‘Acqua, acqua, acqua!’ My walkie-talkie crackles into life, startling me as I tread through the silent, misty forest. Our cheerful hiking guide – speaking to guests via walkie-talkie so we can walk at our own speed – is reminding us to ‘hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!’. I follow his prompt and hastily take a few, thirsty glugs from my hydration pack, then pick up my pace. It’s my second day at luxury fitness retreat, The Ranch Italy, and we’re midway through our early morning, four-hour mountain hike. As we emerge from the ancient beech forest, the track steepens and soon the only sound is my pounding heart as
