<p>I’ve been completely terrified of mountain roads ever since I was a very small child, about 3, and my family went to the Catskills on vacation. I distinctly remember feeling like the car we were in was so tilted that we were going to topple over backwards. I’ve been on such roads in the US and Canadian Rockies, both driving and as the passenger, and hated every minute of it. I will never, ever do anything like that again if I can help it. So, no, I could never do that zip line ride. Standing on mountaintops on my own two feet doesn’t bother me at all, so it isn’t a fear of heights. It’s a fear of being in a car that goes over a cliff! (Or being on a zip line or cable car or aerial tram or chair lift and having the cable snap.)</p>
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<p>I feel much the same, though I don’t like being on the mountain top if I’m close to the “ledge.” I guess heights without the appropriate feeling of protection is my problem. I love to downhill ski so somehow manage to tolerate the ski lifts; I can enjoy being up on the Eiffel Tower or other tall monuments with guard rails or enclosed walls. But those exposed mountain roads (even the bridge was terrifying in spite of the fact that there were rails on either side, but it seemed very narrow - only room for one vehicle and pedestrians) were just almost more than I could stand. And the zip line ride-not what I would remotely consider something “fun” or “awesome.” Everyone I watched ride it came off of it saying how wonderful it was, though they were sure shrieking while they were on it, lol.</p>
<p>Nope- no shrieking was involved. Just a harness and a helmet. They start off on easy, lower, shorter ziplines and move up to the higher, loonger ones that go from tree to tree, landing on very small platforms. Also involved some walking on wires and such. That was more nerve-wracking than the ziplines. They were a hoot!!</p>
<p>Like many people, I’ve always wanted to fly and doing a zip line is akin to that feeling, or at least I think it is. It’s very much like a riding a roller coaster, which I also love. </p>
<p>I agree with the feeling of safety with guard rails. I’ve been to Pikes Peak a couple of times and the last time we took the cob railway up. [Pike’s</a> Peak Cog Railway - The world’s highest cog railroad, the highest Colorado railroad AND highest train in the United States.](<a href=“http://www.cograilway.com/]Pike’s”>http://www.cograilway.com/) That was much better then my husband driving and me glancing out at the (sudden death) overlook on my side and admonishing him to drive more towards the middle of the road.</p>
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<p>LOL, I kept telling my husband the same thing.</p>
<p>Yeah- I have to “help” my husband while he’s driving so much that it is really better for everyone if I am the driver!</p>
<p>This thread actually makes me feel a lot better. Nice to know I have company!</p>
<p>I’d rather do zip lines than roller coasters. Zip lines are smooth and most roller coasters “toss you around”. I hate some of the sharp turns. They can be downright painful.</p>
<p>I don’t do the wooden roller coaster more because of the bumps and jerks, but the upside down coasters are pretty darn smooth. I’ve found though that I don’t like to do more then two or maybe three in a day and can’t do the round and round rides at all.</p>
<p>I showed pictures of the Royal Gorge Bridge to my coworkers today. Only ONE person said they would love to try the zip line. Most said they wouldn’t even want to go on the bridge. A few said they had already done the bridge and didn’t want to do it again.</p>
<p>I think fear of heights may be one of the most common phobias in the human experience.</p>
<p>I would love to do a zipline canopy tour! And I would do the Royal Gorge zipline, although it looks more like a snow ski lift type ride to me. I agree with the person that mentioned they can’t get close to the edge of a mountain - makes me nervous to look off of a cliff without any type of railing! I love roller coasters, but would never bungee jump!!</p>
<p>I am deathly afraid of heights, to the point of nearly passing out in several instances. </p>
<p>3 years ago I went on a trip w/my 2 best friends to celebrate the birthday of the eldest of the three of us (it was her 70th - I am the “baby” of the 3). We had an opportunity to zip line, and took it. It was several hours in the jungle of Mexico, with 14 different lines over 4 hours, with the highest and longest, being over 1/4 mile. While initially I thought I’d have a nervous breakdown, I found I LOVED the experience! </p>
<p>Before I left on the trip my D kept saying “you’ll chicken out” and the like, but was surprised that I really had fun.</p>
<p>So last year, I took my D, her best friend (both 23 at the time) and my 2 best friends and locally we went paragliding! We had the option of 800 or 1200 feet, and opted for the higher! Another amazingly fun experience. </p>
<p>Now my D wants to take me to trapeze school for a day!</p>
<p>What have I started?? :)</p>
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<p>So what would be worse for the parents? Doing a zip line (I’ve done a zip line tour on Maui and loved it), or sending your kid off to stunt school for four weeks? Cause that’s just what I did today. D2 is off to Seattle for stunt school for a week - the last week being all aerial work. Give me a zip line any day!</p>
<p>So why would one go to a stunt school?</p>
<p>My D just parachuted out of a plane and told me afterwards. I was so upset that I woke up during the night, repeated, every night for a week. I just couldn’t deal. I asked her to never tell me something like that again. And I told her that if she did bungy jumping, I would cut her out of the will. ;)</p>
<p>I got so upset on the phone when she told us (my H and I speak to the kids on speaker phone) that I had to leave the room. I heard my H tell my D sternly to never tell me that again. As I left the room I heard him whisper “but send me the video, okay?” </p>
<p>I can’t do those mountain roads. We did one in Yellowstone, and I was terrified. The next day they closed it for safety reasons. I could have told them that.</p>
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<p>Finding that little niche to put on one’s resume when one moves to LA in two months to pursue a career in film. She really, really enjoys the physical side of performing. While she was still in college and taking stage combat classes, her instructors told her she had a knack for it, and recommended she pursue it at a more advanced level, which requires additional instruction at stunt school. </p>
<p>Yea… my 35 ACT kid - I guess I can say at least she’s well-rounded!</p>
<p>I had no idea there was such a thing as stunt school. I just sent the link to my son. Thanks!</p>
<p>dmd77 - it’s right up the road from you in Seattle!</p>