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Rock & Ropes course - this was one of the best afternoons that I've had. Basically I was partenerd with Pete and we took it in turns to hold each other on ropes whilst we walked on tight ropes and jumped on to trapeze's. I didn't realise what the course was all about at the beginning and I nearly backed out after we had the introduction! I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to do it and I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to co-ordinate myself well enough to hold Pete whilst he was on the ropes. If Pete was to fall then he would hit the ground if I wasn't doing the blaing right with the ropes - so no pressure at all!
I went up first and walked the tight rope and then walked across the log. We also had to do it all backwards! I was so proud of myself afterwards because I managed to do it without crying or falling off. Although, I have to admit that I did nearly cry a couple of times! The hardest bit was actually climbing up the pole and then letting go of the pole at the top to start the activity.
The instructors then put Pete and I on the trapeze and I was up first. The trapeze is really hard and I'm not sure why they put us on there first because they could see that I was really nervous and a bit unsure doing blaying. However, up the pole i went and I had to stand on the top of the pole (there were no railings or anything!). The instructor was giving me step by step instructions of how to get up on the pole because there was literally nothing around to hold on to. So there I was - stood on this really high pole swaying in the wind and I then had to jump forward in to thin air and catch the trapeze! It took me a couple of minutes to compose myself at the top of the pole and get the strentgh to make myself jump. Everyone counted me down and I actually jumped and I caught the trapeze! I was so proud of myself for making myself jump off of the pole.
The next bit was the best bit - the Skyswing - This is renowned for being scarier than bungying and skydiving. Now I had decided that I wasn't going to do this because you basically climb another really high pole and jump off the platform. You are then swung through the air on a rope. I just knew that I would never be able to make myself actually jump off the platform. The instructor had a rule that once you started climbing up then you had to jump from the top because there was no way that you could climb back down. He said that 4 people had pooed themselves on it and several people had wet themselves because of the fear and the buzz!
A few other people said they would do it and I knew that I would be gutted if I didn't do it, so for some silly reason I agreed to do it! As soon as I stepped foot on the pole, I knew I'd made a mistake but it was too late to turn back because it wasn't allowed. I got to the top and Claire was there waiting for her go and she was literally shaking and crying hysterically! When she jumped it really put the pressure on to me and I knew I would have to do it now! the instructor was up there with me and he got me in the harness and stood me on the edge. He got everyone else lined up on the floor so I would swing right over them and said to me that I just had to hop eoff - easy (not)! I asked him to push me off but he said, no. Anyway, he counted me down and some how (to this day I will still never know how)... I actually jumped off! I was so proud of myself and was truely glad that I did it. We all agreed that it was scarier than skydiving and we were so so proud of ourselves.
I have to say that the instructors were briliant. They knew just how far to push us and how to calm us when we got hysterical! They were genuinely interested in helping us to challange ourselves and succeed in it. I can't really get across how hard the afternoon was for all of us and how much we enjoyed it. I have videos of me doing the trapeze and the skyswing, but you can't really see how scary it is from them. In fact you will probably laugh, but it truely was hugely challenging thing to do. I've put them on my video section now!
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