PHOTOS NADIA DAVIES AND KEVIN ROET
I love camping and I’m happiest when I’m outdoors, so I didn’t think twice about the prospect of spending the night sleeping on the edge of a cliff. That is, until my girlfriend and I pull up in our car to meet Kevin Roet, a professional climber and mountaineer – aka, the person who will be responsible for safely securing our bed as we dangle over the Rfiver Wye in Gloucestershire.
We’ll be spending the night on a portaledge: a hanging tent used by climbers like Kevin to rest cliffside when spending multiple days summiting a peak. First, we hike through the beautiful Wye Valley. It’s pouring with rain and the ground is slippery as we make our way to the top of an old quarry – our base for the night. I’m already soaked by the time we arrfive, and my girlfriend somehow has mud smeared all down her face.