If you consider yourself to be a bit of a daredevil, then one of the most exhilarating experiences can be found right here in the UK. It’s not a bungee jump or skydiving – this is a simple walk with a terrifying twist.
High above the town of Matlock Bath is a narrow path hewn into the cliff edge. It’s known as Giddy Edge, but you’d do well not to get giddy while you’re walking it, as it’s a very, very long way down. One man braved this scary path and chronicled the whole thing on TikTok.
Phil, known for his travel videos, posted his experience of walking Giddy Edge on TikTok and said it was “absolutely terrifying”.
“The camera does not do justice to either the narrowness of the path or the height of the drop”, he said in his video, via voiceover.
Phil said he had to voice over his clips because it would have taken him too long to bleep out all the swear words he was cursing as he navigated the edge of the cliff.
“It’s bringing me no joy at all; in fact, it’s bringing me genuine terror. I don’t like it.”
The path is right on the edge of a 300-foot sheer drop down to the town below, and the most dangerous part of it has a metal bannister built into the cliff so you can cling to it as you edge your way across the most frightening section of the walk.
Once you’ve passed this sickeningly high point, the rest of the path is just as high up. There is no fence between you and the drop, but there are some benches where you can sit and catch your breath.
Giddy Path also has a one-way system in place to avoid traffic jams on the terrifyingly narrow path. However, if you don’t want to have to creep along the scariest path in the UK, there are alternative paths — although they are all just as high up.
Even if the path is horrifying, the views out over Matlock Bath are truly beautiful — just make sure you take care if you want to see them. The path should be avoided in all wet or windy weather to avoid serious injury or death.
Phil said: “For me, it’s not about how lethal Giddy Edge is, and it is lethal. Do not go and mess around up there.
“It’s about how accessible it is – yes, there are lethal paths in Wales and the Lake District, but you have to put some work in, you have to walk a few miles to risk your mortality for them.”