Treader Tube Cliff Camping in Pembrokeshire…
These last couple of days I’ve been out Cliff Camping with the guys from Treader Tube. Tom runs a YouTube channel that aims at documenting adventurous and innovative stuff, making it interesting and engaging viewing for the audience. They’ve climbed, trekked, snow holed and dog sledded their way around the world, and this week they came to Pembrokeshire to experience sleeping on a Portaledge!
I’d gone on to YouTube and checked out a Treader Tube, they’ve got some really interesting videos on there and it seemed like the sort of stuff that Cliff Camping would sit really well alongside, so I was really excited to get some decent footage of me at work, the Portaledge and the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline!
Team Treader Tube assembled on the Portaledge and ready to kick back and relax!
I met the Treader Tube guys in St Davids and we chatted through how it would work from my perspective of being on the cliffs and how and what they hoped to capture on film. With some very heavy haul bags full of climbing, sleeping, cooking and filming kit, we headed off to Carreg y Barcud. I love the climbing and the views along the coast at Barcud, it’s an impressive place – so a great location for an inspiring first visit to the Pembrokeshire sea cliffs!
The beautiful and atmospheric Pembrokeshire coastline, scene of the Cliff Camping night out on the Portaledge for team Treader Tube!
Being strapped up to a mic and having to wait for the camera angles, light and conditions to match, and then vaguely knowing what I was supposed to say and when was all a new experience for me – only the finished footage will show if I messed anything up or not! The guys from Treader Tube were super professional yet fun with it, and with their fancy cameras, drones, Go Pros and technical knowledge I’ve no doubt it’ll look ace!
After setting the ledge up and giving the guys a crash course in ascending the rope, we climbed some of the classic climbs at Barcud. The Treader Tube chaps were all indoor climbers with some outdoor climbing experience, so they took to the awesome sandstone slabs at Barcud no problem!
Climbing at Barcud during a Cliff Camping Portaledge experience in Pembrokeshire
Night was approaching so it was time for some tea and a last minute toilet stop, anext then a final trip back down to the Portaledge to get settled in for the night. A clear starry night halfway up an impressive sweep of sandstone, sleeping on a Portaledge that was hanging over the Atlantic Ocean awaited!
Getting the sleeping stuff sorted on the Portaledge, ready for a night Cliff Camping in Pembrokeshire
With sunrise we awoke pretty early and after a leisurely time sitting and enjoying the sunrise over south Pembrokeshire, it was time to head up for coffee and breakfast. Keen to get their drone out the guys headed back down to the ledge to capture some incredible shots – I can’t wait to see the one where the drone pans out from the Portaledge to get a bigger view of the cliff!
Treader Tube setting the drone off over Barcud, filming Cliff Camping in Pembrokeshire
An unexpected hail storm of gargantuan proportions swept over us and in no time at all the Portaledge was deep in icy slush! It took us by surprise but the guys rolled with it and got some great and dramatic footage! Just as quickly the sky was cloudless and blue, and we soon warmed up as I dismantled the ledge and the ropes.
The almighty hail storm! More like Scotland in winter than Pembrokeshire in spring!
A great and memorable night out, a pleasure to spend time with the guys from Treader Tube, and so looking forward to seeing the final footage!
The Treader Tube team after their Portaledge Cliff Camping experience in Pembrokeshire..