The fear of heights is completely natural, but should not keep you from having fun. At Raft One, we encourage our guests to conquer their fears, and take that bold, daring step off the zip-line ledge! It is impossible to enjoy the thrill of ziplining on the ground, so if you are ready to put your worries to rest and get a bird’s eye view of Georgia’s beautiful back country, heed this advice.
Tips for Fighting Your Fear of Heights
The age-old technique of not looking down is a foolish approach. The only way to get over a fear is to face it head on, so suck it up and spend a few moments gazing down below. Instead of a scary monster, you will be afforded memorable views of the Appalachian-Blue Ridge forest. You would be doing yourself a huge disservice by closing your eyes on the zip line!
Stairs are in place on every ziplining base ledge to facilitate the weight transfer process. Keep this in mind when approaching the launching platform as a lot of people tend to forget and succumb to the pre-jump jitters! Remember, the steps have to stop at some point, but try not to focus on falling. Instead, concentrate on the security of the zip line and remind yourself that nothing will happen. These devices are rated to support hundreds of pounds of weight with ease and are extremely durable.
A quick and easy breathing exercise can do wonders at calming your nerves, especially if you are a person prone to bouts of anxiety. Take a few long, deep breaths and count to 10 as you slowly inhale and exhale. This will automatically decrease your heart rate and get your body back to a state of ease.
Communicating with your fellow jumpers is a great way to alleviate stress and tension as well as make some pretty cool friends in the process! If you are still having troubles getting over the height hurdle, talk to your tour guide. The staff at Raft One have helped thousands of people make it past their ziplining and whitewater rafting fears.
Interested in additional back country adventures? Check out Raft One’s mountain biking tours and bike rentals.