As told by our friend Kate of Wild Home Hiking
STōKED SAWNA was born out of the minds and hands of two friends, Gilbert and Mark.
Lovers of adventure and travel, passionate about health and fitness, proud Welsh men living in the Dee Valley – the obvious conclusion was to build and operate a wood-fired sauna together.
Gilbert and Mark enjoying the sunrise near Aberystwyth, roughly 20 hours into the UNSKATEABLES challenge.
A training session down the Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen.
Over 15 years of friendship, Gilbert and Mark have shared many adventures - from skateboarding the length of Wales in memory of two close friends, raising £25,000 for Wrexham-based charity Nightingale house (check out THE UNSKATEABLES video below), to kayaking the River Dee from source to sea, and countless surf adventures in Wales and overseas. It was during one of these surf trips to Anglesey that the two hatched the plan to bring a sauna to their local patch.
Both are athletes that have represented Wales in their own disciplines.
Gilbert in mountain-running and mountain-biking where he raced and travelled all over the world as a sponsored Inov-8 athlete.
Mark in boxing, a career spanning over 13 years who now coaches the next generation of boxers in Wrexham.
These days they are both getting a bit long in the tooth though, and chase more relaxing pursuits whilst still looking after the mind and body. A post-surf sauna session got them talking about how wonderful the experience was, the contrast of spending time in the elements and then coming to a serene place of calm, winding the body down after exertion, and looking out of the sauna to a beautiful place.
They thought of home – the beautiful Dee Valley with its hills, limestone crags, mountain-bike trails through steep forests, and the white water of the River Dee. There was something about sitting in a beautifully crafted space, relaxing the body into the heat, and gazing out of the window over wild water – they knew that the Dee Valley needed such a space.
They spent many hours over the summer of 2024 transforming an Ivor Williams trailer into an off-grid sauna, both bringing an eye for detail and an ambition to create a truly special place for their local community. Mark is a skilled joiner, very much in-demand in the area, and so brought a honed talent to the building of STōKED. Gilbert is likely the most positive and enthusiastic man you will meet; a specialized welder by trade he brought energy and drive with a touch of engineering precision to the project.
Together they have created a beautiful sauna that is a joy to while away an hour or so in. They are excited to welcome you to STōKED SAWNA, making Llangollen a hotter, healthier and happier place to live or visit!
GET STōKED!
Relax in a wood-fired sauna,
refresh in a cold plunge
and reconnect with nature
on the banks of the River Dee
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