I SLEPT LIKE A ROCK LAST NIGHT!
THOSE of a nervous disposition might worry about dropping off... and it certainly is an unusual place to snatch 40 winks.
But for the daredevils among us, an adventure holiday company is offering the chance to spend a night in a hammock – dangling above the English Channel.
The idea was dreamed up by Eddy Young who has climbed the Sierra Nevada mountains in California’s Yosemite National Park and conquered the Matterhorn on the Swiss-Italian border.
According to the 35-year-old, all you need to enjoy a good night’s sleep hanging off the side of the Dorset cliffs is “a sense of adventure and a head for heights”.
Deep pockets will come in handy too – one night costs £450. So far only six people have been brave enough to take on the challenge offered by Young’s Adventure Solutions.
Eddy, from Poole, Dorset, said: “The experience is unique. You have normal camping in a field and glamping, but this is next level.”
Climbers use the cradle, called a Portaledge, when tackling mountains that take days to climb.
In Yosemite, Eddy slept thousands of feet up, but his thrill-seekers will be 65ft above the waves.
He has seen more and more people becoming interested in climbing – both outdoors and on indoor climbing walls. The sport will feature for the first time at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Although the process might seem daunting, those staying the night can recline and enjoy the view while Eddy prepares a meal above them.
Eddy, who stays overnight on the cliff top, said: “I lower down a hamper full of food with little bottles of champagne.
“It makes for a romantic setting with the water underneath.
“After they’ve finished dinner I’ll lower them a hot chocolate and check they are comfortable.”
No special climbing experience is required – just the ability to get up and down the rope ladder.
Guests are tied to a harness and the hammock dips in the middle which stops people rolling off.
“The beds are comfier than camping on the ground,” said Eddy, who brushes off the fear, adding: “It’s just what goes on in between your ears really. And they can shout in the night if they need me.”