My Adventures

My brief four-year professional rugby career ground to an abrupt halt in 2017 after I unknowingly slipped a disc in my spine whilst at the gym.

A loss of power in my right leg alongside crippling sciatic nerve pain left me little choice but to retire from the sport I loved aged just 26.

Devoid of Identity, stripped of purpose, and in emotional turmoil, I escaped to the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia in order to stay on top of my physical and mental health.

It was hiking these Welsh mountain ranges where my passion for adventure began.

After managing to rehabilitate myself back to being pain-free towards the end of 2018, I decided wanted to take on a unique challenge each year.

These challenge’s would not only test me physically and mentally, but would also provide me with a new sense of purpose and major goal to aim towards.

I could also use the challenges as an opportunity to raise some money for charity and an excuse to experience the beautiful landscape we have here in the UK.

Aside from 2020 where covid put a halt to any plans, I have tackled five different adventures over four years.

You can read all about them and the future adventures I have planed for 2024 below.

2019: The Welsh Coastal Cycle

In July 2019, I attempted to bike-pack (a term for cycling and camping) the entire length of the Welsh coastal path in under three weeks.

Although I failed in my attempt to ride every mile of the official coastal path, I did manage to straddle the entire coastline of Wales from Chester to Chepstow, cycling 860 clip-free miles across 15 adventure-filled days.

The journey was an experience comparable to no other. I pushed myself outside my comfort zone, created memories that will last a lifetime, all whilst witnessing the true, unspoilt beauty of the Welsh coastline.

I outline the reasons why I undertook this slightly stupid journey, alongside listing my gear, and documenting each day in the blog post below.

2021: Ride The Spine

“Six days, two friends, one epic 370 km bikepacking journey down the spine of Wales”

In September 2021, myself and my oldest friend Sam, bikepacked 230 miles (370km) across six days down the ‘spine’ of Wales.

Starting at Conwy Castle on the north coast and finishing at Rhossili Bay on the south, we followed an ancient Roman road called Sarn Helen.

To make the challenge unique we attempted to detour the route up and over the Welsh three peaks of Snowdon (1086m), Cadair Idris (893m), and Pen-y-Fan (886m).

The 230-mile journey, which involved over 20,000ft of ascent on mountain bikes weighing more than 30kg, was full of adversity. Over six brutal days we battled the worst of the Welsh weather, only taking a bivvy bag as a shelter.

Conditions were beyond difficult, things didn’t go to plan, and on numerous occasions we questioned what we were actually doing.

Ride the Spine captures the experience of our six-day adventure. Having been pushed to our limits both physically and mentally, it focuses on the hardship, struggle, and euphoria we encountered throughout the journey, all whilst showcasing the beauty of the wonderful Welsh landscape which we passed through.

You can watch the documentary I made on the ride below:

2022: The Welsh 3000s

The Welsh 3000s is possibly the most challenging and iconic day hike in Wales.

The challenge involves summiting all 15 peaks above 3,000ft in Wales within 24 hours without using any form of transport.

The 24-hour time limit starts when you reach your first peak and stops as soon as you reach the last. 

The challenge is around 42km in length and involves 3,100m of elevation gain. However when you factor in the hike up to the first peak and the descent down from the last peak, the challenge is over 50km in length and involves nearly 3,700m of elevation gain.

After a failed attempt in 2021, I managed to complete the challenge solo in 14 hours 42 minutes despite vlogging the entire route.

You can read about the adventure in my blog post below or watch the video on YouTube.

2022: The Welsh Three Peaks Challenge

In June 2022 I attempted the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge but added a little twist. I decided to make the experience more memorable by bivvying on the summit of Snowdon.

This hiking challenge requires you to summit and descend the three Welsh mountains of Snowdon (1086m), Cadair Idris (893m), and Pen-y-Fan (886m) in under 24 hours. The route involves between 17 -19 miles of hiking and over 2,300m of elevation gain.

You can watch the Vlog on the challenge below.

2023: Ironman Wales and Swansea 70.3

In July 2023 I completed the Swansea Half Ironman in a time of 5 hour 30 minutes. This was only 6 weeks after completing my first ever triathlon.

6 weeks later I then completed Ironman Wales, which is arguably one of the toughest full distance triathlons in the world, in 12:45. This was despite suffering from severe gastro-intestinal issues which meant I had to stop to use the toilet 12 times on the run.

I also completed my second successful attempt of the Welsh 3000s, this time with a group and going from North to South.