Sports Archives - A Simple Life of Luxury

Yr Wyddfa South Ridge: A Quieter Way to the Roof of Wales

Alan Cole — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:50:13 +0000

I had another great day in the hills on Friday with Clélia and Mel. Several plans were floated, but with Mel heading back to France soon, we thought we should at least summit Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) before she left Wales. It is the highest mountain in Wales after all, even if it isn’t my favourite....

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Bees, Bikes, Burgers, Beers and Buttocks

Alan Cole — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:31 +0000

The amazing summer weather continues. We haven’t seen a drop of rain for almost three weeks now, and every day has been either hot or very hot. The sea is lovely, the grass is yellow and the trails are dusty. We’re recycling bath water each day to give the struggling garden plants a drink and,...

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Cadair Idris with a French Flavour

Alan Cole — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:52:21 +0000

After a postponed trip up Cadair Idris last weekend due to a slight back injury for me and a lack of suitable shoes for Mel and Clélia, we tried again on Sunday. The Crowd Gathers My back was mostly better, Mel’s Mum and brother were now visiting and had brought Mel’s boots, and Clélia had...

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The Surf Skis Live to Paddle Another Day

Alan Cole — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:06:40 +0000

It’s been a case of ‘so far, so good’ with the surf skis. I’ve had them both on the water for a few short paddles, as well as a paddle to Aberdyfi and back last night. They both seem to be watertight, and the repairs have held up well. Time will tell how long they’ll...

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Bringing Two Surf Skis Back from the Dead (Maybe)

Alan Cole — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:53:00 +0000

For the last few years I’ve been the proud owner of not one, but two damaged surf skis: a Knysna Genius BLU and a Think Evo II. I essentially snapped the tail off the former back in 2019 and it’s been sitting under my lean-to ever since. No longer seaworthy, it was eventually superseded by...

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A Long Weekend in West Wales

Alan Cole — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:58:00 +0000

West Wales isn’t a bad place to spend a long weekend at home. Both Anna and I were off on Friday, so after an early-ish run around the dunes for me, we headed into town for brunch. We decided to try somewhere new and ended up at Kwizinn, which serves Caribbean-inspired food. It was excellent...

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Bagging Nuttalls in the Sunshine

Alan Cole — Sun, 31 May 2026 14:59:01 +0000

With the settled weather due to break at the weekend, I decided to make the most of it and head into the hills to bag a few more Nuttalls. Most of the local ones are already ticked off now, so it meant a longer drive, but the Black Mountains and Bannau Brycheiniog still had plenty...

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Pre-Work Windsurf at Ynyslas

Alan Cole — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:11:09 +0000

You’ve got to love Ynyslas, and its pre-work windsurf opportunities, thanks to its crazy katabatic wind that we call Ivor! This time of year it can really do its thing, funnelling cold air from the mountains down through the valley and blasting the estuary with storm-force winds. This morning was a case in point. The...

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Costa Rica Coast to Coast – Reaching the Caribbean

Alan Cole — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:37:55 +0000

Today was the day we would finally reach the Caribbean coast and complete our coast-to-coast journey across Costa Rica. The Pacific now felt a very long way away as we prepared for the final push. Early Start We had another early start, which suited me perfectly. Everyone else had been going to bed incredibly early...

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Costa Rica Coast to Coast – From Sugarcane Fields to Rafting in the Rainforest

Alan Cole — Sat, 23 May 2026 05:32:33 +0000

The Road to Rio Pacuare I slept a bit, but not much, so I was thankful for a fairly early start today and a quick breakfast in the hall before climbing back onto our bikes once again. We started with a pleasant ride along easy roads beside the Rio Pejivalle and then through endless sugar...

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