breaks, with full-board accommodation and minibus transport. Tucked away in a wooded valley on Pembrokeshire's north-west coast, Preseli Venture's large warehouse has everything needed for an action-packed weekend, from kayaks and wetsuits to old trainers so you don't wreck your own.
A courtyard leads to the eco lodge, accommodating 40 people in 11 bedrooms and dorms named after nearby islands.
More travel
Mine, Carreg Rhosson, is spacious with a double bed and bunk bed. Although I share a bathroom with others, I have the room to myself.
Most of the action at the lodge centres around the dining room and living area, decked out with sofas, a wood-burning stove and pool table.
It feels a bit like a youth hostel — the atmosphere is friendly and communal, and I'm on first-name terms with other guests by the time breakfast is over.
Our "cocktail" of activities begins with morning sea kayaking around nearby Fishguard, a pretty harbour town dotted with boats.
Clipped into buoyancy aids, my merry group of ten — including a chef, students and a lawyer — paddles after our guide Joe like ducklings chasing after their mum.
Soon we're confidently exploring the coves further out in the bay, spotting oystercatchers and searching for dolphins. A giant stone juts out of the headland above and Joe explains it's a memorial to the Battle of Fishguard.
"Fishguard was the last place in Britain to be invaded," he says as we crane our necks to get a better view. The invasion, by France in February 1797, was foiled by a regiment of local Welsh women — thanks to their traditional clothing.
Joe says: "The women stood on these clifftops in their scarlet bodices and tall black hats, which the French mistook for British Army uniform. Within 48 hours of landing, the French surrendered."
A peace treaty was signed at the Royal Oak, which bears a sign referring to this British victory.
We drive past it on our return to the lodge, where a lunch of homemade vegetable soup, crusty bread and cheese awaits.
Refuelled, we change into sturdier wetsuits, neoprene socks and helmets for coasteering, which takes place in Abercastle.
Following Joe, we wade into the harbour, the landing site of the first single-handed west-to-east Atlantic crossing in 1876.
Soon we're clambering over the first cliff, stopping to inspect limpets, crabs and kelp in the rock pools. As well as leaping off cliffs, coasteering is about playing in the nooks and crannies, using the movement of the sea to have fun.
At one point I find myself lying on my back between two rocks, whooping as the waves roll me around and wash over my face.
Like sea kayaking, coasteering lets you see the landscape from a perspective you just don't get unless you're fully immersed in it.
Back at the lodge that evening, we feast on home-made chicken curry and swap tales of the day's adventures around the table.
Nights are long in summer, so there's still enough time to stroll past the farmyards and through the woods to a small beach nearby.
Sitting on the pebbles, I watch the sun set on the sea I'd earlier been exploring, wondering what tomorrow's adventures might bring.
GO: PEMBROKESHIRE
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Ellie took part in Preseli Venture's two-day/two-night Adrenalin Cocktail Adventure Weekend with half days of coasteering, kayaking and a coastal hike. The £225 package includes home-cooked meals, specialist equipment and minibus transport to the activities.
MORE INFORMATION: See or call 01348 837 709. For more activities see .