- Time of past OR future Camino
- Enjoying the camino since 2009
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Surely I can't be the only one? How do you deal with it?
That's just like me crossing the bridge before PosrtomarinHi @nidarosa at the cost of appearing ridiculous (what I do for this forum!) here's me, creeping over the bridge going into Muros on the Norte.
Hi, @Anniesantiago - I was fine on the Frances though I didn't much enjoy walking on the steep side of the road up to the top of the hill before Roncesvalles. It's the Lake District trip coming up that has me wondering what I can do. Those ridges really are narrow with slopes, steep and otherwise, on both sides, so nowhere to go other than straight ahead. I really would like to be able to comfortably walk up there.
Sounds very familiar except for the screaming... I went in July and there were far too many witnesses around.@Viranani - Don't worry, I have none of that. I have sat down in the middle of a cloud of mocking sheep, thrown myself flat on my belly when a Hadrian's Wall crag seemed to sway under me and crawled down hill, pack on, after stupidly looking down from a view point. I have been known to scream with frustration when I want to go somewhere and my own fear is stopping me. Luckily there aren't too many around to hear me in the Lakes!
My poles were a godsend especially on the descents.@Stellaluna - Thanks for that, this really cheered me up! I am thinking the same thing, I want to do this and I want to do it as comfortably as possible. My friend is very kind and is planning ridge walks where there is a second, lower option which I can switch to if I need it. I would still prefer to walk it and enjoy it! I love looking at pics taken from altitude and long to be able to stand there and experience it live ... but the truth is all too often I am cowering somewhere, fearful and frustrated and upset, and feel really bad about it after. I will try some gentle exposure therapy before I go though, and I also have the Sarria-Santiago or Camino Ingles (to be determined later) walk before the Lakes too. Out of interest, did you use poles?
You would be amazed to know how many people are afraid, to a greater or lesser degree, of heights in one shape or another. Any walk in our travel books that mention vertigo, exposed or edge is given a wide berth! My husband especially hates edges with "drops" and if, as sometimes happens we do get caught, the best thing is not to look down--at all.i am able NOT to look down but he has a dreadful compulsion to do so and this makes things worse.l have to keep saying"don't look down and put one foot in front of another" like a long playing record. At times all dignity is gone if we have to crawl on all fours or hug the bushes!! Whatever gets us across!! I find however that fear is catching and if one of us loses it,then it becomes dangerous. We have at times slid down the mountain on our bums!! Our oldest daughter was terrified of flying and indeed missed a few flights years ago due to fear. However she reasoned,after a while that if she continued like this that she would never go anywhere or see other counteries. She now flies frequently without loving it but at least she does it. I hope you will love the Lake District. The ridges are pretty wide in most cases.avoid striding edge however. You want to enjoy yourself, not terrify yourself!! Let us know how you get on. BTW have you tried CBT cognitive behaviour therapy? I believe it works wonders for fear of heights.Hi, I have always had an odd fear of (and scary pull towards) edges and don't like being on summits of any kind, no matter how trivial or harmless they are. Apparently this is known as acrophobia, the fear of heights in the sense of being at the highest point. I always thought it was vertigo, but that is a physical thing that makes you lose your balance - still scary though. In short: I get the fear when I should be enjoying the view and taking in the beauty of all things around or below me! Walking over that bridge to Portomarin is the worst part of my repeat Astorga-Santiago walks, to give you an idea. When a pilgrim stopped in that pedestrian lane and blocked my way, my friend and I jumped over to the car lane and she had to hold my hand to get me across. I know it is silly, I know it is irrational, but neither determination nor logic seems to help. And this May I am going walking up the hills and ridges of the Lake District ... because I don't want to accept that I cannot do it! Has anyone got any good advice on how to deal with, treat, lessen, remove or overcome this sort of thing?
I am planning on taking my Pacerpoles for that extra feeling of stability if I get a wobble, plus Kindle and a sitmat in case I can't do it and have to wait it out while my friend goes up to the summit to take photographs. I would rather get up there with her and she is very understanding, but I also don't want to be an absolute nightmare to drag along. When the fear comes on it can be very strong and I freak out until I can sit down somewhere below summit. I know ... not much fun, but it happens, and I would be grateful for any help in tackling it. I have some time and was planning on trying to walk up some smaller summits beforehand. (And I don't believe in homeopathy so those remedies are no good to me.)
Surely I can't be the only one? How do you deal with it?
Even the crag at the beginning of Ennerdale Water is probably worse than anything on the Frances, I imagine?Man the striding edges on Hellvellyn are much scarier than anything on the Camino...
Even the crag at the beginning of Ennerdale Water is probably worse than anything on the Frances, I imagine?
Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention...have no pride. I have been known to crawl on hands and knees or scoot along on my bum.
Glissading sounds so much more respectable, thank you!
And crawling is still crawling.
How's the foot, Meri?
Yay! I'm so glad to read this, Meri! And...what we all take so for granted. Feet, bless them...Foot continues to improve - about to finally post a 'Where did I walk locally today' for an actual walk - am relearning my foot anatomy as the loads come on and the 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments that have been holidaying since the Camino are progressively called back into service.
Yay! I'm so glad to read this, Meri! And...what we all take so for granted. Feet, bless them...
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