Watchlords

So, I'm settling in after travel and organizing photos and figuring out how I want to compile all the shots, and I come on these photos and a corresponding video. I'd posted most of these stills to Facebook withing a day or so of doing this, but haven't put this on any forum, yet, and I wanted to show you folks.

And: the video was just uploaded to Youtube moments ago.

The Fuxi Mountain Glass Bridge was a real challenge for me. It's the longest circular glass bridge in the world, and it extends out 30meters (almost 100ft), at 360meters (1180ft) height.

I climbed cliffs as a kid, but sometime in my early 20s had a single but very close free climbing near-fall from about 400ft up that kinda left a lasting impression on me. My apprehension got steadily worse, to the point that as I got to my mid-30s I couldn't even approach the rail on a 5th floor apartment balcony, or within 10ft of the edge of a stable cliff. And, on my travels I've missed a lot of great shots due to fear at the edges of stuff. That's at least 30 years of being paralyzingly afraid.



I took the video after about 10 minutes on the bridge. It took me more than 2 minutes just to step foot on the glass, first time.











As you can see, a lot of folks stick to the edges...











So, I've tested myself since. Hopefully, the phobia is turfed. For the rest of my trip, and since, I've been on balconies, tall building tops, railings and such--and just haven't felt the panic.

You're a braver man than I, Ron. No fucking way I'd walk out onto a sheet of glass over a fucking valley or whatnot.

Nice shots, though.

conjurer wrote:You're a braver man than I, Ron. No fucking way I'd walk out onto a sheet of glass over a fucking valley or whatnot.

Nice shots, though.

It was a fun day, John. If you ever get up this way, there's evidently a pretty impressive glass bridge in Jasper, also almost 1000 feet up, over a glacier. But I guess that'd count as being "over...whatnot"

I was so absorbed by where I was and what I was doing, though, that I completely forgot my 360º camera--and that was a shame.

Beautiful shots and video. You got balls. I'm a chicken shit like John.


Fuxi that Fuxing bridge.


Do you get to keep the swell kicks??

Thanks for sharing vid and great pic AT.

Never had a fear of heights until I hit about 45.

Not so much a phobia but more of a realization of risks I probably should not be taking.

Recently climbed a couple of fire towers in the Appalachia mountains and could tell I was holding on tight, where when I climbed the same towers in my 20's thought nothing of it.

Kudos for getting onto the glass - not sure that I could do it.

Wow - well-done, Ron!

I have no issues with high altitudes, et. al., however, I do have an unshakable concern over smashing into the ground from the high altitudes of which I’m not afraid...

foghorn wrote:Do you get to keep the swell kicks??

Nope but they don't exactly track 'em, so I probably could have. Ya just grab 'em out of a box, and put them away later.