Travel News

First Time Rappelling 

Getting Back to the Adventurous Roots of Childhood in My 50s

My exploits as a teenager were modest to some degree. Yet, I still managed to perform a few daring feats here and there. There was the time I jumped off my parent’s roof into the swimming pool below. No thoughts of missing the jump, just cheers as I hit perfectly in the crystal blue water below, red solo cups raised in my honor. There were nighttime swims in the ocean - a dark sea, no wet suit just the chill of the water and briny salt taste on my lips as I plunged fearlessly into the crashing waves of the Pacific.

And don’t forget skateboarding in abandoned pools attempting new tricks on my Powell Peralta leaving skin from my knees and elbows on concrete as a testament to my failed but oh-so-cool moves.

Then one day rather abruptly, I grew up. Although it may have been a gradual process, in hindsight, it seemed as if one day I was the tomboy daredevil and the next, I was a professional dressing up in suits for work, quiet dinners over wine with friends, in bed before 10. What the heck happened? Was I just getting old?

My life had become a doldrum of work, sleep, binge watching, errands, and paying bills.

Fast forward a few years. A trifecta of major life changes occurred all at once – my father’s passing, my granddaughter all grown up, and the breakup of a marriage that never should have happened in the first place.

The old Jen was awakened. I discovered how alive I felt and wanted to try all sorts of new things – there was yoga, e-biking, snowboarding, kayaking…

And of course, my favorite – canyoneering in Southern Utah. 

Rock rappelling had always appealed to me, but I wasn’t sure of the equipment needed and the whole gravity thing seemed problematic. Was I strong enough to hold myself steady over a cliff? Would I end up soaring down, crashing to the ground below at the mercy of the Earth’s gravitational pull? There would be no safe swimming pool to land in if things went south. It was always easier to skip it than face the fear, but I decided to take a leap of faith and put it off no more.

Of course, anyone reading this who has rappelled before is shaking their head right about now with a big grin on their face – the kind of grin that experience gives the wiser of us.

Why? Well, let me tell you about my experience…

I was planning a trip to Zion looking for fun and interesting things to do and write about for my blog. I love finding unique things to tell my readers about.  I was staying at the glamping resort Open Sky Zion and was looking at their experiences page for ideas when I came across Rock Odysseys. I called them up and spoke to Gabby Olsen (who I later learned is the owner of this female owned company). 

I explained to her that two of the four of us coming had never rappelled before and were nervous. She put my mind at ease, and I became pretty excited. In fact, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm as I booked the adventure. She was so knowledgeable and sweet that my worries were laid to rest.  

She picked us up where we were staying and drove us out Kolob Terrace Road to one of the most beautiful areas around with sweeping panoramic views of Southern Utah’s quintessential stunning red rock landscape.

It was perfect. She got us fitted with gear – helmets, harness, the usual and then we were off.

After a short hike, we began a steep ascent with some rock scrambling. Nothing we couldn’t handle. I was stoked.  It only took about 20 minutes until we reached the first rappel site. I was still stoked.

She told us to sit down for a few minutes of instruction. The stoke lived on. Then she began to demonstrate what we would be doing. I suddenly became not so stoked. All that adrenaline pumping me full of excitement began to reverse itself and my flight or fight response chose flight.

For the first time all morning, as she dangled her little body over the edge of the cliff with nothing more than a harness and rope holding her in place, I thought, “oh no, what the heck did I get myself into?”  What could have possibly made me think this would be fun? How can I gracefully bow out? Help!

I tried to keep my cool, nodding at the appropriate times during the lesson but my insides were screaming as panic set in. How could she just dangle there like that? I can’t even watch. I thought, there is no way I am strong enough to do this. I should have worked out more these past few months. I’m too weak. I just know I will go plummeting down and crash land below. Goodbye friends, goodbye family. It was great knowing you.

I was third in line and when my turn came up, I smiled with a false façade of fearlessness.  She told me to start walking backward down the side of the sheer cliff wall. Every ounce of me was screaming, “don’t do it.” But, my legs betrayed me (those little bastards) and I began to move as instructed taking one nervous step back after another knowing I was soon about to die!! 

Wait, what is happening?  What is going on. It can’t be …. this is SO easy.

It's funny because even though I quickly came to realize what many don’t actually know – rappelling relies on physics with the rope doing the work - I was completely out of breath by the time I finished my descent. In fact, I think I actually held my breath the entire way down taking in no air as fear paralyzed my lungs.  Looking back, it makes me laugh. I mean from that moment on, I was hooked. The steeper, the better. The longer the drop, the more fun to be had. It was incredible. I didn’t want it to end.

So, the lesson to be shared… rappelling is way easier than you would think. There is absolutely nothing to it if you have the right guide. In fact, ANYONE… like literally anyone can do it. Whether you’re 3 years old or 80!

I repeat, anyone with a good guide can do it. If you pick a company to go with like Rock Odysseys in Utah, who knows what they’re doing, then you need no knowledge of the equipment, no endless nights of watching YouTube videos trying to figure it out, no worries, no stress.

In fact, I loved it so much that as soon as I got home, I started talking to Gabby about coming back next spring for another adventure!

You will be seeing me again soon Rock Odysseys!

07/24/2024