I am absolutely, completely terrified of heights.
It's OK if I know there's glass or something between myself and certain squishy death, but out in the open or at the top of a tall tower, this spells trouble.

One such time was during a Geography field trip to the Peak District, which culminated in an abseil down a 20 metre rock face. I and a group of three of my best friends were escorted to the top of the cliff and were kitted up with all the usual gear. I thought that I would be OK, and that I might, just might be able to help cure my fear.

It was at this point that I noticed the drop. Even though I was with a trained professional, and even though I had the proper safety equipment on, I was scared shitless. My friends abseiled down the cliff effortlessly, and shouted back up to me "don't be such a wuss" while I looked back at them, trying my best to keep my lunch in my stomach. I completely and utterly lost my cool, to such an effect that I practically shook the instructor to tell him, in no uncertain terms, that I. Did. Not. Want. To. Do. This.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with getting down - as I had had to climb up in the first place, and as there were frequent teams climbing up in the first place, I would either have to abseil down OR go down a crevice that had infrequent, but sizeable, steps (still in all the safety gear, I might add). I chose the wimps option.

I was offered another chance, a few years ago, to abseil. I declined. I guess that I wasn't so much out of my depth than out of my height...
( Chrico is a bounder and a cad, Thu 14 Oct 2004, 22:11, Reply)