Hi Titan abseilers past/present/potential – I thought as I’m doing my first abseil from the Clydebank Crane this Saturday 1st August I would post a two-part blog entry on what it’s like. So, here’s what’s going through my mind at the moment, having promised my life away.
1) The Titan Crane is very high. 150ft isn’t much – just over 45m I think, but when you’re up on the crane it’s a bit isolated and if there’s a breeze you really feel it. Looking down you will see the waters of the Clyde and the concrete of the quayside and it’s only when you realise those tiny things are people that your body realises you are not on the ground like a sensible human.
2) The main thing will be getting over the railing and leaning back into the ropes. That sounds pretty simple… right? Except that I can tell already that I’m going to almost totally freeze up and every movement will be hard. This is because the Titan crane is very high.
3) Once I trust the ropes and the lovely people at Glagow Climbing Centre, it might even be fun. I am trying to convince myself of this. Hanging in mid-air could be like a really big version of a rope swing. Right?
4) The money I raise will be changing someone’s life. It sounds cheesy, but when forcing yourself to fall off something very big against all natural instincts, it can be a good mantra to repeat. Time spent on www.enable.org.uk does make me feel slightly more justified in my craziness.
5) If I do this, I will definitely get bought a few drinks afterwards, I’ll know that I can get past being scared of things and take rewarding risks, and maybe I will stop being nominated in that stupid ‘Compare People’ application on Facebook as the least brave of my friends.
This is the plan anyway. Part II to follow on Monday.
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