BootsnAll Travel Community

This is more adventure than travel related.
I'll be turning 55 next month and my daughters hinted about a parashute jump, as a birthday present for me.
Now, it's a bit longer story. They gave me similar present for my 50's birthday, and due to some organizational problems I didn't do the jump (what a waste, I still can't get over it).

The problem is now, that I seem to have developed fear of heights, something I never had in my younger years.
I still can sit on a edge of a rock with a 50 m vertical drop, but, as for parashute jump I'm feeling quite uncertain.
I really don't know whether I want to do it or not.

Has any of you had similar problem? How do you cope with it?

I do lots of climbing and mountaineering, I've sky-dived and bungi jumped, and I'm STILL afraid of heights.

It's natural, and if you're not a little bit afraid, there's something wrong with you.

I found Skydiving to be much LESS scary than climbing or bungi jumping because it's so abstract. It's like looking at a map with a fan blowing in your face.

With climbing and bungi, you can see each individual pointy rock and stick that will kill you. Skydiving is just looking down at a pretty spread of green and blue.

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I found Skydiving to be much LESS scary than climbing or bungi jumping because it's so abstract. It's like looking at a map with a fan blowing in your face.

I agree with this.

Thanks both. That's a possibility I thought of too - the higher it is the more abstract the view gets. Still, I'm not sure, as the whole thing about vertigo is a totally irrational feeling.

I think it depends on how attached you are to the idea of doing the jump.

I have a tremendous fear of heights, but it only strikes when I have to climb down something high. Oddly, I can climb *up* nearly anything and not have a care in the world. But man, looking down! Even if I have every rope in the world attached to me, I start to look down and I feel the fear.

I, like you, tell myself that having this fear is somewhat irrational. I then talk myself into doing whatever it is that I need to do. I refuse to go out on a great hike, get to the point where I have to climb down, then simply give up. So I'll turn 23 shades of red and purple, shake and quake, and then do it anyway.

The last time this happened, I was tied in and ready to climb down an 80 ft dry waterfall in Zion. Man, was I nervous. I just did it. And I will do it again. I tend to believe that I can out-stubborn fear and I generally win.

Just one point: the fact that you can sit on a ledge over a 50 m drop hints that your fear of heights in not all that bad. Maybe you're more nervous about 'jumping out of a plane', 'will the parachute open' and 'what if i land in a tree' than the actual height.

Eitherway, both sides are natural reactions. Just go and jump.

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Originally posted by Moniak:
I still can sit on a edge of a rock with a 50 m vertical drop, but, as for parashute jump I'm feeling quite uncertain
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This I can understand. I'm not afraid of heights, I just don't like my legs/feet dangling in 'nothing.' Example, about ten years ago, I took my two youngerst boys to the peninsula, no car, we went everywhere by bus. Took them to Arthur's Seat. This is a chair lift going up a big hill- takes about 20 mins. Hadn't been on it since I was a teenager. Boys get in one seat (seats hold two), I get in next seat, chairlift starts moving upwards and that was it! I panicked - my legs were dangling in space. No terra firma, I screamed help etc etc,. They wound the chairlift backwards and let me get off. Gawd, I was so embarrassed.

BTW, I had to walk the whole way up that ruddy hill - took about 75 mins, plus it was stinking hot. First time in an aeroplane was April 2004 - panic. My boys just said, "Mum, you know they won't fly the plane back so you can get off like they did for you on the chair lift."

Geeze, one's children can be insensitive! I like flying nay I love flying now anyway.

I too would have no hesitation sitting on the edge of a rock with a 50m vertical drop - but- ask me to go flying off there? Uh-uh.

I coped with the fear of first time flying by [syching myself up - I went outside and watched all the other people going into the airport and told myself stuff like Lookat them they're ony kiddies they aren't scared. If they can do it so can you. And more "pep" talks to myself.

No one can tell you whether you should jump or not. Only you can make that decision. Ask yourself "Why am I scared? What am I afraid of?"

One small tip: If you do decide to jump and you're still feeling a little scared, just make sure to remove your false teeth if you have any. Otherwise you and your teeth might see the parting of the ways and on landing you'll be "toeukngoikd tha." - Talking like that.
Good luck.