What do you fear most and when did you realize you had that fear? For me, one of my biggest fears (much more than flying, although perhaps the two are related) is heights. I can remember the exact moment when I realized I had a crippling fear of heights. And not just any fear….a lay down on the ground paralyzed kind of fear. Not kidding. If it hadn’t been for my amazing mom, my remains would probably still be laid out on one of the platforms below the bell at the top of the Torre del Mangia in Sienna, Italy. Have you ever climbed that tower?
photo from wherefivevalleysmeet.blogspot.com
- I was 9, and on vacation in Italy with my family. We were lazily driving from Naples to Torino (south to north) exploring many of the beautiful little towns along the way. We stopped in Sienna to climb the famous Terre del Mangia, the bell tower that rises 289 feet, the third tallest tower in Italy. It’s great for the first 470 steps or so because you are climbing stairs inside the tower. You feel all nice and safe and cozy…you’re just getting some exercise. Then all of a sudden you come out on top and then there’s a ladder going up through the middle of a platform above you. You climb the ladder, all, “sure I can do this” and then you realize you are above any last fragment of wall surrounding the top of the tower. And then there’s another ladder to another platform to reach the bell itself, which is suspended above the tower with only a rope railing separating you from imminent death. Bring on the terror. I made it up the ladder to that first platform and said oh heck no and laid down, completely content to never move again. Clearly I did make it back down, but only because my mom is incredible. She talked me through it and then backed me down the ladder practically in her arms. I often forget it these days now that I’m supposed to be all adult myself, but sometimes I am reminded how powerful my mother’s protection still is.
This summer I visited my mom who now lives in the mountains in North Carolina. Feeling in a mood for taking risks, we decided to go ziplining. If you are ever in the Asheville area, there are a ton of options, but we really enjoyed Navitat because throughout the tour they taught us about the flora and fauna of the canopy and forest floor. 
We learned about the Hemlock that are dying on the East Coast from the Woolly Adelgid insect infestation and what they are trying to do to save them. 
There were 10 ziplines, the longest of which was over 1000 feet, 200 feet above the ground, and took nearly 30 seconds to cross. Also, there a few rope bridges and two places where we rappelled to the ground to look at the plant life and take a break.
So seeing as how I have a fear of heights I wasn’t sure how I would do with the ziplines. I’ve been on a mission lately to challenge that fear and I’ve been doing pretty well….making it up a rickety old fire tower in northern Minnesota was one of my recent accomplishments. 
The first few ziplines at Navitat were easy. The platforms weren’t too high, I felt pretty safe with all the gear I had keeping me tethered to the lines and the rides weren’t too fast or long. 
But then we got to the biggest one…you couldn’t even see the end of it, just a rope going off into the great beyond….you crossed over a whole valley so when you were in the middle, the view was incredible out over the mountains, but it was high. I finally got that crippling feeling of fear and I asked my mom if she would go first, which of course as my protector (even at 30 years old!) she did. Only later did I realize she was dealing with intense fear of her own (which made me feel guilty and terrible for only considering my own fear in the moment), but she set that aside to make it easier for her child….I will forever be grateful that I have such a strong and caring mother. Thank you mom! 
In the moment when I finally had to take that leap, I remembered what Ta’u had told me before I went. We have been taking lots of metaphorical “leaps” into the unknown lately and so he reminded me of that and told me to trust that life (or the line in this case) would always catch me…all I needed to do was trust and take that leap of faith. And so I leapt.
Here’s a little video capturing some of our zips (what do you call a ride on a zipline?). The funniest thing about the video is that it makes the zipping seem so smooth and easy….it totally didn’t capture the height or much of our fear…we look pretty chill. Although if you look closely at our faces I think you can see some of our apprehension.
In the end we both made it and had a blast and are already talking about when we’ll do it again. Navitat told us they were building a new course with lines 2000 feet long and 400 feet high and you go much much faster…..a new challenge? We’ll see.
I always thought I’d have to go to Costa Rica to try ziplining, but apparently it’s getting very popular right here in the U.S. Next time we want to go in the fall….the leaf colors in North Carolina are supposed to be breathtaking. Have you ever gone ziplining? What have you done to challenge your fears lately?