Dealing with Heights - Page 2

Schnickelfritz · 11-13-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crisis management

there is no dishonour in holding the beer and watching!

Can I git a "amen" up in here, people?

Offcenter · 11-13-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henryroten

High bridges over running water scare the crap out of me as do riding high ridges found here in Utah with steep slopes on each side without guard rails. I get through it, but almost makes me re-route trips to avoid a tense situation.

LOL!!!

I have a close friend who has the same problem. One day a few years back I decided to take him for
a "ride in the country". Since he doesn't know the back roads around here like I do, I very quickly had
him lost and all he could do was follow me. I headed for the Delaware river near central New Jersey.
Over the next few hours I took him on ride that took us back and forth over EVERY bridge that crossed
the Delaware river into Pennsylvania, all the way up into lower New York state. In the middle of every
bridge I'd slow down and yell over the CB, "Hey Steve! Look at the boats!" or "Hey Steve, beautiful
view from here!" He'd yell back "Shutup and keep moving!"

Many of those bridges are so narrow that two cars can barely pass. The Belvidere bridge and the
Dingmans Ferry bridge are just two that come to mind.
By the end of the day he was ready to wring my neck!
He's gotten better since then....but not by much!
These days he has a GPS. If I tried to pull that now, he'd turn around
and go home.

(I have a warped sense of humor)

ibafran · 11-13-2012, 09:30 PM

http://www.wimp.com/mountaintop/

One could watch this vid as a kind of practice in the safety of the arnchair till one got the hang of it?

crofrog · 11-13-2012, 09:53 PM

Take up rock climbing and skiing.

Also is the fear in the fear of the heights themselves or in your ability to control the bike so that it doesn't go off with you on it?

achtung3 · 11-13-2012, 11:16 PM

I have no problem riding or driving or flying, but man! I can not stand on my feet when it comes to height, no tall buildings, cliffs, bridges, ferris wheel, ledges of any kind my legs just goes limp and I get queasy.

ChadHahn · 11-14-2012, 12:10 AM

Years ago I went on a multi-state motorcycle ride with my dad and his friends. One of the stops was at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge outside of Taos. If you haven't been there the bridge is 565 feet above the river. I could barely walk out onto the bridge for photo opportunities but Dad was climbing up on the railing and throwing one leg over and generally freaking me out. I was able to get close enough to the edge of the bridge to stick my camera over and take a picture but then I scurried off.

That day we rode to Mesa Verde and camped. The next day we stopped somewhere in the park for pictures and I hopped up on a wall that was maybe 10 feet high to take some pictures. My dad wouldn't go close to the wall. He said, "I thought you were afraid of heights?" I said that I was but the worse this fall could do would be to break my leg and that I'd rather have a broken leg than die. Dad said that he'd rather die than have a broken leg.

So what I'm saying is that I'm with you. Certain bridges freak me out. I've been on high narrow bridges that scare me driving across in a car. If you add to that the grates that some bridges have that make your wheels float around it can be nerve racking. In Phoenix there are some exchanges on the interstate that are three levels high. I hate driving on those in a car or a bike.

Chad

Crisis management · 11-14-2012, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crofrog

Also is the fear in the fear of the heights themselves or in your ability to control the bike so that it doesn't go off with you on it?

That's a question worth pondering.

DrLewall · 11-14-2012, 05:45 AM

A friend of mine suffered from this also. He told me once that he was crossing the Mississippi River on a grated bridge..he messed up by looking down as he was crossing. He said the road way disappeared and he was riding on air. He said it was the most terrified he had ever been but he got across. He picked another route coming back tho.

This is hard for me to relate to as I have zero fear of heights. I am one to look over the edge just to see how high up I am.

scottrnelson · 11-14-2012, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrLewall

This is hard for me to relate to as I have zero fear of heights. I am one to look over the edge just to see how high up I am.

I'm thinking that this thread should get the subject renamed to "Wusses who are afraid of heights, check in here".

Nice line of S2000's on the bridge. Were you a part of some local club or something (used to own one)?

cafebmw · 11-14-2012, 08:50 AM

I've had inner ear issues my whole life. Started getting more and more vertigo in situations around them. Told my doctor and he sent me to Physical Therapy for Vestibular Rehab. They determined my balance was over reliant on my vision and out of sync with my inner ears. 8+ weeks of vision/balance exercises to help get them back aligned. Still working on it, but surprised how much it has helped. Still don't like bridges, cliffs, etc, but don't loose my balance around them as much as I used to.

Some other good advice in this thread on how to get through it. When in doubt, speed up, a rolling wheel can't fall over

.

PukaWai · 11-14-2012, 04:45 PM

I had what I suppose would be an "average" fear of heights before I started paragliding. After a few flights, no more fear. But then a few years later I flew my paraglider over San Bernardino and managed to climb to about 9000 ft. All of a sudden, for no reason at all, I got scared shitless thinking about me dangling that far off the ground under a glorified diaper and dental floss. It came to me that that was real fear of heights and what I had before was fear of falling. Now I'm an old fart, but still not very afraid of heights - usually. Was coming south along the California coast a few months ago and got real scared looking at the Richmond-San Rafael bridge as I approached it, it just looked so skinny and high. Then after crossing, I wondered what the big deal was.
I think the way to overcome any fear is to push past your comfort zone every day, but just by a little bit!

WeazyBuddha · 11-14-2012, 05:03 PM

I was somewhat afraid of heights then got into spelunking and pretty much was not. I'd ascend, repel, cross bottomless holes with my back on one side and feet on the other, I'd stand on precipices, and cross rock slides (one at a time in case the thing let loose) but now that I'm older I have quite a bit of fear of heights. Oh well. I slow down more than I used to on the motorcycle and have fun. I don't obsess about it much, it is what it is.

EggChaser · 11-14-2012, 10:37 PM

Don't stop and look at what you are scared of for too long. Picked this up while learning to snowboard. If you start by thinking something ahead is bad, those thoughts get magnified in your head if you look at it for too long, much better to understand what your skill level is and make an immediate decision to continue or stop.

Oh and I second the concept of doing other things (such as skiiing etc) that have a height element about them.

Gitana · 11-15-2012, 10:04 AM

I am not overly fond of heights, but I can manage it. My first trip to Moab, we went down Mineral Bottom Switchbacks and I was terrified. You go off the edge, you are going to be severely injured or dead. This isn't my video, but gives a sense of what it was like. I hugged the inside of the road the entire way down. By the end of the trip, I was doing other switchbacks without as much problem. I found I just had to have the mental discipline to stay focused on what was 30' in front of me and to never, ever target fixate on the view.

perterra · 11-15-2012, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cafebmw

I've had inner ear issues my whole life. Started getting more and more vertigo in situations around them. Told my doctor and he sent me to Physical Therapy for Vestibular Rehab. They determined my balance was over reliant on my vision and out of sync with my inner ears. 8+ weeks of vision/balance exercises to help get them back aligned. Still working on it, but surprised how much it has helped. Still don't like bridges, cliffs, etc, but don't loose my balance around them as much as I used to.

Some other good advice in this thread on how to get through it. When in doubt, speed up, a rolling wheel can't fall over

.

Hmmm, I grew up working on roofs, metal buildings and the like and high places were really no issue. Developed some vertigo on high places about 20 years ago, just about the time I had to start wearing glasses. I wonder.

What kind of vision balance exercises do you do?

11-13-2012, 09:30 PM	#18
ibafran villagidiot Joined: Apr 2007 Location: chicagoland Oddometer: 1,168	http://www.wimp.com/mountaintop/ One could watch this vid as a kind of practice in the safety of the arnchair till one got the hang of it? __________________ "beware the grease mud. for therein lies the skid demon."-memory from an old Honda safety pamphlet

11-14-2012, 04:45 PM	#26
PukaWai Studly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2007 Location: Hawaii, So. Cal. Oddometer: 589	I had what I suppose would be an "average" fear of heights before I started paragliding. After a few flights, no more fear. But then a few years later I flew my paraglider over San Bernardino and managed to climb to about 9000 ft. All of a sudden, for no reason at all, I got scared shitless thinking about me dangling that far off the ground under a glorified diaper and dental floss. It came to me that that was real fear of heights and what I had before was fear of falling. Now I'm an old fart, but still not very afraid of heights - usually. Was coming south along the California coast a few months ago and got real scared looking at the Richmond-San Rafael bridge as I approached it, it just looked so skinny and high. Then after crossing, I wondered what the big deal was. I think the way to overcome any fear is to push past your comfort zone every day, but just by a little bit! __________________ "Le bonheur est un voyage, pas une destination"

11-14-2012, 05:03 PM	#27
WeazyBuddha Carbon-Based Humanoid Joined: Mar 2008 Location: RGV Texas Oddometer: 2,711	I was somewhat afraid of heights then got into spelunking and pretty much was not. I'd ascend, repel, cross bottomless holes with my back on one side and feet on the other, I'd stand on precipices, and cross rock slides (one at a time in case the thing let loose) but now that I'm older I have quite a bit of fear of heights. Oh well. I slow down more than I used to on the motorcycle and have fun. I don't obsess about it much, it is what it is. __________________ 08 GS ● 02 KLR ● 12 WR250R ● 04 KDX200 ● 00 VFR

11-15-2012, 10:04 AM	#29
Gitana A work in progress Joined: Feb 2009 Location: 8442' Nederland, CO Oddometer: 5,390	I am not overly fond of heights, but I can manage it. My first trip to Moab, we went down Mineral Bottom Switchbacks and I was terrified. You go off the edge, you are going to be severely injured or dead. This isn't my video, but gives a sense of what it was like. I hugged the inside of the road the entire way down. By the end of the trip, I was doing other switchbacks without as much problem. I found I just had to have the mental discipline to stay focused on what was 30' in front of me and to never, ever target fixate on the view. __________________ Anne “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.” - William Gibson "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. - Katharine Hepburn 2008 WR250R \| 2008 DL650

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11-13-2012, 09:53 PM	#19
crofrog Beastly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Annapolis Maryland Oddometer: 1,376	Take up rock climbing and skiing. Also is the fear in the fear of the heights themselves or in your ability to control the bike so that it doesn't go off with you on it?

11-13-2012, 11:16 PM	#20
achtung3 Studly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2010 Location: Central Coast California Oddometer: 671	I have no problem riding or driving or flying, but man! I can not stand on my feet when it comes to height, no tall buildings, cliffs, bridges, ferris wheel, ledges of any kind my legs just goes limp and I get queasy.

11-14-2012, 12:10 AM	#21
ChadHahn Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2010 Location: Tucson, AZ Oddometer: 178	Years ago I went on a multi-state motorcycle ride with my dad and his friends. One of the stops was at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge outside of Taos. If you haven't been there the bridge is 565 feet above the river. I could barely walk out onto the bridge for photo opportunities but Dad was climbing up on the railing and throwing one leg over and generally freaking me out. I was able to get close enough to the edge of the bridge to stick my camera over and take a picture but then I scurried off. That day we rode to Mesa Verde and camped. The next day we stopped somewhere in the park for pictures and I hopped up on a wall that was maybe 10 feet high to take some pictures. My dad wouldn't go close to the wall. He said, "I thought you were afraid of heights?" I said that I was but the worse this fall could do would be to break my leg and that I'd rather have a broken leg than die. Dad said that he'd rather die than have a broken leg. So what I'm saying is that I'm with you. Certain bridges freak me out. I've been on high narrow bridges that scare me driving across in a car. If you add to that the grates that some bridges have that make your wheels float around it can be nerve racking. In Phoenix there are some exchanges on the interstate that are three levels high. I hate driving on those in a car or a bike. Chad

11-14-2012, 05:45 AM	#23
DrLewall . Joined: Aug 2008 Location: Drakes Creek, AR Oddometer: 23,769	A friend of mine suffered from this also. He told me once that he was crossing the Mississippi River on a grated bridge..he messed up by looking down as he was crossing. He said the road way disappeared and he was riding on air. He said it was the most terrified he had ever been but he got across. He picked another route coming back tho. This is hard for me to relate to as I have zero fear of heights. I am one to look over the edge just to see how high up I am.

11-14-2012, 08:50 AM	#25
cafebmw Adventurer Joined: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago Oddometer: 26	I've had inner ear issues my whole life. Started getting more and more vertigo in situations around them. Told my doctor and he sent me to Physical Therapy for Vestibular Rehab. They determined my balance was over reliant on my vision and out of sync with my inner ears. 8+ weeks of vision/balance exercises to help get them back aligned. Still working on it, but surprised how much it has helped. Still don't like bridges, cliffs, etc, but don't loose my balance around them as much as I used to. Some other good advice in this thread on how to get through it. When in doubt, speed up, a rolling wheel can't fall over .

11-14-2012, 10:37 PM	#28
EggChaser Studly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2008 Location: Hamsphire/Surrey Borders Oddometer: 536	Don't stop and look at what you are scared of for too long. Picked this up while learning to snowboard. If you start by thinking something ahead is bad, those thoughts get magnified in your head if you look at it for too long, much better to understand what your skill level is and make an immediate decision to continue or stop. Oh and I second the concept of doing other things (such as skiiing etc) that have a height element about them.