Hi All,
I just wondered what some of things the STW massive have done to celebrate this depressing birthday…
A friend from work and I are planning a weekend away to celebrate our respective 40ths and we're a bit stuck as to where/what to do. She's not particularly fit and likes horse riding whereas I'm happier on a bike although I can ride.
We originally planned a New York break but we seem to have moved on to the idea of a multi activity weekend probably in Wales.
Any ideas/recommendations or suggestions will be considered (even if it's only briefly).
Thanks
Sprootlet

VIVA LAS VEGAS ALL THE WAY!!!!

why is it a depressing birthday?

When i was 40 I did a weekend in Barcelona thanks to Mrs Coolhandluke and a night away with the lads on the pop in a nice peak district pub that did rooms followed by a massive Peak district bike ride the next day, all hung over… 😀

i went to barcelona with the mrs and some friends for a weekend for my 40th.
awesome place to celebrate anything……. 8)

I'm thinking of doing the Mega next year for my 40th

I cycled across Iceland for my 40th. I rained one day (Awful) but the rest of the time it was dry and clear. Best trip I've ever done!

http://www.brecon-beacons-accommodation.co.uk/

The Castle does really good beer and food. Lots going on in the area. It's not expensive and nice people run it.

I fulfilled a life's ambition by having a huge custard pie fight. It was hilarious. My sister arrived while I was setting up the barby and she just blasted me with an entire black forest gateau. 😀

she just blasted me with an entire black forest gateau.

What a waste. 🙁

Don't have a do in the upstairs room of a pub in Kentish Town with a load of really boring Middle Englanders like my mate did last weekend.

I kept thinking 'Jeeze, is this what it's like to be middle aged?' Very depressing… 🙁

OKay so I haven't reached 40 yet had the big 30 last year and did a week in morocco which was awesome!!! Even a weekend in Morocco without the MTBing I think would be fab!!

Talkemada – Member

she just blasted me with an entire black forest gateau.

What a waste.

no way, I just licked the cream off my eyebrows, delicious. Anyway, compared to flying to Spain or Iceland, a few spilled pints of custard is **** all waste

Throw yourself at it with abandon. You can't do owt about age so just have a party!
If the weather can be relied on I can heartily recommend Pembrokeshire for beautiful scenery. Lots of activity type stuff to do for all sorts of people. Go and speak to TYF in St Davids – sea kayaking, coasteering etc. Stunning beaches, unspoilt, great pubs. Great place away for a weekend

I'm going to to New York with six mates and having one huge **** off party with four other mates who are turning forty. Bosh.

I did The Etape du Tour in 2005.

The good lady organised a party at a vineyard in Slovenia.

bassspine – Member
I fulfilled a life's ambition by having a huge custard pie fight. It was hilarious. My sister arrived while I was setting up the barby and she just blasted me with an entire black forest gateau.
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

awesome!!!!

Go and speak to TYF in St Davids – sea kayaking, coasteering etc. Stunning beaches, unspoilt, great pubs. Great place away for a weekend

+1 there are also quite a few horse riding places nearby.

For my 40th (next year) I'm going to learn to surf at Whitesands Bay, St Davids

http://www.whitesandssurfschool.co.uk/

'I just licked the cream off my eyebrows' 😯 Blimey- that is quite a tongue you have there!

going back to do the Grand Raid Cristalp for mine (next year).

HERE
This is what I did.
Hired a Gixer thou' and spend a week having a fantastic time over the first week in June, TT week.
Saw 160+ on the clock.
Plenty of XC riding and horsey stuff too.

PS – I note that the cones both start & finish in ever encroaching places now were it once stated at the hairpin and again after the CNB pub.

On my 40th my brother is coming up, we're going to watch England lose against Algeria in the pub then in the morning we're going to ride 40 miles across Shropshire's finest trails to meet my wife and mother for lunch somewhere in the Church Stretton/Bishops Castle area before being taken home again.

Then a few weeks later, with another friend who is also 40 this year, a bunch of us are going to North Wales waterskiing, walking, mtbing and drinking, just like we used to do for years and years before we were married and kids came along.

Invite everyone you know round for a big knees-up, then drink miraculous quantities of everything you can get your hands on, then fall asleep on the lawn while everyone has a great time. That's what I always do.

Don't know about anyone else, but doing things like riding and mtn biking and generally having an adventure, and the alcohol takes a very back seat to the doing. It always seems a waste of time afterwards as the recovery period really impacts into the doing and the enjoyment the next day and the day after.

You can be drunk any old day in any old town, why pi££ it all up the wall on your 40th? Such a criminal waste of an opportunity IMHO.

Bought a tourer and did lejog

Ti29er agree about the alcohol! I've decided every birthday from now on I'm going to be MTbing! last year Morocco, this year MTBed over valleys to Cwmcarn then a lap of Cwmcarn and cake at the end it was awesome! who knows where I plan to be next year …..

2 words:

cocaine
hookers

everything else is academic 😀

I had a long weekend with the Mrs in Barcelona, then she flew home and I met up with the lads for 5 days riding in the pyrenees…… unforgettable

bassspine, you don't live in the Farnham area do you? It's just that I heard of somebody doing that recently in a Farnham park, coincidence maybe.

How and where was the Morocco trip?
I've twice solo backpacked for 7 days across the High Atlas out of Imlil / Arund.

It's my 50th that I want to be fighting fit for (5yrs time). Patagonia? Torres Del Paine National Park?

bassspine wins.

i've got 17 years to plan my 40th, but some good ideas here, keep them coming… can never plan too far in advance!

A day at the races – always a good day out and won't cost you too much.

My 40th was celebrated with a mate on a ride around Rivington Pike, and then a party a few weeks later. Was going to get a trip in to ride up Ventoux this summer, but ill health has fücked that plan up (again).

If you want the weekend away thing, then have a look here: http://www.activity-centre.com/ . The ghyll scrambling is superb.

It is in the Lakes, near Keswick, I've been there nearly every year since 1995 on an annual activity holiday with a group of kids with diabetes, really rate the place, nice pub up the road or they do have a bar on site, flexible opening though, depends upon what groups they have in.

barcelona was mentioned 3 times so ill pip in with a fact:

Barcelona has 3 national parks within its borders, the closest:-
Collserola is within spitting distance from the centre and includes hundreds of MILES of singletracks and fire roads….

You can just cycle from your hotel and have a blast. Maps are available 10 euros or get a guide for about 15-30 euros.

Singtrack ride in the afternoon,
hedonistic chaos in the evening
swim in the med for breakfast.

MrsbeanZ bought me a rally driving weekend , the most exciting , scary thing i`ve ever done ..fantastic…