48 HOURS
As I teeter on the edge of the cliff - the River Wye far below me - the realisation of what the night ahead holds hits me. I’m about to set up camp on a portaledge, a hanging tent used by climbers spending multiple days summiting a peak. First, guide Kevin Roet, an experienced mountaineer, leads us on a short hike through the Wye Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty on the England-Wales border. When we reach our base atop the old Woodcroft Quarry, we’re already wet and muddy, but the view is incredible. The river meanders through the valley and birds nest in the cliff s. Slowly, the mist lifts and it’s time to try abseiling. Kevin reassures me that scaling the cliff will help me overcome my worries about the night. I start on my bottom and, as I shuffle over the edge, my legs shake so much that I struggle to straighten them! Kevin reminds me to breathe deeply, and it helps; I gradually trust the ropes and abseil down into the valley.
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES; KEVIN ROET