Heights!

K09

Hi,

I love hiking and I hope to hike to top of Mount Blanc this year.
However, I am a little nervous when it comes to heights. How do I get over this fear?

Thanks!!

http://www.will4adventure.com/overcome_your_fear_of_heights.shtml

would recommend this course, handy ryanair flight to Manchester,and catch a train

foolelle

what happens when your standing at the top of a mountain, is that not too high?

NathanKingerlee

It's good to be nervous of heights; often the accidents will happen to people who are complacent or too relaxed about their surroundings.

What part of the country are you from? You should be able to find steep, exposed hill side, with no consequences if you do slip, that you can practice on. Going down will probably make you more nervous than going up. Build up slowly on steep, exposed (but safe) ground.

You'll experience some pretty serious exposure on Mount Blanc, so the MacGillycuddy Reeks would be an ideal place to eventually practice.

You could try your local rock climbing wall to really work through your fears, where you'll be perfectly safe.

There are techniques like edging, side stepping, testing, route choice which make being nervous on steep ground easier.

Thought I was pretty okay with heights, wouldn't be skipping along ridges and cliffs but do get a bit of an adrenaline rush from places like the Big Gun. Then went up Stumpa an t Saimh last year and had a real 'uh oh how do I get down' feeling, was shaking, so can empathise with you. I guess you just gotta keep getting up there, I find it a lot better now, though I guess nerves are good because they keep you away from too much danger.

K09

NathanKingerlee wrote: »

It's good to be nervous of heights; often the accidents will happen to people who are complacent or too relaxed about their surroundings.

What part of the country are you from? You should be able to find steep, exposed hill side, with no consequences if you do slip, that you can practice on. Going down will probably make you more nervous than going up. Build up slowly on steep, exposed (but safe) ground.

You'll experience some pretty serious exposure on Mount Blanc, so the MacGillycuddy Reeks would be an ideal place to eventually practice.

You could try your local rock climbing wall to really work through your fears, where you'll be perfectly safe.

There are techniques like edging, side stepping, testing, route choice which make being nervous on steep ground easier.

I climbed Carrauntoohil last year on the Caher route. Found parts of it pretty scary going up but was so excited afterwards that going back down same route was fine.
Living in Dublin so guess Wicklow mountains my best bet? Do you know of any steep but safe hills I could try?

Thanks.

Cookie_Monster

K09 wrote: »

I climbed Carrauntoohil last year on the Caher route. Found parts of it pretty scary going up but was so excited afterwards that going back down same route was fine.
Living in Dublin so guess Wicklow mountains my best bet? Do you know of any steep but safe hills I could try?

Thanks.

Sugarloaf is quite steep at the summit, Also climbing north out of Glenmalure at the carpark and river-ford.

NathanKingerlee

I don't really know Wicklow well enough to suggest anywhere up there

Hugh_C

Tonelagee is pretty steep too, in Wicklow NW of the Glenmacnass carpark

K09

This bit freaks me out a bit from summitpost description of mt blanc...

NOTE! All the routes require skilled knowledge in glacier travel . The weather on Mont Blanc can change very rapidly, so that one needs to be prepared for anything. Expect high winds on the summit ridge which is narrow and exposed.

I am fine up at a height that is not exposed to a steep drop. So guessing I would freak out on a narrow ridge!