Can you Walk the Walk?
Tuesday July 5th 2005 (happy 4th of July!) 1:30pm
I was pretty confident I could. I mean hey i've jumped out of a plane - twice! You just have to get over the fear your mind creates and not think - just do it. This and a bunch of other mumbo-jumbo was what I and the other virgin-bunjee jumpers were saying to each other as we took our 20 minute van ride up the side of a mountain where a harness, a canyon and and an ever so faithful? bungee cord.
After a pretty scary ride up (no guard rails on these dirt roads)we walked along a path to the first little station. 'Okay guys just a few things before we push, I mean you jump off the edge' said our driver, Pinkey. 'First we have to sign consent forms'. They basically went like this...
"Shotover canyon swing will not be held liable for any damage, injury, caused to us regardless of due to negligence on their part or due to equipment failure. Nor would they be held accountable for any trauma that might be caused to friends and family from shock of watching us jump"
Umm... no high BP, no asthma, no heart condition, no family or friends to cause trauma to - think I'm good. So I sign my life away. At this point I'm still okay - butterflies are flying up a storm in my stomach but i still want to do this. Being the only girl in my group i wanted to prove to myself that this was a piece of cake - be first person out on the ledge.
So we walk down another pathway along side the canyon to the jumping station. I'm asked to step into my full body harness (I like the sound of this), straps tightened around my waist, shoulders and legs. 'Who's going first?' Ahh here's my chance - 'I'll go'. Pinky looks at me with a raise of the eyebrow ' you sure, don't want to watch someone else go?'
'NO.'
I'm hooked up to a line connected to the side of the station and am asked to walk forward. Hmmm funny, I used to be able to walk like a 26 yr old - now i seem to barely be able to shuffle like an 85 yr old.
Shuffling my way to the end of the line I turn my body and there less then 2 ft away from me is the edge and 109 meters from the bottom of the canyon. The only thing separating us was a little rope across the front of the platform.
'Okay so i'm going to unclamp you to the line and hook on the cord. There you go. Okay now place both hands on the blue part of the cord at your waist. Lopa, both hands'
Both hands, I think to myself, I have both hands on the cord. I look down to my right. How'd my hand get a hold of this metal pole. okay let go hand. it doesn't budge. Sorry guys it won't let go, guess i can't jump. 'Really I don't think i want to do this'. I look out in front of me see the ravine flowing below me - 'Really don't think this is for me, how about someone else go first'. dude what was happening to me, i was negotiating as if they were forcing me to jump off a 109 meter cliff and free fall for 60meters towards the bottom of the canyon at 150 km/h.
I swear i was going to crap myself. Pinky looked at me, 'hey i'll ease you into this, just get your toes to the edge'. I shuffle a few inches. 'But you have to let go of the rail and place both hands on the cord.' i shuffle some more, moving my hand for just a second to get around him and hold on yet again to the rail.
'Okay are you going to do this or not, cause we've got another bus coming its now or never.' Oh come on now be nice really have some manners I know i have to do this - don't I?. 'So can i sit on the ledge and push off?' 'A foot is not going to make a difference hon'. Great
I shuffle forward some more i'm pretty much at the edge both toes slightly hanging over. Damn it that right hand of mine is holding on for dear life. Pinkys still got a hold of the cord but if he lets go (it is heavy) the cord will just drag me. 'Okay hold on to the blue part of the cord and kneel down and forward'
I'm nodding my head releasing and regripping the rail like i have a tick. Oh lord stop being a baby and just do it girl. I slowly let go of the rail completely free of any crutch
Okay
here goes....
AAHHHHHHHHOHMYF*%&ING GODholycrapMotherofGOD$(%()&#(@*&!!!!!!!!!WOOHOO
For a few seconds I was soaring through the air with nothing preventing me from splashing straight into the river until the cord pulled tight and I started to swing. Swoop - Ha that was nothing, skydiving - piece of cake. Nothing i have done up to today has ever scared me and made me feel so free the way stepping off that cliff just did
Will i ever do it again? never. scratch that, i've still got 8 months on this trip. never say never
Umm... no high BP, no asthma, no heart condition, no family or friends to cause trauma to - think I'm good. So I sign my life away. At this point I'm still okay - butterflies are flying up a storm in my stomach but i still want to do this. Being the only girl in my group i wanted to prove to myself that this was a piece of cake - be first person out on the ledge.
So we walk down another pathway along side the canyon to the jumping station. I'm asked to step into my full body harness (I like the sound of this), straps tightened around my waist, shoulders and legs. 'Who's going first?' Ahh here's my chance - 'I'll go'. Pinky looks at me with a raise of the eyebrow ' you sure, don't want to watch someone else go?'
'NO.'
I'm hooked up to a line connected to the side of the station and am asked to walk forward. Hmmm funny, I used to be able to walk like a 26 yr old - now i seem to barely be able to shuffle like an 85 yr old.
Shuffling my way to the end of the line I turn my body and there less then 2 ft away from me is the edge and 109 meters from the bottom of the canyon. The only thing separating us was a little rope across the front of the platform.
'Okay so i'm going to unclamp you to the line and hook on the cord. There you go. Okay now place both hands on the blue part of the cord at your waist. Lopa, both hands'
Both hands, I think to myself, I have both hands on the cord. I look down to my right. How'd my hand get a hold of this metal pole. okay let go hand. it doesn't budge. Sorry guys it won't let go, guess i can't jump. 'Really I don't think i want to do this'. I look out in front of me see the ravine flowing below me - 'Really don't think this is for me, how about someone else go first'. dude what was happening to me, i was negotiating as if they were forcing me to jump off a 109 meter cliff and free fall for 60meters towards the bottom of the canyon at 150 km/h.
I swear i was going to crap myself. Pinky looked at me, 'hey i'll ease you into this, just get your toes to the edge'. I shuffle a few inches. 'But you have to let go of the rail and place both hands on the cord.' i shuffle some more, moving my hand for just a second to get around him and hold on yet again to the rail.
'Okay are you going to do this or not, cause we've got another bus coming its now or never.' Oh come on now be nice really have some manners I know i have to do this - don't I?. 'So can i sit on the ledge and push off?' 'A foot is not going to make a difference hon'. Great
I shuffle forward some more i'm pretty much at the edge both toes slightly hanging over. Damn it that right hand of mine is holding on for dear life. Pinkys still got a hold of the cord but if he lets go (it is heavy) the cord will just drag me. 'Okay hold on to the blue part of the cord and kneel down and forward'
I'm nodding my head releasing and regripping the rail like i have a tick. Oh lord stop being a baby and just do it girl. I slowly let go of the rail completely free of any crutch
Okay
here goes....
AAHHHHHHHHOHMYF*%&ING GODholycrapMotherofGOD$(%()&#(@*&!!!!!!!!!WOOHOO
For a few seconds I was soaring through the air with nothing preventing me from splashing straight into the river until the cord pulled tight and I started to swing. Swoop - Ha that was nothing, skydiving - piece of cake. Nothing i have done up to today has ever scared me and made me feel so free the way stepping off that cliff just did
Will i ever do it again? never. scratch that, i've still got 8 months on this trip. never say never
posted by Browngirl @ 9:15 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Oh my God, I almost pooped my pants reading that! I swear, I had a panic attack thinking of you jumping off a cliff...aren't you glad you didn't talk to me before?! Sooo proud of you for doing it!!!
xoxo,
Jessie
My heart is racing just reading this....i feel like throwing up...i can't even imagine what you must have been feeling...you are my hero...thanks for letting me live through your adventure!!
Susan C.
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