By virtue of this blog going up, you can tell I survived the High Ropes Course yesterday. It turned out to be a lot of fun, though my height phobia is far from cured. It was quite the spring day, well into the 70s, with a nice breeze from time to time, though my pasty self brought back more than a little bit of redness.
What did we do? Oh, there were a few simple tasks. Most of the climbs or courses were about 40+ feet up, so just climbing up to that starting point could get your gut quivering. You had a simple walk along a long plank between two trees. A Tarzan-swinging set, where if you lost your momentum, you were done for. And one of my favorites, a vertical obstacle course involving several 4×4 posts, danging ropes, and tires. That one was a doozy.
And it’s amazing how you can have the full intention of shimmying up a telephone pole, do a Karate-Kid pose at the top, and then leap off it to grab a trapeze before letting yourself be lowered back to earth…and then freeze up the moment you actually have to start climbing. Albeit, the pole wobbles alarmingly, and you’re basically trying to stand on a fifty-foot tall stool…but still. The mind and body achieve a disconnect you never thought possible.
Here, for instance, is a transcript of the thoughts running through my head as I’m attempting to balance on top of a tall, thin pole, in order to jump off it again.
Conversation between Body and Mind:
M: You can do this.
B: You’re insane.
M: Admitted, but you can do this.
B: Look down. See that? That’s a fifty-foot drop.
M: Feel that thing hugging your chest, as well as some other questionable areas rather tightly? That’s a harness. It catches you if you fall.
B: I’m not convinced.
M: Can we at least try?
B: (Sighs) Sure, why not. Get us killed, for all I care.
M: Okay. Ready? 3…2…1…Go!
B: Wait! Not yet!
M: Oh, c’mon! You could’ve had it.
All in all, it was a great time. I highly recommend it. There might be pictures eventually, but depending on how compromising a position they show me in will determine whether they get posted or not.
I see that smile.
Glad to see you’re safe and sound. Here’s hoping we get to see some fun piccies!
I always appreciate concerns for my health. Unfortunately neither Jen nor myself actually had a camera on the trip, but several others did. We’re waiting in hopes that they’ll send us some, like they promised they would. They promised!
lol. Promised pictures rarely get sent. Well . . . at least that’s the case when I’m the one doing the promising!