The Elie (Fife) Chain Walk | A near-death experience

The Elie (Fife) Chain Walk

Arriving in the beautiful coastal village of Elie, Fife to complete the Elie (Fife) Chain Walk, we ate our picnic overlooking Elie beach (which is spectacular, by the way), before donning our backpacks and walking over the golf course towards the start of the chain walk.

I had made a point of not researching the Elie chain walk in any detail. This was partly because I had a busy schedule, but predominantly because I feared it would be presented as a gargantuan, death-defying trek into the unknown, only comparable to the Cullin Ridge on the Isle of Skye (disclaimer: it's not). Honest and pragmatic reporting on the outdoors scene, I am fast learning, is becoming a rare commodity. We approached the chain walk with an open mind and a deep respect for the challenge ahead.

The walk to the start was amazing. Once past the golf course, we meandered down the beach, over the rocks, towards the formidable cliffs of the Fife coast. We stopped briefly on a small patch of grass to don helmets before walking past the white plaque marking the start of the Elie (Fife) Chain Walk.

Our excitement and nervousness had built inside all three of us. It felt electric. I was getting nervous. Eve was bouncing around like a jack-in-the-box. Sarah desperately tried to slow Eve down as we rounded the corner to face our first chain!

Starting the Elie (Fife) Chain Walk

The first chain was the hardest… but only for me! Being the illustrious leader I am (said with tongue in cheek), I volunteered to lead the way and blaze a trail. The first chain was set against a huge slab of rock with good footholds. To reach that level, we had to climb onto a boulder, step over a (huge) chasm and onto the first chain walk. I failed… Abismally!

As I stepped over the edge from the boulder onto the cliff, reaching for the chain, I used the wrong foot. I found myself stranded. Unable to go forward or backwards, up or down, I was left clinging to the steel chain for all my life was worth. With the chasm below, the darkness descended, and the light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel was fast approaching. I was going to die!

I had not intended to die today, but for a brief moment, I feared my time was up. The Elie Chain Walk was about to claim another victory over a weak human, and I was its intended victim! With palms sweating, feet failing, nerves in tatters, I readied myself for the rapid descent into the chasm below and then darkness. I said my goodbyes and bid them both farewell and good luck. I could now see the grim reaper.

The truth is… as much as that is all factually correct, what I have failed to tell you is that all I needed to do was put one foot backwards, back onto the boulder, and my date with the grim reaper would be postponed. Instead, I had gone from zero to armageddon in a way only a man can! I am sure you can imagine the pitiful sight that Sarah and Eve beheld on this fateful day.

With a firm, controlling voice, Sarah instructed me to ‘step back’, which I did. Ahaha! My life was saved! Once again, Sarah had come to the rescue!

Looking behind me, once safe and feet on firm ground, I saw Sarah crying. This was not a great start to the chain walk! But these weren’t tears of fear or upset that streamed down her face. What Sarah and Eve had just witnessed was nothing less than an Oscar-winning performance reminiscent of the Late great Norman Wisdom! Sarah was in stitches, laughing uncontrollably. Eve had a look upon her face of total and utter bewilderment. I have humiliated myself, degraded myself, but at least I was alive to tell the tale. Sarah now led the way.

The entire Elie Chain Walk is stated as being 500m. I can tell you, this is wildly inaccurate! It’s at least double once you factor in all the winding in and out as you follow the cliffs. But luckily, we had started the chain walk early in the day, as soon as it was safe with the tide heading out. I am so pleased and relieved we did this. The Chain Walk took us nearly 3 hours to complete.

There was a group of young men on the chain walk with cans of a larger in hand. I watched them with fascination. It was a paradox in many ways. In any other environment, I could feel intimidated by them. Loud, brash and confident. But here, on the side of a cliff in Fife, having had a near-death experience, they spoke to us, friendly and considerate, swigging back cans of Stella Artois before heading off around the cliffs. We didn’t see them again, although we did hear them a few times!

We also met a group of young girls as they slipped and slid past us on an embankment of loose scree. Their footwear offered no traction, and they looked embarrassed or at least very self-conscious as they passed us, struggling to remain upright. They advised us of a ‘brilliant’ spot to go swimming as a way, I believe, to distract us from their challenge of remaining on their feet! We wished them good luck and went our separate ways.

The Elie Chain Walk was busy, but not as busy as we had expected. The sun was high, the temperature hot, with a gentle breeze rolling off the sea and the smell of salt air. Apart from the near-death experience, we loved the challenge and the adventure. Nothing was going to stop us. We pressed on with determination and excitement, surrounded by an alien-looking landscape.

The remaining seven chains presented various challenges and difficulties. Some long, some short, some high, some low. It never got boring! Two chains were particularly noteworthy. One that follows the contours of the rock at sea level and the second chain that goes down a vertical slab of rock with footholds hidden from view. Stepping over the edge of this second chain required a degree of confidence and careful foot placement, especially in the heat with sweaty palms slipping on the smooth steel of the chain. One of my strategies was to rub my hands in the grit on the ground, as a climber would use chalk. This worked well, even if it was unconventional.

The end of the Elie (Fife) chain walk

We reached the end of the chain walk rather abruptly. Marked by another white plaque warning walkers of the dangers of the Elie chain walk. We sat on a patch of grass, leaning against a boulder, congratulating each other on completing the chain walk. We could see people walking the Fife Coastal Path above us, but down here, we felt isolated and separate from the people above. We sat for nearly an hour watching the world go by, listening to waves gently crashing against the rocks behind us.

The walk back into Elie followed the Fife coastal path, and what a spectacular end to the day! The views around the bay, over Elie and the sea, are breathtaking. On several occasions, we stood motionless without realising we had stopped, in awe of the beauty before us. I say it all the time, hiking, especially on the coast, feels like home. It feels safe, secure, and reassuring. We walked slowly, revelling in and soaking up the smells and sights all around us. For that short walk, we flew as free as the gulls soaring above us.

Returning to the Elie Chain Walk

We would love to return and attempt the chain walk when the tide is in! On a warm, calm day, it would present a radically different challenge. With some chains set at sea level, it would be an epic experience, combining (almost) a via ferrata and coasteering.

My advice if you are contemplating the Elie Chain Walk is to give it a go… Apart from my one brief brush with death due to incompetence, it is achievable for most people and immense fun!

See you again soon on the next adventure.

Ian, Sarah & Eve

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