IT WAS a glorious morning when I arrived at south Wales' newest adventure centre, Mountain View Ranch. Only twenty minutes from the centre of Newport, the ranch sits high above Caerphilly overlooking the valley.

As I pull up, a group of pensioners are teeing off on the Castell Heights golf course while families arrive at the new adventure playground.

Husband and wife team, Aaron and Klara Wagg, have had an exciting first summer after their multi-million pound ranch opened in July. As well as high ropes and golfing, the 260 acre park offers the newest addition to outdoor fun, Segway trekking.

Prior to this, the only Segways I was aware of were those laden with tourists in various European cities, blocking up the pavements. So it was with a certain level of scepticism that I met Liam, my rancher who’d be taking me out on the trek.

After a quick introduction to these eco-friendly electric systems, it was helmets on and time to go. These Segways are very similar to their more common city counterparts, the only difference being the off-road mountain friendly tires.

The treks are an hour long and begin with 15 minutes on the practise track. Having never been on one before I was dubious whether this would be enough, but I can honestly say that by the second lap round and a couple of on-the-spot 360s, I was feeling confident.

“Stopping can be the hardest part”, explains Liam. He’s not wrong. I spend a few seconds rocking back and forth before I relax enough to find my balance.

Segways are very safe. The worst that can happen is you wobble off, but according to Liam nobody has ever been badly hurt on any of the tours.

The vehicles are also very intuitive. The action is natural and if you’re not thinking about it too much, you soon find yourself doing it automatically. It’s no wonder they are so popular with such a wide age range.

You put your weight on your toes to go forward and on your heels to slow or go backwards. You direct yourself by simply tilting the handle-bars left or right.

After the first few minutes of staring downwards at your bare knuckles and beyond that the changing path – you soon begin to trust the Segway and relax – leaving you to look around and soak up the surroundings.

The course takes you up and down hills, over streams and a precarious looking bridge known as the bridge of death. The chunky off road wheels take a lot of the impact, so it’s only the rockiest ditches you feel in your knees.

We pass through woodland paths dappled in sunlight before opening out onto large expanses of field which in turn open out to a spectacular view. And what a view that is. Liam stops at several points along the tour to allow people to take it all in and take pictures if they’d like. This is postcard scenery with no one in sight for miles.

“Sometimes, when I bring a group down here at lunch time, a group of swallows come out of that tree and start circling the Segways,” Liam says as we come up onto a grassy plateau. No such swallows on my visit, but idyllic none the less.

Going up hill is surprisingly fun. There’s a certain satisfaction to be had knowing how hard that Segway is having to work while you do no more than lean forward.

Toward the end of the course, Liam turns to me and asks “Feeling confident?” to which I respond “Yes!” a little to readily. Up until this point the Segways had the ‘limiter’ on – a small tortoise symbol flashing on my screen which stopped me going above 5mph and automatically slowed the machine as it went down hills.

Without the limiter the Segways can reach 13mph – which on a device that feels like a big micro scooter, is pretty fast. I whiz down the field over soft bumps – vowing to never walk again if I don’t have to.

According to Liam, at least one person usually falls off every trek. So you can imagine how smug I’m feeling when I reach the end without my white plimsoles having to go near the dewy grass.

After an hour I step off the Segway and my legs are all jelly-like as I stumble back to the car.

I visited just after bank holiday Monday – their busiest day of the summer yet. But you can see why. For something fun and a bit different, Segways are definitely up there. It’s probably one of the only country outings you’ll be able to get teenagers excited for. The tours are also becoming popular for birthday parties.

For those who want adventure without breaking a sweat – this is perfect. With the canteen now open too, you can call in for a hearty ranch pie after your trek, making this a great day out.

The Ranch call it ‘the best fun you can have on two wheels’ and it’s most certainly the most effortless way to get some thrills. Yes you could walk – but let’s be honest, why walk when you don’t have to?

Children must be aged ten or over and under eighteens should be accompanied by an adult. Treks cost £22 for adults and children. Taster sessions are available on the practise track for £5. You must weigh between 7 and 17 stone.

To book, call 02920 886 666 or visit www.mountainviewranch.co.uk.

FACT BOX A brief history of the Segway The Segway PT (personal transporter) was invented by Dean Kamen, from New York and unveiled in 2001.

The name Segway is a homophone of the word segue, meaning smooth transition.

It works through a computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system developed by British defence and aerospace company, BAE Systems.

You won't have seen them around our cities as Segways cannot be ridden legally on roads or pavements in Britain.

Lithuania, Portugal and China are among a number of countries whose police forces are now using segways.