Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer is an outdoors activity centre located just south of the Brecon Beacons, 15 minutes drive away from Merthyr Tydfil. The centre offers a wide range of activities such as sailing, hiking and gorge adventures with options available for all ages and abilities.
Disclosure - we were invited on a complimentary blogger's weekend for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and my own.
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Intro
A couple of weekends ago we were invited to Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer on a blogger's weekend of outdoors adventure. Now, if you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I'm not the outdoorsy type! But Bean, my eldest is really fun and adventurous and I knew that she would love the weekend so I did what I always try to do - I say yes to most things. I open up our lives to new experiences and I live by the motto that you can only regret the things that you don't do.
And boy can I tell you I was glad I said yes to this opportunity! Parkwood Outdoors is located just outside Merthyr Tydfil in an amazingly beautiful location. Seriously the views were out of this world.
Accommodation
We arrived on Friday evening and were made to feel very welcome. We were shown to our chalet bedroom which we were very pleased with. It was basic but with everything we needed including a wardrobe, a warm bed and blankets and an en-suite shower room and toilet. Upstairs in the chalet was a communal lounge and kitchen which was well equipped and very comfy. I'd happily stay there again.
We headed over to the main building to meet the other bloggers who were there for the weekend. I was quite worried when I saw that they were all very outdoorsy types but they were so so lovely and we had the best time with them. Bean was the only child there but she was really embraced into the group and made to feel very at home and welcome.
Food
We were treated to a really lovely proper dinner. Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer have their own chef, Damien, and he certainly knew his stuff! The food was delicious and plentiful and there was coffee / tea / hot chocolate on tap too.
The First Night
After dinner the centre manager Mike gave us a little presentation about the centre and their plans for it. Parkwood only took over the site just over a year ago and have already made massive improvements. They have upgraded all the equipment, renovated the buildings and invested a lot of money and time into making the centre into a real destination. The passion that Mike and Owen (Activities Manager) have for the centre is wonderful and they are brilliant instructors too as we were to find out!
Morning Activity - Gorge Walking
The next day we were up early for breakfast which was a veritable feast! Cereals, milk, juice, coffee, tea and a full cooked were available to us if we wanted it. We tucked in knowing that we had a busy day ahead of us.
We were then suited and booted in our wetsuits, float aids and helmets and off we went on the minibus for our first adventure gorge walking. The centre provides all the equipment you need so all we brought with us were suitable footwear and swimwear for under the wetsuits.
I'm not going to lie to you, I thought I was going to be freezing doing gorge walking and I wasn't really looking forward to it. When I'm on holiday I won't go in the sea unless it is as hot as a bath so I didn't want to think about the temperature of a gorge in Wales in October! You probably won't believe me but it was fine - more than fine actually I was very comfortable! The wetsuit did it's job I guess and because we were moving about a lot I didn't feel the cold at all! Gorge walking was an absolute blast! Mike, Owen and Tony were brilliant instructors and made me feel really at ease. They assured us that they would be there to help at all times and there was always an easy route to take if we wanted to (the chicken route!!). I was especially impressed with how well they looked after Bean, they took really great care of her and I knew she was really well looked after which is so important.
We walked, swam, climbed and jumped off some incredible rocks, through fierce currents and made it out alive. It was exhilarating and if you look at the photos the grins on everyone's faces show just how much we all enjoyed it. Oh and Bean was in her absolute element. I don't think I've ever really seen her like it, she came alive and loved every minute of it, showing no fear at all!
Feeling on top of the world we headed back to the centre for lunch which was again a real treat - a massive buffet which was sure to keep us going for the afternoon.
Afternoon activity - Paddle boarding
We stuffed our faces and headed out again - this time stand up paddle boarding, another thing I hadn't tried, although lots of people had told me how hard it was!
The centre has plenty of paddleboards and a giant one for everyone to hop on! They taught us how to use them and let us free to have a go - under their watchful eye. All of us managed to stand up and paddle along which was something - and yes all of us did fall in at one point or another but that was half the fun! We took it in turns in groups on the giant board and were given some fun activities to try, it was a real blast! Bean again absolutely loved it and wanted to stay in the water forever I think!
Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer offers all sorts of packages to meet your requirements from corporate weekends to hen weekends to holiday clubs for children and school trip packages. You can even go there to stay in a small group, they have a lovely cottage on site. The location is epic, the centre is fantastic and the instructors are the bomb. If you are ever considering something like it, do what I did, say yes and enjoy every minute.
We made a little video of our weekend at Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer if you'd like to watch it...
Kelly
This looks AMAZING! Bean is the spit of you! You can see in every picture how much you are all enjoying yourselves! Great post xxxx
Bear and Cardigan
You look like you had so much fun! I have walked in this area many times and you are right it is stunning.
Jo
Look like you had loads of fun, I'm gutted I missed it fighting off that infection, maybe next time I'll be able to join you. Hope your daughter enjoyed the time too
Ojo Henley
Oh my goodness, that looks amazing! x
Nikki
What an amazing opportunity! It looks like you all had an amazing time!
Sarah | The Urban Wanderer
Oh my goodness, this looks fantastic! I need to find out about these types of blogger events 🙂
I'm pleased that you gave it a go, as it is often when we think we won't enjoy it that we have the best of times - and it looks like you both did too.
Miracle Max
I've done gorge walking before and loved it. Looks like you had a great weekend. Jo x
Stephanie Merry
Oh wow looks like you had an amazing weekend! I've never done anything like this before but I'd love to go there and try it all x
Cerys {mascara & mud}
So good to meet you and your little adventure!
Christine Dodd
This looks like great fun. I remember going gorge walking in North Wales when I was a teenager and getting very wet!
Mellissa Williams
Looks like you all had great fun. I must admit I would be a little nervous but the staff seem really safety conscious which is brilliant
Tamsin
That looks like a total blast!! I'd love to do something like this but my son is only 4 and don't think he'd manage something so full on. Maybe when he's older 🙂
Anosa
I too am not an outdoors adventure kind of person but I definitely always up for trying something new and this adventures seems to have been really awesome
Sarah Bailey
Oh my goodness how absolutely amazing does this look - once upon a time I would have loved doing something like this! x
Kathryn Watson
I'm not very adventurous but it looked like you had a fabulous time xx
nicol
oh my, this looks so fun! i need to go on more adventures. i would love to do this
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
That is my kind of weekend! I love being outside and staying active and it looks like you had a great time!
Hannah
This looks amazing and so much fun! I've neve done anything like this before. X
Tara
I've never heard of this place before, but wow looks like you had such an amazing time!
Rhian Westbury
Sounds like such a fun weekend, the gorge walking looks like loads of fun x
Rachel
I would have been totally terrified but wow, what amazing fun and those views are just stunning x
Charli Bruce
It looks like you guys had so much fun! My daughter would love to do something like this as she is so adventurous, I don't know where she gets it from but she is always climbing up a tree and wanting to go exploring. Bean looks so much like you and the smiles on your guys faces are just wonderful xx
Kirstie Melville
This looks like SO much fun! What a stunning view too! x
Kerry Norris
I'm gutted to have missed this. Looks like you had a fantastic time. The photos are amazing x
Cardiff Mummy Says - Cathryn
Wow, looks like you had such an amazing adventure and how lovely that you and Bean got some time away the two of you. It's great that you are so happy to embrace her likes and interests. Stuff like this terrifies me if I am completely honest! x
Sarah
This sounds amazing! What a fantastic experience, and looks like so much fun!
Nayna Kanabar
wow what an amazing adventure, it sounds like a lot of fun.
La French Connection
That looks like a fantastic place to do a bit of canyoning. It looks like some of the landscape in Vikings.
Tanya Brannan
What an absolutely fabulous place to go! The activities look wonderful! I would love to try them out
WhatLauraLoves
Oh wow this looks so much fun! When I have a family I'd love to do something like this all together xxx
Jemma
This looks incredible! Looks like you had a great time.
Ashton
Great post, I love the photos! It really looks like you had a great time. I, like you, I'm not the outdoorsy type but I definitely wouldn't pass if this was offered to me - it would be something new to try. 😀
Ashton x
ashtonjade.co.uk
Georgia Colloff
Wales always boasts really fun adventure weekends, they have such a rich countryside perfect for the outdoorsy type. Like you I'm not a self confessed outdoors girl but I would love to do everything you did on this weekend. Also love that you call your daughter bean, that's why I call my daughter!