May 16, 2022 • 6 min read
Would you try this extreme 'cliff camping' experience in England?
Aug 20, 2020 • 2 min read
Guests abseil down a cliff face to sleep on a porta-ledge © Honister
If you're the adventurous type and have a head for heights, you may be putting a new extreme camping experience in England on your bucket list. It sees guests sleeping overnight on a porta-ledge anchored to the side of Fleetwith Pike in Cumbria, and they get to it by abseiling down the cliff face.
The camping experience is set 500 feet up the side of the cliff, and participants will cross a high-wire bridge, known as the Infinity Bridge, to reach it. Guests looking for an even more extreme campaign experience can choose to have their tent hung from the Infinity Bridge, spanning the crags on Fleetwith Pike, also around 500 feet above ground level. For safety reasons, campers are required to wear a harness at all times, even while asleep, and they are securely attached to both their tent and the rock face outside.
Each porta-ledge is a temporary hanging tent system used by rock climbers on multiple day climbs, and the experience is weather-dependent. On a clear evening, campers get to watch the sun set over the Lake District’s stunning landscape, while enjoying an al-fresco dinner. No previous experience is necessary to take part in this experience, with the only requirements being a sense of adventure and a basic level of fitness.
The experience is offered by Honister, England’s last working slate mine, which offers a range of indoor and outdoor adventures. For those who would rather not spend the night dangled from the cliff-face, Honister is also offering a less extreme cliff camping champagne brunch/afternoon tea option. “We’re thrilled to be able to launch this experience and can’t wait to welcome our guests, all of whom will of course need to bring their head for heights," says Prentice Wilkinson-Weir, activity and event coordinator at Honister.
Further information is available from Honister's website here.
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