I used to work for Welsh Water. This was the first Job I landed in Wales after moving here with my partner at the time who was a Cardiff lass, and she wanted me to move with her back to Wales.
Fortunately for me, after moving to the Brecon Beacons and getting involved with countryside management skills such as hedge laying, National Park warden maintenance work and dry stone walling, I renewed my interest in the great outdoors and began the process of becoming a mountain leader.
Also, very fortunately for me, Welsh Water were offering a voluntary redundancy package of a year and a half's salary to go. I did not quite fit the profile of the people they were looking to loose but I badgered managers and made myself difficult and eventually they said, 'well, your not happy here so.....', and I was off, out of the office and beginning a career working in the hills.
My first adventure business was mountain bike hire in the Brecon Beacons, based at Forest Lodge, a small cluster of farm workers houses and adjacent to the great off road bike track, Sarn Helen.
I bought 25 top of the range mountain bikes, built a big store and workshop and set about advertising my bikes for hire. I also offered guided rides, sales and repair.
Forest Lodge was an ideal location for mountain biking. Just hire and go - off along Sarn Helen or over the common to the National Park Mountain centre for a cuppa.
That summer was glorious. Constant sunshine, dry, dusty cycling and a good level of enquiries and bookings. I wasn't running this as a business, more of a lifestyle - work from home in an idyllic situation, lots of time off and good healthy exercise.
I was unfamiliar with the politics of local business or of the outdoor ed scene and so was wonderfully happy with my choice of start up.
There were problems, such as the planning department of the Brecon Beacons National Park who were against mountain biking at the time, but perseverance and an ability to go to the top helped me along.
Whilst selling the bike sessions to groups I was often asked if I could provide other activities, such as gorge walking or climbing and this led to me starting a company called Beacons Experience which did just that and more.
I am very proud to have spearheaded mountain biking in the Brecon Beacons, being the first provider and hire centre, designing the first National Park specific routes and demonstrating the the activity was both safe and environmentally sound.
I still offer mountain biking as an activity but no longer own any bikes - the maintenance work was simply too much.
I often think back to that wonderful summer and the freedoms that I had then.... little knowing that licensing, insurance, inland revenue, centre and tourism politics would soon be taking up more and more of my time....
Next installment - Beacons Experience.
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