On Tuesday 24th February, we hosted an exciting evening at U-Xplore in Abergavenny as part of our adventure series, a collection of events throughout the year focused on skills, learning, and inspiring stories.With first hints of spring in the air, 15 runners joined us to put Silva's latest headtorch range through its paces. We tested the Smini, Free 900, and Seek series, eager to see how they performed across different environments. Joe from Silva was on hand to talk to runners about which headtorches might suit the type of running or events they’re doing along with a little pre run training session on each units operation and functions.

We kicked off with a 5km run around Abergavenny, giving everyone the chance to experience the headtorches in varied terrain and conditions. The route allowed us to test Silva’s intelligent light, brightness modes, and comfort, essential factors when choosing the right headtorch for your adventures.

Back at Castle Meadows, we shifted focus to navigation. Brett and Bethan from Adventure Coaching, who we've partnered with on previous events, led a micro nav exercise where runners learned the fundamentals of map and compass work. Working in teams, participants navigated between pre-set checkpoints, clipping a card at each one they found. With a 30-minute time limit, the challenge was on to hit as many checkpoints as possible a brilliant way to develop confidence with basic navigation skills in a fun, competitive environment.

We returned to the shop for some well-earned cake, where the atmosphere was buzzing with chat about the evening's activities. To cap things off, we held a raffle and one lucky participant went home with a Silva Smini headtorch.It was fantastic to see a mix of new faces alongside familiar ones. A great evening of testing the newest headtorches from Silva while learning and developing basic navigation skills.