Heights and the fear of

[NCC1701]

I'm thinking about the AT next year. Biggest concern is my fear of heights. I have had a fear of heights since childhood. Gradual sloping high peaks I can handle, but drop offs are a terror. So looking off a high building or (for example) standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon would be difficult. I get a falling sensation. Does the AT have any places where there is a 2 foot ledge that falls down 1000 feet or anything like that? If so where is it so I can find a picture and see if I can handle it. I realize there are high mountain ranges/altitude. That's not the problem. Its the shear drop offs. Thanks.

[illabelle]

I sympathize. If I've been hiking somewhere that has drop-offs, that evening at home in my bed while I'm beginning to fall asleep my mind will randomly review the scenes of the day. In the semi-conscious state I have experienced that falling sensation many times. To get past it, I open my eyes, look at the wall, the window, and tell myself I'm safe, I'm not going to fall.

I have hiked almost 80% of the trail now, in every state, and have completed some of the more difficult sections including Katahdin and the White Mountains. There are a few places that don't feel good, but they're short, and you generally have the option of not walking near the edge. Most of the trail has so much vegetation, especially trees, that I don't often feel like I'm going to free-fall off a cliff. Fall injuries are more common on the trail itself from slipping, tripping, or overreaching.

Is your fear greater than mine? Less? I don't know. I do know that there's nothing out there on the AT that I can't handle. I suspect it will be the same for you.

[NCC1701]

Great. I kinda thought that if there were dramatic drop offs along the trail I would have seen pics of them somewhere or heard stories about them but thought I would check. Thanks for the reply.

[jj dont play]

Also have a fear of heights, after about a month on the trail I became “numb” to my fears. To tired too fearful, ain’t nobody got time for that! Heights,bears, snakes, whatever just didn’t bother me. I hoped this attitude would remain but once I got back home and settled in to the real world again the fears returned haha


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[John B]

I'm terrified of heights. I didn't care at all for Tinker Cliffs in VA. Some of the log bridges made me uncomfortable (a single log across a stream, a few of which were 4-6' above the water), but I used my hiking poles and did ok (no falls).

I can't speak for places further north of VA because I've only sectioned GA - VA. I've seen pics of a few places where iron rods are driven in rock and you kinda climb up like a ladder.

[putts]

I have the same fear of sheer drop offs. Tried bungee jumping years ago and that sure as ***** didn't help. There is no place on the actual trail footpath (ME-GA) where vertigo was an issue for me.

[illabelle]

Below are pictured three memorable spots on the AT.
1. McAfee Knob is a very well known and much-photographed dramatic view of the Shenandoah Valley. Many google images exist of people standing or sitting on the thin little edge of the rock overhang. The AT goes by this spot, but you don't have to walk out to the edge. When we were there, we stood a few feet back on the thicker rock.

2. Dragon's Tooth is a series of pointy near vertical rocks on a Virginia ridge sticking up 30 or 40' from the ground. Again, the AT goes nearby. You don't have to scale this thing. I didn't. (It looks like fun, but I don't feel that I have the strength and agility).

3. Crazzzy spot on the Hunt Trail climbing Katahdin, what most would probably say is the hairiest part of the climb. You emerge from tree cover to face a wall of rock. Follow the white blazes, easy as pie - they say! Just out of view in this photo is an iron bar. Step up on those smaller rocks at your feet, reach the bar, swing your right foot up to an iron hook, haul yourself up and over the bar. Much easier when you can watch the person ahead of you. Unlike examples 1 and 2, this one is unavoidable if you want to hike the AT.

[tdoczi]

on franconia ridge in the whites you walk on a somewhat narrow flat top of a ridge for awhile with fairly dramatic slops in either direction that i wouldnt want to roll down. but no sheer drops.

actually, from the roughly 2/3rds of the trail ive seen so far, the smokies north of newfound gap comes to the closet to being a place with a sheer drop off close by. but thats not that close.

now places where you feel like you might fall 5 feet and/or take a nasty tumble and go head over heels and break your leg? those are countless in the whites and western maine, as well as a few other spots.

[TwoSpirits]

Below are pictured three memorable spots on the AT.
1. McAfee Knob is a very well known and much-photographed dramatic view of the Shenandoah Valley. Many google images exist of people standing or sitting on the thin little edge of the rock overhang. The AT goes by this spot, but you don't have to walk out to the edge. When we were there, we stood a few feet back on the thicker rock.

2. Dragon's Tooth is a series of pointy near vertical rocks on a Virginia ridge sticking up 30 or 40' from the ground. Again, the AT goes nearby. You don't have to scale this thing. I didn't. (It looks like fun, but I don't feel that I have the strength and agility).

3. Crazzzy spot on the Hunt Trail climbing Katahdin, what most would probably say is the hairiest part of the climb. You emerge from tree cover to face a wall of rock. Follow the white blazes, easy as pie - they say! Just out of view in this photo is an iron bar. Step up on those smaller rocks at your feet, reach the bar, swing your right foot up to an iron hook, haul yourself up and over the bar. Much easier when you can watch the person ahead of you. Unlike examples 1 and 2, this one is unavoidable if you want to hike the AT.

I too have a fear of heights when around steep drop-offs, cliffs, etc., and I have a fair amount of hesitation when planning sections because I'm afraid of encountering a situation that I can't handle.... But here's the thing: whenever I have encountered an edge, or a ledge, or a climb or descent that seems steep and scary or whatever, I've been okay. That's not to say that I haven't felt some fear (and that a few choice words about the trail builders haven't crossed my lips, as well as prayers to God to please don't let me die), but I haven't been crippled by the fear. I take my time. I tackle the problem like a problem: slowly & deliberately, and I my imagination has to take a back seat. And then I'm past it.

A lot easier to say than to imagine doing, I know.

If it helps at all, I've been up, over, and back down that particular spot on Katahdin pictured in #3. It was somewhat physically challenging (it's been a long time since I've climbed around on a playground), but that very few feet of climbing was far more of a challenge than dealing with the height. The height is really a non-issue. Coming back down is a little awkward and will feel scary, but you'll do it.

As someone else mentioned, it's the simple trips, falls, and stumbles over practically flat ground that can end or interupt your trip. Always always always pay attention to your footing, and when you want to take in the amazing beauty all around (and below) you, just make sure you've stopped walking first!

Have a great hike!

[tagg]

I don't know, the guys in A Walk in the Woods fell off a cliff somewhere in the south and surely would have died had they not landed on a fortuitous ledge below. So you need to look out for that spot.

[illabelle]

I don't know, the guys in A Walk in the Woods fell off a cliff somewhere in the south and surely would have died had they not landed on a fortuitous ledge below. So you need to look out for that spot.

LOL
I seem to remember that scene from the movie and thought it was kinda dumb. It wasn't in the book, was it?

[NJdreamer]

I thought Knifes Edge in PA was scary. I went southbound and was alone on the rocks when I backpacked it. I had to do parts on my butt, not walk it, out of fear, but was able to keep myself moving. It helped that it was getting dark, and I did not want to be on the rocks in the dark. Can anyone comment about how Knifes Edge and other places noted above compare to the white AT trail at Lehigh Gap? (I am aware there is a winter blue trail.) Thanks.

[Dan Roper]

I have a fear of heights, but I haven't encountered anything remotely frightening on the AT from Springer Mountain to the Grayson Highlands in Virginia, which is about a fourth of the trail.

Some of the places mentioned here - like the Sawteeth north of Newfound Gap - aren't frightening. Albert Mountain usually gets a nod in "fear of heights" discussions, but it isn't bad. There is a small stretch of trail south of Albert (just north of Mooney Gap) that does hug the edge of a remarkably steep drop-off, but abundant trees and bushes between you and the nearby edge prevent any real fear, at least in the leaf-out seasons.

The only height thing that's ever bothered me on the southern AT was climbing the steps of fire towers, like at Shuckstack and Albert Mountain, so mostly I didn't do it.

[MuddyWaters]

Great. I kinda thought that if there were dramatic drop offs along the trail I would have seen pics of them somewhere or heard stories about them but thought I would check. Thanks for the reply.

There are innumerable spots that might be 20-100 ft down when 18" - wide trail sidehills a mountain. Its like driving the car in one lane with another car coming the opposite way at a 120 combined mph just 5 feet away from you . You get immune to it.

And most people , don't cross the line.

[peakbagger]

The problem is the fear of heights seem to vary. I took a friend up the Hunt Trail (AT) up Katahdin and she had significant issues. Even though the ridge is 30 or 40 feet wide, the steep drop off on either side freaked her out. She also had the issue up at the summit sign due to the drop off behind it. She pretty well crawled over the sign and had a death grip on it.

I threatened her that next time I would bring a pair of horseblinders for her to wear so she wouldnt see the drop offs in her peripheral vision.

I have met several folks who had very rough time on the Wildcat Ridge trail (AT) coming up out of Pinkham Notch in NH. The open rock slabs with the steps chiseled in them set them off for some reason.

[NCC1701]

Knife.jpg

I just saw a YouTube video of this "Knifes Edge". I guess I understated. This definitely looks scary.

[Christoph]

I have positional vertigo and there were a few spots where it acted up my thru last year. But I made it mostly with the help of some friends I met along the way. There was NO way I was getting off Katahdin without my hiking buddy's help, but I made it up and back down safely. You'll enjoy it and there's really not a whole lot of spots where you can't get away from the edge and even then, those are pretty short sections. Having a hiking partner helped me a lot, if anything just to talk to and keep the mind occupied on something other than falling.

[Dogwood]

Charlies Bunyan alternate or the Jump Off in GSMNP, fire towers, bunch of overlooks, several steep narrow ascents/descents

[Dogwood]

Not just Knifes Edge in Baxter SP. It's some of the AT Mt K ascent with steep potentially fatal drop offs on each side on narrow trail where if bumped off the trail...crash and burn. Some of that in the White Mts too.

Pull up pics. See if you can handle it.

[Dogwood]

Instead of dramatically over focusing on the downside(no pun intended) maybe it's more constructive positively dealing with it as Peakbagger and Christoph suggested.