Lasting friendships -and maybe love!- found on mountain

‘WHAT happened on those cliffs, stays on those cliffs…’

While Kelly Baxter is remaining tight-lipped about whether or not her group of local single folks found love among the peacefulness of Binevenagh Mountain – what we do know is that the intrepid trekkers made friends for life.

And sometimes, that is just as important as a romantic relationship.

The spirited escapade, which Kelly coined ‘Soul Mates Adventure’, saw the Gortin girl recently lead the band of 20 local singletons – aged 35 to 45 – across the beautiful mountain in the blazing summer sun to see if Cupid’s arrows would strike.

Overjoyed at the event’s success, Kelly described the hike as ‘incredible’.

“You could sense the anxiety when we first started out,” Kelly said. “But with a little coaching and opportunities to speak to everyone individually, those nerves soon turned into laughter.

“With everyone sharing their experiences of the outdoors and love for hiking, they soon realised that we were all there with so much in common,” she added. “Taking on Binevenagh was tough in the blistering heat, but no-one complained and they loved the experience.”

The group even enjoyed a rest and a swim at a glistening lake – much-needed after the climb!

“As we sat in beautiful surrounding we talked all-things dating… and how we could be the next adventure movie, picking out who would play us in the blockbuster,” Kelly laughed.

“And when it was time to move on and back to the cars, I could feel the happiness ripple through the group as they laughed and joked – and even the odd little flirt didn’t go unnoticed!

“It was an incredible day, with such an amazing bunch of people,” Kelly concluded. “I know everyone wants to know if love happened on the mountain; but what happened on those cliffs, stays on those cliffs.

“One thing is for sure, though. Lasting friendships were formed, and it was an incredible experience for everyone.”

• Kelly is now organising another singles hike for men and women aged 25 to 35. For more information, and if you would like to take part, please message Kelly on Facebook by visiting the ‘Soul Girls Adventure’ page.