49.5

One of the biggest challenges we faced in the Faroe Islands was getting down the towering cliffs to photograph from sea level. Fortunately at Gasadalur a concrete set of steps descend steeply down the side of the sheer cliff face. Unfortunately the steps don't appear to have been maintained since they were built in the 1940's, and as a result were the scariest stairs I have ever descended!! There was a warning sign at the top saying something in Faroese which probably translates to 'Go down this way and you might get to the bottom quicker than you think'. There was a wobbly metal handrail on the cliff side which I clung onto with all my strength as the fierce wind from the Atlantic blew towards me. On the other side there was no such barrier separating the steps from a sheer drop hundreds of feet, so I focused all my attention on the hand rail and descended slowly down the narrow but steep steps, covered in loose stones and gravel. I suddenly felt ill when after a while the wobbly handrail abruptly ended, and I realised that all my hopes had been clinging to a rusted rail attached to nothing at all!! Later after returning to the top I vowed to myself that I would never descend these horrible steps again. Two days later we were back doing it all over again. It didn't get any easier the second time!