Ian Waller and his family enjoy a wonderful off road trek in North Devon
How much did my 12 year old love our quad biking experience? “Eleventeen out of ten,” pretty much says it all, and I have to say, I completely agree!
The day out took place at Keypitts Off Road Adventures near Ilfracombe in North Devon and what a fantastic family experience it was – just so much fun! At the end we were Googling how much to buy a quad bike and working out where we could have another go…
This was all part of a hugely successful day out in North Devon – not that far from Bristol and well worth the drive. Our first stop for the day was Keypitts Off Road Adventures, with the promise of ‘fun-fuelled adventure’, ‘woodlands, open fields & stunning views’ and ‘mud, water, hills, banks & slopes.’
And to be fair, we got the lot, with huge smiles, whoops of joy and just a great family adventure all thrown in.
Keypitts appears to be a working farm with a sideline in adrenaline. We’d barely said hello before we were sent off to pick out helmets then back for a safety video and basic instruction – basically being sized up for a quad bike, a few circuits of a training area and then off to hit the hills and trails of the local countryside.
Right from the start we were loving it. Riding in a column along muddy country lanes, with handsome Alex up front (he asked us for this name to be used in this piece, so Alex, here you go – good luck with the Micky-taking…), then our 12 year old, 16 year old, mum and me at the back. The recommendation was to wear old clothes and boots, and fair enough, the splashing mud was soon making its mark – and this was all part of the fun.
Within no time the trails got steeper, leading up to grass fields where we could open up the throttle and zoom along, whooping and smiling with the exhilaration of it all! This was just such good fun. Within no time we were taking the corners tighter and tighter, leaning out over the side of the quads as we’d been instructed to help to donut around in the mud.
With Alex keeping a keen eye to make sure none of us got too carried away, we were soon passing other groups, each going along at a pace that suited them best – some careful and cautious, others more gung-ho and muddy. Either way, with so much land to explore, there was no chance of getting in each other’s way and the gorgeous background only added to the experience.
Recommendation number one – don’t take photos while you’re riding. If you drop your phone, there’s a lot of area to search to find it again. One of our party – I’m not allowed to say who – proved this point with wonderful effect, thankful for the Find My iPhone app doing its job later on!
Instead, Alex took a few group shots for the album, before upping the tempo a little as our confidence grew, allowing us to open the throttles and fail completely at the no-overtaking rule.
I really can’t recommend this enough – it was just a great way to spend some high-octane family time together along with a friendly team of professionals to make sure that we all stayed within our capabilites.
So if you’re planning a visit to North Devon, book in for some fun at Keypitts Off Road Adventures. Alongside the quads, there are Land Rover experiences, mini Land Rovers for 3-10 year olds and a chance to have a go at axe throwing too.