Ten top New Experiences you should try after 40

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1 For immediate use Ten top New Experiences you should try after 40 You re heading north of 40, you ve always liked a challenge or maybe you re drifting without realising into a middle-aged rut. Make your New Year s resolution a game-changer with our top ten new experiences to try in the South Wales Valleys. Step off a mountain into thin air, walk behind a waterfall, discover a talent for coracle making, or for Welsh Italian Fusion at Wales best cookery school. 1. Join a Master Class at The Chef s Room Now that staying in is the new going out and we re bombarded with TV cheffing, the pressure is on to achieve culinary cachet. But cooking (and sharing the results) should be one of life s great pleasures, and that s a prime ingredient of the success behind The Chef s Room fish and cookery school, Blaenavon, winner of The Best Cookery School in Wales (British Cookery School Awards 2012). Food writer, tutor and owner Lindy Wildsmith opened The Chef s Room in 2009 with chef and consultant Franco Taruschio OBE, and expert tutors specialise in a range of styles: from Franco s Italian/Welsh and Lindy s Italian and French, to Shaun Naen s Asian British Fusion. Enjoy a Master Class maybe Far Eastern Street Food, a Chocolate Rush, or distinctive Welsh Italian Fusion. The state-of-the-art Chef s Room, in the premises of wholesale supplier of fresh fish Vin Sullivan, is just one of the unusual foodie finds in The Valleys Go canyoning with Adventure Britain What s canyoning? It s like white water rafting but without the raft, says Adventure Britain. Laying claim to being Britain s busiest canyoning company, they should know. And they operate in one of the best, splashiest, most exhilarating locations the rivers and Waterfall Country around

2 Ystradfellte on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons. Slide down rapids, float down fast-flowing chutes and waves, jump off 20ft waterfalls following the adrenalinometer spike, the afterglow is amazing. You ll need loads of energy but not necessarily the ability to swim buoyancy aids, wet suit and helmet are provided. Definitely a phwoar-lifetime experience that smacks any sneaky thoughts of being past it way into the wide blue yonder. Perfect also for wild weekends in combination with activities like caving and climbing Glamping, foraging and coracle making How does this sound for restoring the yin and yang: head off foraging around woodland, meadows and hills of the secluded Llynfi Valley; return to camp and cook your finds; relax under the stars in the evening, snuggled in fluffy sheepskins in an authentic Nomad yurt from Mongolia. Life s full of choices and the alternative is often the most memorable at least, in holiday terms. Cwm Tawel luxury yurt and tipi camping takes glamping to a whole new level, in a beautiful parallel universe of living that, rather incredibly, is just six miles from the M4 (junction 36). Set up in 2010 as a community group, Cwm Tawel has morphed from a band of local residents collecting firewood together, into a place where you can try all sorts of rural crafts: wild food foraging, coracle making, rustic Welsh stick chairs, green wood carving to name a few. Never has getting your hands dirty been so genuinely refreshing Enjoy a high tee In The Valleys we like our golf to be an all-round experience and at West Monmouthshire Golf Club you re actively encouraged to take your eye off the ball now and then. Officially the highest golf course in Great Britain, it s surrounded by breathtaking vistas: before you line up for your swing at the 14 th tee, the highest at 1,518ft above sea level, it s worth drawing inspiration from the views to the Sugar Loaf Mountain and Brecon Beacons. The West Mon course was originally designed by Ben Sayers and, rather unusually, constructed by local teachers and doctors in 1906; it s now a par 71 heathland challenge with three of the toughest par 3s anywhere and intriguingly named holes like Devils Bowl, Tidy Pull, The Bosh and, of course, High Tee. Which leads on nicely to the subject of refreshments: you ll find daily specials and a warm welcome in the bar.

3 5. Step into thin air from the Blorenge Yes, simply step off the mountain and fly! Paraventure Airsports tandem paragliding with a qualified instructor, using a wing that can take two people, lasts between 15 and 30 minutes but seems like a hold-the-moment, slow motion lifetime. Many pilots consider the locality around the Blorenge to be the best flying area in the country, with fabulous bird s eye views of hills and mountains. Bring your camera and take a few pictures proof, when you re back on terra firma, that it hasn t all been a magnificent dream. During the flight you may be offered the chance to take control and fly the wing yourself. You can always up the thrill to with a course to fly solo, or even train for an elementary pilot certificate Walk behind a waterfall Explore Waterfall Country between the villages of Pontneddfechan and Ystradfellte, where the Rivers Mellte, Hepste and Nedd Fechan plunge down steep-sided, tree-lined gorges. Just like a child s adventure storybook, you can even walk behind a waterfall: a footpath runs behind the graceful, if thunderous, Sgwd yr Eira (Fall of Snow), for example. Of course, always check conditions before you venture behind the magic curtain and do take care, as spray can make paths slippery (wear suitable footwear and clothing) Whip some wax We would never wax lyrical unnecessarily, but there can be few better places to perfect your candle making than the workshop that has a Royal Warrant to make candles for the Prince of Wales. David Constable of Candle Makers Supplies has been crafting candles for over 40 years and even instructed Kirstie Allsopp (Channel 4 s Kirstie s Homemade Home); his business is a superb source for all candle-making equipment. Courses, at 17 th -century Gelligroes Mill, Blackwood, are one-toone or for very small groups, and tailored to suit existing skills, particularly aiming at people thinking of taking a hobby to the next level or setting up in business. Perfect your whipped wax, water candles, pour-in pour-out candles, and get an introduction to the techniques of dip n twist and dip n carve. Decorating candles is the latest big thing time to be creative with the appliqué wax.

4 8. Have a flutter at Britain s newest racecourse Ffos Las Racecourse, Trimsaran, Britain s first new National Hunt course in 80 years, could scarcely have a more attractive setting, surrounded by hills and countryside with a view down the Gwendraeth Valley. It s also a great example of visionary reinvention that has seen the former site of Europe s largest open-cast coalmine transformed into a top-class racing venue: out with the coal and grind, in with the canter and gallop. Nip along the M4 (the course is just 15 minutes from junction 48) for an exciting day at the races in this unique setting; jump and flat meetings take place throughout the year. Check the odds for the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle (February), bring the children to a Family Fun Raceday (April), shake out your top togs for Ladies Day (August) and see if you scoop a best-dressed prize Get rockin at Rock UK Summit Centre Never mind climbing the greasy pole of careers, scale the rather more fun heights at Rock UK Summit Centre, Trelewis. Planning your next move on indoor climbing walls up to 18 metres high and plotting your way around more than 180 climbing routes is a good brain workout as well as a physical challenge! There s also a bouldering area and a world-class manmade caving system with waterfall inside. If you re a complete novice, get to grips with the basics of climbing on a private taster session (two to eight people), then return for an intensive Learn to Climb weekend to gain the skills to climb independently. Refresher and Improver courses will ensure you keep rockin. The Summit Centre has been developed on the site of the former Trelewis drift mine, which closed in 1989, and makes good use of the natural resources in and around the South Wales Valleys for offsite climbing as well plus mountain biking, canoeing, raft building and other must-dos to add to your list Do and dare at Dare Valley Country Park Still after a dare for this year? Try canoeing or kayaking, archery or orienteering, mountain biking or camp crafts, or arrange any of lots of bespoke activity breaks from 500-acre Dare Valley

5 Country Park, Aberdare. After a day of challenge, wind down in the refurbished hotel, or bring your tent or caravan to stay on the park s serviced pitches. ENDS Notes to Editors If you would like further details of any of the above experiences, or receive a bespoke itinerary to visit The Valleys, please get in touch with Laura Brown or Colette Walker of Blue Sail Marketing. We also have images for the South Wales Valleys Laura Brown: laura.brown@bluesail.com Colette Walker: colette.walker@bluesail.com You can also find further press releases, images, features and suggested itineraries in the media room of our website The South Wales Valleys are very easy to reach. Travel times from major English towns and cities to the central area of The Valleys are as follows (examples for car access to Pontypridd): Bristol under 1 hour Birmingham 2 hours 10mins Reading 2hours 10mins Oxford 2 hours 20 mins Bath 1hour 20 mins Worcester 1hour 45mins About The Valleys Heart and Soul campaign: The Valleys Heart and Soul of Wales is a campaign led by partnership organisations from the Western Valleys, Heads of the Valleys and The Valleys Regional Park. The aim is to change perceptions of The Valleys, attract more tourists and bring long-term economic benefits to the area. The area has undergone major transformation with a total investment of 42 million and is now a flourishing tourism destination waiting to be explored.