The new iCandy Peach All-Terrain launched back in July 2016 and has already proven popular with its two distinct colourways.Available in the all black Eclipse option, or Pace which features a grey and vibrant red trim, the All-Terrain pushchair is designed for adventurous parents. We wanted to give the toughest possible road test to the new Peach All Terrain, ensuring the pushchair was put through its paces. In order to achieve this ambition we teamed up with Journalist Neha Holmes, who is undertaking quite the challenge. Neha and her husband are keen travellers, they adore nature and want their newborn to share the same experiences and affection for the great outdoors. Neha will be traveling across Europe and eventually India with her newborn, the Peach All Terrain will be Neha’s travel companion of choice. We will provide regular updates on how Neha is getting on with the newborn adventure.
A mere 2 weeks after our wedding, my husband and I successfully managed to conceive a baby. Unlike other newly married folk we missed out on the chance to sip champagne every day on honeymoon because we totally underestimated the power of our fertile window. It was, however, a very pleasant surprise.
We were both keen travellers before our son, Rayan, arrived and spent some time exploring India’s many nature reserves to understand more about responsible wildlife tourism. Our honeymoon was to be in the north-eastern state of India, Assam. The Brahmaputra floodplains are home to the greatest number of Indian one-horned rhinoceros as well as wild elephants and some of the last herds of wild buffalo left in Asia.
Becoming pregnant and having a baby has changed our lives but it hasn’t changed our plan to connect with nature. Where once we were used to taking off on trips two-handed – now we have a wee baby in tow. As British summertime isn’t the best time to visit India we decided to delay our trip to the sub-continent and visit places closer to home instead.
So where to first? We decided on a country we've enjoyed many times before, where we could expect disarmingly friendly people, where beautiful places to explore come by the dozen and where we could travel to with the ease of ferry and car – France! So into the car, onto the ferry and across France we travelled in search of one of the wildest and least known parts of the French Pyrenees, the Ariege.
Before we left we had to delve into the information overload that is finding the right buggy. Our travel plans across Europe and Asia would involve climbing hills, walking across bumpy rutted tracks and facing jolts and vibrations across varied paths; we wanted a buggy that would give our baby the smoothest ride. We opted for The iCandy Peach All-Terrain.
In France, we checked into the Frog and Peach guesthouse in Sentein, located in the Couserans region of the Ariege. The Ariege lies at the heart of the greatest wilderness in Western Europe. It hosts both Europe’s largest mammal (the brown bear) and its largest bird (the lammergeier). Neither is easy to spot although at least one bear has been seen in the Sentein church yard during the village fete! We hope to catch sight of the more common wild boar, which live deep among the trees and are often seen rooting around by the river.
We wake early to the sound of birdsong and start to pack up for our first hike. Thankfully the basket size on the Peach is perfect for all our essentials including a rather large picnic hamper. Our Skip Hop baby changing rucksack clips onto the Peach’s comfortable foam handle perfectly. Who would have thought that a buggy would be the perfect hiking tool!
Our day-long trek winds through mountain paths and takes in lakes, waterfalls and beautiful valleys. Walking through the deciduous forest that covers the lower slopes of the frontier peaks we soon notice how easy it is to use the Peach, it’s sturdiness is great on all the rocks and inclines and with a front wheel that can lock, it is ideal for traversing the slopes.
By mid-afternoon we are happily tucking into our lunch by a cascading riverbank. The Peach’s large extendable hood and parasol comes into its own, protecting our son from the scorching summer rays. Red Kites, gliding above our heads with their distinctive call, make up for the absence of wild boar whose presence we can only see from the marks they have left in the soil.
As we walk back to the guest house we comment on how fantastic it has been exploring the great outdoors with our little one, who has been cooing away in his comfortable seat all day. And thanks to the Peach, our biceps are still intact and we’re ready to continue the adventure…