Adventure Sports Multi Activity Holidays

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Thrilling, adrenalin rush, NO boredom holiday
Disadvantages:	Too short and sometimes rather hot

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have just spent a week in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia in Spain doing a multi-activity holiday. It was absolutely excellent and I recommend it to everybody on the planet!

It was an Exodus holiday (Exodus.co.uk) and I am simply delighted with its outcome.

I booked over the internet which was a first for me and I had zero problems here as well. I was always kept informed by Exodus and my tickets and everything else necessary for my hols arrived on schedule. The flights were British Airways from Glasgow to Heathrow and Iberian from Heathrow to Malaga in Spain. I could have arranged to fly direct myself but didn't want the hassle quite frankly and, although probably a little more expensive and time consuming, I had no problems with either airline (apart from a delay with the check in at Iberia at Heathrow).

I went on holiday myself but I joined up with 13 other people, some couples, 1 family and the rest single travellers as well. I shared a room but this was fine and the hotel was nice and simple, a 3 star, nothing fancy but the staff were very helpful and most spoke good English which was very good as my Spanish sucks which I am pretty ashamed about. People who go on this type of holiday tend to be of a certain type and everyone was very friendly and there was no louts or pains in the arse types at all.

The activities consisted of -
Day 1 - Travelling
Day 2 - Mountain biking - Not too much uphill; the bikes were fitted with suspension, very light and easy to handle.We travelled on roads mainly and reached speeds of 40-50mph on some downhill stretches!!Very scary but exhilarating nonetheless. Some went back to the hotel while others acrries on over an off road course - just as fast and twice as scary!!
Day 3 - Climbing and abseiling - expertly aided by some genuine mountaineers, we climbed a grade 5 (medium difficulty I think); harnessed at all times, we were always safe and could climb up to the top or as far as we wanted before our nerve went. Abseiled down - scary experience but the sheer thrill at returning to ground level makes up for it.
Day 4 - Canyoning - Had to wear wet suits for this. Traipse down a canyon - jumping, abseiling, sliding, swimming, climbing, walking down a river canyon. Walk out at end - great stuff, thrilling and a real adrenaline rush.
Day 5 - Optional day. I went water skiing which was held on a beautiful clear lake. Sore on the arms and shoulders but great. Two sessions of about 10-15 minutes was long enough. Cost about 5500 pesetas (£20 ish). Other options were paragliding (depends on no wind), quadbiking, horseriding or you could take the mountain bikes out again. Spent the rest of the day visiting Granada (not the service station). Nice meal in restuarant - touristy but plenty of places to go - cathedral, palace etc.
Day 6 - Hillwalk or mountain walk.Did some ridge walking before climbin Valeta - 3300metres. Very tiring in hot sun but great stuff again. Some people didn't do all the walks but that was okay.
Day 7 - Canoeing in lake. Two man canoes and then a barbecue. Tiring stuff or perhaps still aching from water skiiing! Left to go where we wanted - no hassle. Again enjoyable.
Day 8 - Travelling back home.

Every day was fantastic and not too difficult that you couldn't do any event. The option to not do some was there and some didn't but that was fine. No-one said anything because there was nothing to say.It wasn't a competition!!

I recommend this holiday to everybody as I think I said. I may ache a bit but I'm already checking their web site to plan my next adventure, as are half my workplace because they are all jealous. Go yourself, go as a couple or go in a group. It doesn't matter. Just go!!