Within a ten-mile radius of this breakfast table, there is an impressive range of activities on offer, from hiking in the hills, to kayaking, canyoning and caving; I could check out the tea shops in Brecon, sample whisky at Penderyn Distillery or chug through the valleys on a vintage steam train. I also have the hotel’s spa and swimming pool at my disposal, as well as the open fire in the bar area to read my book beside.

But I’m here on the southern fringe of the Brecon Beacons, to visit BikePark Wales – the UK’s first full-scale mountain bike park, which opened this August just ten minutes’ drive from my base at the Nant Ddu Lodge and spa.

Like a ski resort for bikes, the park’s colour-graded trails flow through the woods, ranging from easy greens through technical blues and reds, to knuckle-biting blacks. For beginners, the family-friendly Badgers Run, is the place to begin – a gentle green which sets off from the car park.

“Yahoo!” I cried as I splashed through a puddle and freckled my face with mud, reliving my childhood as I freewheeled past oaks and evergreens on a rollercoaster track of sweeping bends, which you can dare yourself to zoom around or play it safe and apply the brakes.

The trails at BikePark Wales are “singletracks” – narrow routes, where you ride one bike behind the other. If you prefer open countryside and picnic stops, try a section of the Taff Trail instead, which passes through the centre and links Cardiff in the south with Brecon further north on a largely traffic-free cycle track.

There’s also the Pump Trail to try out: a circuit of knee-high mounds, which you ride without pedalling, using the momentum of your bike to ease you over each bump. I joined a group of kids – and big kids – for a few circuits, while their parents and spouses sipped coffee and ate caramel shortbread in the outdoor cafe.

The park’s more demanding routes descend from the 491-metre summit of Myndd Gethin mountain which, thanks to the “uplift” takes minutes to climb. No other mountain bike centre in the UK has a facility quite like this: a fleet of minibuses which, for £30 a day or £4 a ride, carry you and your bike up the mountain, so you can whizz down as many times as you like without having to wheeze back up – unless, of course, you want to.

Badger’s Run and Pump Trail mastered, I hopped in the uplift to brave the blues. My first descent was a tentative one. With the nose of my bike pointing permanently downhill, I rode with my trigger fingers on the brakes, travelling cautiously around tight bends and pulling over to let faster riders clatter past me. Ten minutes later, I arrived at the bottom wearing a muddy grin.

My second run was smoother and faster, as I dared myself to ease off the brakes and brave slippy-looking sections. Picking up speed and confidence as the day wore on, I ticked off each of the park’s seven blue runs, which have names like Melted Welly, Blue Belle and Bush Wacker. By the time I was on my fifth descent of the day I was burning round the bends, wiggling through the trees, jiggling across rocky bits and whizzing through wet tunnels.

Back at Nant Ddu that evening, I rewarded my muscles with a long spell in the sauna, followed by a bottle of red and a supper of local lamb in the bar. This area of South Wales may already be brimming with opportunities for adventure but if exploring by bike, getting caked in mud and having a hand on the uphills sounds like your sort of thing, BikePark Wales should be top of your list.

  • Double rooms at Nant Ddu Lodge start at £110. The hotel has full spa facilities, a restaurant and a casual bar area. Visit nant-ddu-lodge.co.uk or call 01685 379111.
  • Mountain bike hire and day tickets for the uplift service can be pre-booked online at bikeparkwales.com. The park also has a well-equipped shop selling cycle gear and a cafe serving hot and cold food.
  • For a full selection of hotels and B&Bs in the area, go to visitwales.com