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Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:40 am
by ospreysfan
Just stated getting into hill walking. I have found myself becoming mega nervous with heights so it's a great way of pushing myself and getting over it.

I have only been out a few times but love the way everyone seems so friendly up on the hills.

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:04 pm
by David.Ferguson
Hi

Welcome.Pretty new to this myself.I have the same height issues. :o
I was on Ben Vane last Friday and even some of the small scrambly bits are a challenge
for me.We will overcome. :)

David.

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:26 pm
by ospreysfan
Hi David,

Hoping to go up ben vane and maybe ben vorlich this saturday, fingers crossed will have some good weather!

Do you find it easier with heights the more you do? First time I went up the cobbler i was a nervous wreck!

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:48 pm
by skuk007
ospreysfan wrote:Do you find it easier with heights the more you do? First time I went up the cobbler i was a nervous wreck!

Hi and welcome to the site.
When you say "went up the Cobbler" do you mean right to the top? If so then I think there are a lot more people out there with height issues. :)

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:53 pm
by ospreysfan
No not yet!

First time my whole world started spinning just coming up the steep section going to the east(?) coll. This time I managed to get up without any real worries and went up onto the central peak. I would love to go right up on the peak to the left but I know that is kinda well out of my comfort zone at the moment!

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:58 pm
by skuk007
You and me both.
I was in that area not too long ago and was really excited about going to the Cobbler to see how difficult threading the needle actually was. Unfortunately I didn't actually get there this time but I promised myself I would visit again as soon as I could. I would like to think the more Munro's I do the more I would get used to being up high, and then the Cobbler will be "simples"! :lol:

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:04 pm
by ospreysfan
ha ha well Im wondering if I found it easy on the weekend because of the poor viz, that might be my answer... if I cant see the drop then no worries!

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:21 pm
by David.Ferguson
Hi

I have only done Lomond,Vorlich and Vane so not much experience to draw on.I have a lot ahead of me
so fingers crossed it does indeed become less of an issue.Then again a bit of fear is sometimes not
a bad thing.Healthy respect i would call it. :)


David.

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:55 pm
by Freewheelin
... my fear of heights ain't gettin' any better
:shock:

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:38 am
by gillhowatson
I was overcome with vertigo watching Nicholas Crane doing Inaccessible Pinnacle on the telly!! I am hoping that experience will bring more confidence with heights. I am fine as long as there is no danger of me falling off anything. Fortunately, there seem to be enough walks with reasonable paths and broadish ridges to keep me going for now. Good to hear it's not just me that has height issues.
Best Wishes
Gillian

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:39 am
by walk aboot
Hi Ospreyfan and David

Your fear of heights does get better :D . My first Munro, Ben Vane was nerve-wracking (felt dizzy, etc.), but now I only really get scared at sheer drop, too exposed scarey bits.

I found walking with friends helped when I first started hillwalking - chatting is a good distraction, and at times, a helping hand from a mate is all it takes to coax you across or up a bit you're not so keen on.

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:43 pm
by ospreysfan
Thanks for that, I'm kinda feeling it better every time too. Hoping to go up either Ben Vane or Vorlich this Saturday, is Ben Vane as craggy as the OS map suggests?!

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:25 pm
by skuk007
Hi Ospreyfan,

I did Ben Vane a few weeks ago when the sun was around. Did it from the road/path just after the bridge over the river. There is a good path which goes right to the top and if memory serves me right there were about 3 scrambly bits through the crags, nearer the top, where I had to use my hands to pull myself up. I am not a scrambler by any means but I found them relatively straightforward, with no sheer drops!

Good luck, I hope the weather clears up for you!

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:25 am
by ospreysfan
Thanks for the advice!

Really looking forward to this Saturday now. Quite enjoyed the cobbler and Ben Ime in spite of the weather last weekend so it wont put me off saturday. :D

Re: Hi all!

PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 10:30 pm
by mountain coward
Yaaaay!! another mountain coward like me! :D I've got slightly better with heights/steepness over the years but still have bad years. I get worse by the end of a long trip to a challenging area - like the 'vertigo' stacks up somehow, and I also get worse if I don't keep in practice and push myself to do challenging stuff once in a while. It's hard for me to get the balance right in fact, but I have definitely improved with experience and am better in familiar areas like the Lake District but worse in areas I don't know, i.e. Munroing... Hope you find things getting easier anyway... :)