A year ago I did rappel from a bridge with another group.
On my previous experience, my legs where shaking like if I was trying to shake the bridge.
I thought that for this time, that wouldn’t happen, as I am getting better on controlling my emotions.
There were constant delays on that morning. First at the meeting point, the instructor and the safety guy would not arrive.
That was not that bad, as it gave me an opportunity to meet the other guys, and learn about other interesting activities.
Jorge and Francisco arrived half an hour late. Jorge seemed like he had just woke up. I am just meeting these guys, and surely they are not giving a great first impression. Anyway, we got moving all together to the bridge.
On the site, Jorge and Francisco started to setup the ropes. But they didn’t seem to convinced of what they where doing.
Meanwhile, another organizer was trying a group dynamic, to get to know each other, and to relax people, I supposed.
I was with them for a little while, but quickly left, and started assisting the guys thaw where setting up the anchor points.
More delays, they didn’t seem to agree where and how to anchor, and went back and forth between giving the equipment to the people and setting up the ropes. At this point, I felt it. Anxiety started to back fire big time.
Finally the ropes where set, and Jorge, the *instructor* started his descend. I volunteered to be the first guy after him. My mind was killing me. I had to either go, or don’t go at all.
As I started to lean back on the edge of the bridge, it started again, seemed like I was trying to shake the bridge. My legs felt rather heavy and difficult to move. I could see how my face must have look like, by just looking at the other guys face. But I kept going. Probably not in a very stylish way, but I managed to get head down on the edge of the bridge. And then there was the easy part, just let it slide…
Someone commented that I was a bad influence, as I did my rappel upside down. But hey, people had a lot more fun that way. Just like the Thumb Rider movie.
When I got to the ground, I felt euphoric. All the anxiety that I had at the beginning, had transformed into good feelings.
There was a 15 years old girl, Nicole, and we got along really well. We did some of the rappels together. Se would do as I did, upside down. I would wait on the rope, for her to be in position, and do the rappel together. It was as if we knew each other for a long time, but I had just met her there.
The second and third rappel felt easier and easier. And then I felt it was enough. I just sat on the edge of the bridge to watch others have fun. Nicole did at least six rappels. Seemed like she had an endless reserve of energy.
On one occasion, as she passed next to me to do another rappel, I said she was tireless today. And then it hit me, “Today?”, I just met her. It is amazing how the brain works. There is another girl I know, Lina, which did rappel with me last year, and was just as Nicole, full of energy. In my mind, thoughts or emotions must have been mixed up. I was treating Nicole, as if she was my friend Lina.
Well, here are some pictures of the event.
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