Such great heights

What's the best Saturday afternoon activity for a self-conscious girl with trust issues who's afraid of heights?

Why, rock climbing! Of course!



It was actually really great. My random and occasional fear of heights didn't kick in until I was almost to the top of my first climb, and I mostly got over it. It didn't stop me from going up for long.

I didn't trust the rope though. So, letting go to repel down was tough. I apparently don't fall right, but I'll work on that. My first two climbs I just went up the best way I could see how, but my last two I did actually routes. Granted, they were both 5.6, which is easy in the climbing world, but I did them. You have to start somewhere. I actually did really well, just climbing my way up, with only a little direction from my friends below.

It was my fourth climb that did me in.

I was about halfway up when the handholds on my route looked entirely too far away and I wasn't sure where else my feet could go. I was pretty much stuck. The guys told me to just go for it. After a minute or two of deliberating, I did.

I missed.

I fell.

My belay caught me immediately, so I knew I was safe, but I was done with the climb. My desire to not look like a total fool got the best of me and I was fairly positive I wasn't going to get that jump that day.

The guys thought differently. They wouldn't let me down and they kept taunting me to get back on the wall and keep going. Sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't. This time, it didn't. I shot daggers with my eyes and my belay finally let me down. We were all friends again as soon as I stopped shaking.

I will tackle that route again the next time, and, by golly, there will be a next time.