Climbing high at Bluestone National Park Resort

30/01/2017


outdoor kids



My eldest can at times be a bit of an over thinker, he loves the outdoors but occasionally feels unsure and while of course we want to instil personal responsibility and love that he takes well calculated risks, equally we don't want him to miss out on amazing experiences because he doesn't have the confidence to take part. I think facing and conquering things that make us feel a little nervous or gets our adrenaline pumping is a good thing for building your self esteem. 

He has done a fair bit of low level bouldering at a local bouldering centre but has never gone very high so we were really happy to see he was so keen to take on the tree climb at Camp Smokey at Bluestone National Resort. We booked this activity early on during our midweek stay and he couldn't wait for the morning to come and was up and ready to go as soon as the sun came up.


outdoors

rock climbing


It was a very fresh morning with the winter sunshine flowing through the tall trees of Camp Smokey. Once we arrived his instructor took him through the safety checks and explained all the equipment to him, there had been a big group booked into his session but they never turned up which in a way was great because he got some one to one time with the instructor who was vert positive and encouraging and it meant that our eldest could go at his own pace. 

He made quick work of the training tree, going right to the top twice and decided to move onto the higher and slightly harder tree. He made it about three quarters of the way although by this point he was starting to get a little tired and had completely exceeded our expectations and abseiled down with the hugest smile and a real sense of pride in himself. 


Bluestone Wales

cool kids


After his tree climbing session we decided a treat was in order and a light bite at camp smokey, they have a simple but very flavoursome menu and I can highly recommend the veggie chilli which is perfect for warming you up on a cold brisk day. Our light bite was followed by the two boys favourite forest past time of roasting marshmallows over the fire, it's these simple pleasures that make breaks away like this so special and provide the perfect way to connect as a family and create long-lasting memories. 


Bluestone Wales

Bluestone


After our action packed morning we opted for a slow forest stroll and exploring the natural trails that run behind Camp Smokey before heading back to our Skomer lodge for a late lunch. It's this slower pace that we really enjoyed, no rushing and just taking our time which was especially welcomed by John who works in the heart of the city and has a manic daily commute. We came to Bluestone with no real plans of what we wanted to do but found free range fun and adventure every day of our stay. 


outdoor adventure


Thanks to Bluestone for inviting us to review the mid week stay, we genuinely had an amazing time. 



Country Kids

13 comments:

  1. Bless him! I can so relate to this as my eldest is very similar. Such a brilliant activity for him to do and an experience he'll remember for a long while to come, no doubt. x

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    1. Thanks Molly - I know my youngest is full steam ahead while my eldest is pretty cautious so this was a great activity for him

      Laura x

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  2. Good old Bluestone! We've had such good trips there in the past! X

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    1. I know it's such a great place to take young kids

      Laura x

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  3. That tree climbing looks lots of fun. I know my kids would have enjoyed this too. Camp Smokey is a lovely idea, I've seen lots of families pass through there on Country Kids posts and enjoy the natural atmosphere, I think the tree climbing is new. Well done your brave boy, one smile well deserved.

    Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids

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  4. Awww wow that looks like brilliant fun and he is just so so cute! L x

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  5. Wow! My 7yo would love this, he's just starting doing some climbing with his dad. They are both braver than me! Glad you had such a good time x #countrykids

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  6. Wow! It's such a lovely thing to have a nice and slow family time. We are now in Bali, but your great pictures make me want to take a walk on a crispy winter morning :)
    I think you are right about allowing kids to take calculated risk to let them gain self esteem. Your boy certainly seems to have enjoyed it :)

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  7. This looks immense when we visited Monkey was far to young to even consider this but I think he would so enjoy it when he's a bit older. Very brave! I am sure he will remember it for years to come! #countrykids

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  8. This place looks amazing so beautiful I would love to visit there.

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  9. Looks incredible!I have heard so many thing about bluestones and nothing bad x

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  10. This looks like a great experience #AWanderfulChildhood

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  11. What a lovely looking place and what a brave little thing you have there! Love the sound of the veggie chilli too :) #aWanderfulChildhood

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