NuAdventure is the name behind a unique Sardinian concept that's designed to help us reconnect with nature. Invited to go along for the ride, Tentsile was happy to be part of the premier pilot week. As a start-up company, a range of adventure sports are used to entice small groups across part of the island. The pinnacle of this pilot week was perhaps the night spent stargazing to the sound of crashing waves – together with the feathered inhabitants of the cave. A real natural treat.
Half Moon Bay – made for play: Cala Luna on the Wild Blue Trail is a paradise for climbers and hikers alike. Once the Stingray was suspended across the cave, Mateo, a test pilot from Maui, jumped up to slack-line it (although he made it look more like walking the plank). What’s more, a few others in the clan, including Mieke from the Netherlands, scaled some of the 7a+ climbs at the mouth of the cave. But for most of the group, the secret to a good night’s sleep was the day’s trek down to sea level – followed by 12 kilometres of kayaking to reach their extraordinary campsite.
The founders of this weird and wonderful concept are a Sardinian-French-Italian couple, Lohene and Fabrizio. Somehow they managed to lead the whole group – with film team and all their gear – from one experience to the next while remaining pretty relaxed. And because NuAdventure is largely about being in, eating from, and soaking up the natural environment, eating fresh fish was almost a given. Like the perfect cue to start building a campfire, the fish too made their way to the secluded bay by boat.
Wild boar over charcoal with the goat shepherd: Still in one of the world’s five Blue Zones, the NuAdventure group were learning how to live – in order to become centenarians. Of course, this means hiking back up the mountain, a steep climb made steeper by the heat of the sun. (All quite normal for those who work in Tentsile’s London office, of course.) But once high up on the ridge in the shade of the beloved trees, the group moves back into exploration mode; the host that evening was Tatano the shepherd, a man who still practises the traditional methods of turning goat’s milk into smoked cheese – in his wigwam-like hut. A great watch, and an even greater taste.
After sleeping in a boat, a bed and a cave, the next night’s location was one where only Tentsiles can offer a comfortable form of accommodation. Tatano’s goat station is scattered among slopes and trees – and the mosquitos seem thirsty. After the wild boar dinner and a glass of the Sardinian’s elixir, Cannonau wine, the exhausted group of test pilots were ready to be swayed to sleep after peering up into the gently backlit tree tops.
Doing it all again: This adventure week spanned yoga and healthy food; physical and in some cases slightly scary sporting challenges; a sense of togetherness only found on a real adventure – and a rediscovery of one’s true self. And just for the record, Tentsile loved almost every minute of it.
To find out more about NuAdventure and what the others thought of this wild trip, visit their blog.
By Simon Coe
