Jump… AARRGGHH
Current Mood:
Esctatic
I’m standing on a ledge looking down, trying desperately hard to get the two guys who are next to me voices out of my head… They are telling me that my “harness isn’t on correctly” and that my “connection carabiner doesn’t look too good, but what the heck go anyway!” or that my “Harness is worn and will be replaced after my jump!”. All the time adding more scares to your jump…
The blokes up here ‘helping’ you, are like bloody executioners at the gallows, they stand there and gloat about how they are safe but we (being me!) are going to crash and burn…Â Why oh why did I pay these guys to help me jump off a ledge towards a canyon floor a few hundred feet below!
It was really great seeing the river running wild below me, but looking down was a mistake that turned my legs to jelly.
I’m wrapped in terror, so I can only pretend to laugh at the two blokes humor. I watched the first guy take a screaming backwards jump into a 60 metre freefall and then a 200 metre arc (that still feels like you are falling) through the canyon.
It’s basically a bungy jump with the added thrill of a big swing at the bottom to add a big “Wheee!” to relieve the “Aieee!” experienced in the freefall, no quick snap back, no dislodged retinas, just a huge adrenaline rush that puts the bodies natural levels through the roof.Â
“Just step up and stand with your toes on the edge and jump back” the bloke says again.
Totally confident that the cable holding me will keep me from splatting upon impact with the rocks below, I wanted to come out here on this ledge, look into the camera with a stern and somewhat bored face, turn and just jump off. I didn’t want to conquer my fear, I wanted to take the piss out of it!
But all my life, they tell you not to jump off high places, so I’m stuck here like my feet have been nailed into the floor and I can’t pull them up no matter what I do!
“The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to get.” Somehow, this time the message gets through and I know he’s right. I take a giant jump back! AARRGGHHHHHHHHHHH
The fall was unbelievably cool and I gently go into the arc, the scenary around me is now coming back from warp speed and at last I can take it all it… I say a few obscenities and then I’m back to the platform! Another go, er, yes please!
This time I do an Elvis Cutaway and I’m suspended on my back once again above the canyon, looking back over my shoulder I can see the cliff and part of the canyon floor. Whoosh, there it is again, but this time a lot, lot closer! I love this feeling but will I do a third, erm, no thanks, I’m all adrenalined out for the day! Cheers to the guys for an awesome time, and yes, you really did shit me up!!!
Monday, April 23rd 2007 at 6:32 pm
Quality mate, superb
Thursday, April 26th 2007 at 4:44 am
That looked smart mate!!!! Now feeling quite envious and in severe need of an adrenaline rush……strange how driving to work, diy and eating sarahs cooking doesn’t give you the same buzz….. actually sarahs cooking can but still!!!!!!!
The whole New Zealand thing looks great and it good to see the vid’s your posting!
Back here in the motherland things are not quite so interesting!! You’ll be pleased to know I have stripped all the wallpaper from the hallway – upstairs+down and have painted a good 90% now in final coat!!! Yup that nice looking border and textured wallpaper is gone forever!Work is pretty good at the moment, I have finally employed another person following on from the fiasco at the beginning of the year and will soon have a full team for the first time!!!! Not that interesting I know but tough I’ve told you now anyway!
Slowly getting there with this vista thing….. tried to make a video the other day, put photos, small vid clips together with some music (bit like your snowboarding videos!) absolute shite….I ahve no talent for it at all, I was very proud though showed sarah who responded “Thats short and you’ve only pasted video clips you already had together!!!!!!!” I was gutted and now truely understand some of the issues you have when dvd creating!!!
Take care
Speak soon
Steve
No joke today but heard this at work and nearly pissed myself (had to act responsible!!!!) “Had a course going on this week and a member of staff was doing the exam paper at the end! Put his hand up and then just spouted…”This question on are you taking any medication. Does caniston cream on your knob count?……….