My greatest fear of all the common phobias is heights.   I cant even stand on a six foot ladder to change a light bulb or clean anything that is more than twice my height.

A few years ago, in an attempt to overcome my fear of heights, I thought of the many things I could try like sky-diving or abseiling and I thought, for someone with this phobia the latter would be a better option.

I signed up with an Adventure Club in Perth and summoned up as much courage as I could to give it a go.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the location was an old rock quarry in Gosnells….about an hour’s drive from where I lived. 

I asked one of my girlfriends if she would do it with me but she was too scared and said nothing on earth would entice her to do such a thing. 

Her hubby however was happy to give it a go so I jumped on the back of his motorbike and off we went.  (I will tell you right now, that was the best part of the whole day…an hour on the back of a Harley beats trying to get down a rock face with one’s eyes tightly shut any day!!)

After about 45 minutes of ‘’training’’ and getting rigged up with all the ropes and safety equipment,  and another hour of psyching myself into getting near the edge of the cliff, I finally managed to very tentatively step over the side.

They start you off on a 30 meter face, then if you manage that okay you pass to a 60 meter face and then if you make that one you graduate to the 120 meter face.

Guess how far I got!!!

Okay, I will tell you. The 30 meter one was okay. So I proceeded to the 60 meter one.  Halfway down I opened my eyes and I absolutely freaked.  I froze midway and refused to let go of the rope (you need to let go of the rope to let yourself down) and just froze.  In the end, after much coaxing without success a very nice (and hunky) guy came and helped me down the rest of the way.

(starting down the 60 meter face)

(This is my hero who had to bring me down the rest of the way...lol.)

After everyone else got down that 60 meter face we proceeded to the 120 meter face but I just couldn’t make myself go there.

(the 120 meter face)

I have to say I was very disappointed in myself.  As much as they reassured me that absolutely nothing would happen, I just couldn’t make myself do it.  I should have just tried, if worse came to worse the hunky guy was willing to come down and help me the rest of the way.

Just goes to show, not even a hunky guy can make you overcome a fear like that.

To this day I am still terrified of heights and sky-diving will never be an option for me.