Vertigo moments

[king tut]

I'll put this thread out there, so as not to hijack another thread.

Anybody have any stories about trails that have scared them out of their minds? Trails that are extremely steep, sketchy, exposed.

 

[sweeper]

Not in the East, but bushwacking the knob on the north side of Mt Princeton I got into some pretty hairy stuff coming down on the east side. After a couple of retreats upwards I finally found a set of sheep tracks and followed them across some narrow side slopes with server drops. I did a lot of sitting trying to calm myself and just keep moving slow and not try to hurry.

I guess Bushwach is not the right term when you're above timberline.

 

[hikingfish]

These simple words: Early Exit out of Trap Dyke

Going up the dyke was quite something, but the holds were there and were solid. If you just concentrate on doing the moves and getting up there, you were fine. But those early slabs after an early exit were rather scary to say the least.

Fish

 

[blacknblue]

I slipped while descending Six Husbands in a dark, cold rain and was literally hanging onto a root with one hand while the rest of me was dangling over a ledge/cliff. Not the best moment. There's also one section of Huntington Ravine where it's slabby and easy to lost your footing. Other than that, I've had a few sketchy moments out West, but nothing too bad back East. (I've save those stories, though, since this is a Northeast forum!)

 

[jfb]

I can think of a few scary descents after doing some rock climbs, but the one that was probably the most scary was on Middle Teton. After climbing up the Southeast Buttress route, my partner and I unroped and descended into the notch between the south and north (higher) summit to a rappel station. The climbing into the notch was probably 3rd class and from the rappel station (above an overhanging section) we couldn't see where the rappel would end. We inspected the pitons and slings and replaced the oldest sling with one of ours. We doubled up our single rope and threw the ends down, only to find that the ends were blown out at about a 30 degree angle from vertical because of the wind in the notch. I went down first and fortunately the ropes were long enough to reach the ground at the bottom of the notch. Here's a link to somebody else's trip report. You can barely make out the notch in the top photo: Middle Teton

 

[sapblatt]

Some of the worry me just by reading the guide book...Huntington, Flume slide, North Tri, Madison Gulf, Great Gully etc.
The on the one I did...Caps Ridge was actually quite easy and doable (after I threw my 5' 8" frame onto the first Cap like a tailback! The only real vertigo I ever experienced was here...was on the outcropping on Bondcliff when I peered over the edge...I dove back in a hurry.

 

[marty]

Great thread, King Tut. My only hiking vertigo moment was when I took an errant right turn descending the Owl's Head Slide in the pouring rain. Came out to a narrow shelf, with a steep drop below. As there was nothing to get a hand hold and going back up didn't look inviting either, I decided to sit on my butt and use my hands to brake me. I was ashamed that I let myself get stuck like that.

Aside from that, I got vertigo once going up the ladder to clean the gutters in the back of my house. It's about a 30-35 foot climb. Although it never bothered me before, this time I froze on the ladder for a few minutes until I slowly decended. Must be middle age. I now outsource that job.......

 

[Rugger]

I usually do not have a problem when I am there, however the night after a steep/drop off encounter, I get sick just thinking about what could have been, especially if my family was there too.

 

[MikePS]

Of course Knife edge, but I also found a couple of interesting spots desceding Mansfield in Vt and Cathedral in BSP. The Slide on OJI is also heart pumping, nice to have new soles on that walk Good luck and have fun!

 

[carole]

Not sure if this is vertigo, but have been in places that can make my stomach knot up. This is usually not from where I am but from where someone else it standing/moving and the feeling that they may fall (mother instinct?). I've also been in a few places that my knees can start shaking and it takes real mind over matter to just breath and keep moving. Then on looking back I say, 'that wasn't so bad.' Example: The first time I did the ledges on Whiteface I wanted to quit but have been back many times since and wonder what all my fuss was about.

 

[anita514]

I was pretty scared my first time on huntington.
more recently, I got a good scare on mammoth mt in cali. we were on a loose scree slope and it was at least 55-60degrees. the scree was so unstable, I had to 'run' up the last steep part of the headwall to get to the summit plateau. I ended up losing a pole, but topped out laughing. most fun I've ever had

 

[giggy]

I will second the first time on huntington jitters. not too bad - but a couple of spots you think - don't want to take a dive here. and one of the persons I was with has a panic attack - that kind of put a damper on things. We litterly has to move his feet for him from below. this won't happen to most people - not scaring anyone here. this guy just didn't belong on this trail.

But second time - piece of cake.

doing six husbands for the first time tommorow - we see if that fits the bill.

 

[king tut]

I tend to not like exposed, steep trails. Well, i guess i do like em, they just kinda scare me sometimes. Back a few years ago, my fear of heights was worse than it is now. The trails that have scared me the most-

1.the knife edge- not too much tough climbing, but looking straight down 2,000 feet kinda tweeks me a little. There's a spot 60 percent of the way from Baxter to Pamola where you go sideways across the face of the cliff and the path is about 3 feet wide, then drops off. I spent a couple minutes frozen there, deciding what to do.

2.the precipice in acadia- This is a lot of fun, but climbing the rungs and skirting the cliffs can be nerve racking. The first time i did it, there were plenty of slow people in front of me, so that meant a lot of time standing on ledges and looking down w/out moving. If you do the climb at a moderate speed, it's fine. If you have to wait and look and think, that's when the fear factor kicks in.

I don't know if there are many skiiers here, but i used to ski at sugarbush in VT back when i was in college, and they have the chair that goes in between the two mt areas. There is a point in between where you cross the valley and the chair is a couple hundred feet above the ground. always made me dizzy.

 

[Peakbagr]

One of Dix's really mossy, wet, greasy west-facing slides did it for 3 of us one time. Long, wet fingers of slippery algae. We were jumping from dry spot to dry spot for hundreds of vertical feet in a steep part of the slide.
I still shudder to think about what a slip would rusulted in.

 

[dave.m]

I'm not sure any of these got me super scared (not like climbing does) but they have been attention getters, so to speak.

The fan and chimney on Huntington Ravine Trail
The crux on Great Gulf Trail in King Ravine (fun with a full pack)
Subway on Mansfield (hey, who brought that ladder?)
Last pitch of the Mountaineer's Route on Whitney

Actually, the most gripped with fear I've been in the mountains was skiing in Tucks and climbing up the bottom part of the Chute in alpine ski boots. Shadow crossed the line and turned the snow to ice while I was 1/2 way up. I was pretty sure I was going to take a slide into the rocks and shrubs during the last 20 feet of climbing to a point where I could get my skis on.

In general, sloped slabs scare me more than vertical drops.

Oh yes.... I recently found out that slopping linseed oil on cedar gutters is a not so good idea when you're on a high aluminum ladder. *THAT* little ladder slip scared me!

 

[DougPaul]

Fear of exposure is quite rational but can usually be reduced through training and focus.

We used to teach beginning rock climbers (and I was taught) not to look down beyond their feet. When you must look down at your feet, focus on them and ignore anything below. And the rest of the time look at the route ahead, etc.

Also the exact terrain below can have an effect--if you can see the wall down for a good distance, it is often scarier than if you can only see a bit of the wall near you (and the rest is hidden by that bit). (Most people can look down from an airplane without fear, probably because they don't feel a connection to the ground.)

Many even get sufficiently used the the exposure that they enjoy the view down.

I personally feel much less bothered by exposure when I am roped to a good secure anchor...

Doug

 

[giggy]

exactly dougpaul - when ice climbing - I am never that nervous due to the theorectical protection.

I should have mentioned this one earlier - I soloed south gully in huntington last winter and that (while not hard technically) got the hairs on my back raised - no doubt.

 

[Klutz]

I tend to not like exposed, steep trails. Well, i guess i do like em, they just kinda scare me sometimes. Back a few years ago, my fear of heights was worse than it is now. The trails that have scared me the most-

1.the knife edge- not too much tough climbing, but looking straight down 2,000 feet kinda tweeks me a little. There's a spot 60 percent of the way from Baxter to Pamola where you go sideways across the face of the cliff and the path is about 3 feet wide, then drops off. I spent a couple minutes frozen there, deciding what to do.

2.the precipice in acadia- This is a lot of fun, but climbing the rungs and skirting the cliffs can be nerve racking. The first time i did it, there were plenty of slow people in front of me, so that meant a lot of time standing on ledges and looking down w/out moving. If you do the climb at a moderate speed, it's fine. If you have to wait and look and think, that's when the fear factor kicks in.

I don't know if there are many skiiers here, but i used to ski at sugarbush in VT back when i was in college, and they have the chair that goes in between the two mt areas. There is a point in between where you cross the valley and the chair is a couple hundred feet above the ground. always made me dizzy.

Boy do I hear you there! The first time up Cathedral Ledge in Baxter scared the b-jesus outta me.....I "made" my then boyfriend, now husband, hold me at times. I was litterly shaking, by the time we got to the table lands we had no choice but to head back down through the Saddle trail. I thought my fears were done for the day...NOT! Well that was a long day, we didn't get back to Roaring Brook till, I think it was somewhere between 8-9 at night. The second try up to Katahdin, when I got scared, was on the gravelly section on the Saddle, I was still shaking, but not as bad as on the Cathedral trail. Just have a really hard time when there's nothing to stop the fall but a bunch of rocks! Or an edge of a cliff.

 

[rhihn]

Not much in the Adirondacks that I can think of. I got a minor "twinge" of anxiety on one spot on the Beckhorn on Dix on a windy day. Also descending Colden to the lake. There is a slab near the top with a drop to a narrow ledge which gave me pause. The real twinge I got was hiking in Switzerland this summer. Some of the trails hugged the side of a mountain, curving up and around rock faces, lots of loose scree -- and the trail was only about 18 inches wide, and nothing but deep gorge on the other side! The worst of these spots were equipped with chains to hold on to, but not all of them. I dealt with them much better as the trip went on, but I never got totally used to them.

I haven't done the knife edge, but I would imagine it's worse, as the drop-off is on both sides!

 

[TCD]

rhihn,

I was hiking in Switzerland this summer, too, in the Bernese Oberland (Eiger country). Where were you?

Great place to hike. All our trails were relatively exposure free, but as a climber, I'm used to severe exposure.

But for some odd reason, if exposure bothers me, it always seems to be when I'm following a route. I get a vertiginous feeling looking up at the rope above me. Leading, and even soloing, I seem to be more focused on the climbing.

Anyone ever hike the Eagle Creek trail on the Columbia River out west? That's got some severe exposure for a hiking trail!

TCD