I’VE tried archery, been gorge walking and enjoyed canoeing and climbing.
Now I’ve had a go at the latest pursuit to emerge on the outdoor scene in North Wales – throwing axes.
This week, I went along to meet Pete Carol, who runs Llangollen-based Pro Adventure and has just added the popular Scandinavian pastime to the range of activities his company offers.
Pete has been retailing handmade Gansfors Bruks axes in his shop for a number of years and discovered the art of throwing them on a visit to the manufacturers in Sweden.
The first thing I noted when I arrived was that the implements were not the small hand axes I had expected but the full size double-headed battleaxe you might picture a Viking warrior brandishing in the distant past.
“I’ve done it in Sweden with the guys that make the axes,” Pete explained as he lined up for his first throw.
“We’ve been selling them for years but we haven’t done it as an activity until now. I think it will be quite popular with certain groups.”
As he finished speaking, he raised the axe over his shoulder and promptly hurled it at the target 20 feet away.
It embedded itself in the wood, making a satisfying ‘thud’ sound and producing a flurry of splinters.
Pete demonstrated the technique a couple more times before it was my turn.
Now, I may have been wearing a pale blue shirt and sissy pink tie but, as I hoisted the heavy axe over my shoulders (taking care not to impale myself in the process) I felt not unlike the fearsome bearded warrior I once believed I might grow up to be.
Then, using all the power I could muster, I let fly and the axe sailed majestically through the air, the physical embodiment of my youthful Viking ambition.
It was a moment of pure elation that was matched only by the disappointment I felt as I watched it fall short of the target, the blade landing in the earth before the axe toppled feebly on to the floor.
The next attempt was an improvement.
The axe hit its target with a resounding and triumphant thwack, burying itself firmly in the wood.
I tried a second time and once again the projectile hit hard and stuck fast in the target.
Several more successful attempts later and I was wondering how I might travel to the Swedish Axe Throwing Society’s annual championships.
Then Pete suggested that Leader photographer Melissa Cross might like to give it a go.
Standing at just five feet tall, Melissa is not, perhaps, what you’d imagine the most formidable axe thrower to be.
However, I stood aghast as she lifted the axe (which, I might add, wasn’t far off being taller than her), hurled it through the air and then did a little jig as it landed in the very centre of the target.
It was at that moment I realised I was not destined for glory on the plains of Halsingland but that axe throwing is simply a hugely enjoyable pastime.
Pete and his team will be at The Great Llangollen Show, at the Royal Pavilion on September 4 and 5. The show will feature hot air balloons, classic cars, wall climbing, mobile funhouse, mountain biking, live music, animals and falconry.