Planturio - our future adventurers...

Mon, 17 May 2021 22:27:26 GMT

The Great Anturio Easter Egg Hunt...

Image 1 - 10 brave and keen young adventurers about to set out on their Anturio Easter Egg Hunt;

Image 2 - Ready for the off...

Image 3 - Abseiling into the start of the Coasteer;

Image 4 - Mountain biking through stunning scenery to the next clue...

Image 5 - All clues solved = Easter treasure rewards...

Image 6 - Morning beach art...?

So for this years Easter weekend we thought we'd do something a bit different and offered 10 local youngsters the opportunity of a more challenging Easter Egg hunt - the Anturio way...

The North wind was pretty chilly, but we were bathed in beautiful sunshine as the intrepid adventurers arrived early on Easter Saturday morning and excitedly kitted up for their journey. The Easter bunny had been busy laying clues all along the South Ceredigion coastline, but the team were ready to track down their chocy rewards and tackle whatever adventures lay ahead.

The first clue solved, and off to the top of Mwnt to follow the next clue down the ridge and an abseil into the sea below.

Brrrr - a bit chilly, but not enough to stop a fab coasteer back around to the beach and a scramble up the waterfall to guzzle some hot chocolate and a change into warm dry clothes.

Onto the mountain bikes for 5km of off-road trails towards the Teifi estuary solving the Easter Bunny's clues and puzzles along the way...

Just enough time to grab some lunch before the team had to canoe across the Teifi Estuary, and then a dash through the dunes to Poppit beach. Who knew the Easter Bunny was so fond of the beach! The team could sense they were getting close with each clue surrounded by mini chocolate eggs...

A rock hop to the famous blue door of the old pier, keeping dry feet all the way as the tide dropped, only to find another clue hidden in the rusty old lobster pots stacked behind the boat shed - surely they were getting close now?

One final push back towards Poppit along the coastal path, and from a high point, they spotted a lonely flag flying defiantly in the North wind in the middle of the beach, alongside a treasure chest...

Sure enough, and with the a final burst of energy, the intrepid adventurers threw open the chest to reveal the chocolate treasures waiting for them inside as their Easter Bunny rewards for completing a truly amazing Anturio Easter Egg Hunt!

Well done the kids - woo hoo...!!!��

What an adventure and what a fantastic day out sharing our amazing coastline with a fabulous group of kids.

The youngest team member was 5 years old, and the eldest members were 10. It never ceases to amaze me how remarkable kids are in forming teams to overcome challenges - helping each other and bouncing off each others energy and enthusiasm with smiles and laughter to ensure they all get through and share in the success. A true lesson and reminder for us all...

They covered 11 km throughout the day, all under their own steam - including walking, coasteering, abseiling, mountain biking, canoeing and rock hopping, whilst problem solving, learning new skills along the way and learning about the environment - but most of all having a great fun day out with their friends!

As a word - "Planturio" is simply the joining of 2 welsh words... "Plant" which translates to "children", and "Anturio" which means "to adventure". Our ambition is to continue to join these two things and provide outdoor experiences for kids, boosting their confidence, well-being and connection with nature...

Thanks to Jet @ Adventure Beyond & Dennis @ SUP Paddle Boarding for your support, and most importantly - thanks to the kids...

The Legend of Peregrin and the Mermaid

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 17:32:05 GMT

Anturio ponder local legends whilst climbing the fabulously exposed sea cliffs of Cemaes Head...

Image 1 - Katerina Lorencova (Anturio Partner & Lead Instructor) making the 1st ascent of "Crib Peregrin", Cemaes Head. Cemaes Creations 2019;

Image 2 - The Golden Pillar @ Cemaes Head (spot the seal);

Image 3 - Looking South down the North Pembrokeshire coastline from Cemaes Head

Peregrin lived in the small fishing village of St.Dogmaels tucked away on the West coast of Wales and perfectly placed near the mouth of the River Teifi. Like his Grandfather before him, Peregrin worked hard as a fisherman, having grown up on the seas, he had an incredible understanding of the wild nature of his working environment, its unpredictability, shifting energy, but as importantly, an awareness of the best areas to find a catch.

Like the fishermen of today, each day, he would set sail in his little boat, using the ebbing tide through the 'bar' at Poppit Sands, to take him out into the heart of Cardigan Bay. The summer months provided an abundance of fish but the winters would only bring wild weather and heavy seas, the fishing would become more difficult to find, but more importantly, more dangerous as an occupation. This did not deter Peregrin and his friends, they had not a choice, it was their livelihood and they put their trust in God who would be sure to return these brave men back to shore and awaiting families.

It was August, the height of the season and with the weather set fair, Peregrin sailed off across the bar very early in the morning, his fellow fishermen had not yet woken, he headed straight for Cemaes Head, he knew the fishing would be good here that morning. With the nets cast and the sun beating hard upon the water, the local bottle neck dolphins jumped high and the Choughs swooped low, Peregrin lay in his boat, feeling slightly overwhelmed by such natural beauty and happy to be doing what he loved most, in his favourite place.

Suddenly his nets twitched hard and Peregrin leaped up from his daydreaming, he heaved at the stubborn bundle, the boat began to move against the current, this was certainly a good catch he thought. The battle continued for many hours, through the midday sun, until it seemed the fish were tiring, with a final tug, he heaved the final section of net into the boat. As the catch lay on the deck of the boat, Peregrin could not believe his eyes, the tail was quite large with two fins, the scales were so bright they almost blinded him in the afternoon sun, but the body, it was of a woman, beautiful beneath her mane of golden hair.

Peregrin took some time to gather his thoughts and to consider what he should do with such a fine catch, he concluded that someone on shore would pay good money for this fine creature and immediately set sail for home.

'Please release me back into the sea' gently whispered the half fish half woman, Peregrin with the breeze in his ears, did not hear her plea.

'Please let me go' she repeated. Peregrin looked across at the beautiful creature,

'Why should I?' replied Peregrin.

'My scales are fading in the sun, soon they will crack, my mouth is dry, I feel that soon I may die. Please let me go' she pleaded with him.

Peregrin felt overwhelmed with guilt for what he was doing, looking at this wonderful creature all wrapped up in his nets, she certainly was not looking in such good health. He quickly took his knife to the twisted chaos and slowly eased the creature over the side of the boat back into her home. Peregrin took a moment to reflect on the whole episode, it was difficult to comprehend just what had happened that day, a little confused, as if it were a dream, he turned his little boat with the wind, and reset his course for St.Dogmaels. As the boat slowly moved away, suddenly the mermaid appeared and pulled herself up to where Peregrin sat.

'Peregrin, you are man of honesty and good nature, one day I will repay your kindness' and with a flash of silver in the late afternoon sun, she was gone.

Back home, he mentioned to no one his encounter upon the sea, who would believe such a tale. Peregrin fished more often over the next few months at Cemaes Head in the hope of seeing the mermaid again, but soon the winter seas returned to Cardigan Bay and the head was no place to be in such heavy, unpredictable swells. The fishing fleet from St.Dogmaels would fish together, more closely over the winter days out in the bay, when one fateful morning, when the boats were leaving the calmer waters of Carreg Aderyn, Peregrin felt an unusual listing on his boat, the mermaid appeared to him.

'Peregrin you must turn back, Peregrin you must turn back, Peregrin you must turn back' she warned him three times, then vanished beneath the waters.

Peregrin quickly began to wave to the other boats and yelled, 'turn about, we must go back!' But they ignored him. He tried again, 'We must not fish today' he pleaded with them, but the others had already moved further out to sea into the open waters of the bay.

Peregrin heaved on the tiller and set course for the bar, with the wind behind his boat, he moved at quite some speed and it wasn't long before he was mooring up at St.Dogmaels and safely arrived home to his family. The rest of the fishermen were busy casting their nets out beyond the shelter of Cemaes Head, when the storm struck with all its full force and fury, many brave fishermen lost their lives.

Peregrin lived for many more happy years to fish the waters of Cardigan Bay. When, during some of the most devastating storms to hit the area and the local fishing fleet, Peregrin would remain safe and warm at his home in the Cwmmins, in the little fishing village of St. Dogmaels. He just seemed to have a way to read the weather signs, or was he getting a little help?

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