By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
I am standing on top of a huge rock, and my heart is thumping with fear. I never knew I had a fear of heights until I started hiking. I refused to look down, and I didn't care for taking pictures because I wanted to continue so I could get to the top of Table Mountain. My friend and I found this trail by sheer accident. We got lost looking for another then we stumbled across this one. The funny thing about this trail it had a warning right before you start. My friend claimed she didn't see it, but I did, and it shook me to the core. It casually said, climb this trail at your own risk. Generally, I suck at reading the maps. I sometimes struggle to distinguish my right hand to my left, so I must do a little test to see which one is which. And that is how we got lost trying to find the trail we should have hiked. This trail could've easily killed my friend and I. Had we not met a good Samaritan named Nelson, who decided to be our guide. He too found this trail by accident but be so eager to see it through. I do admit that I found Nelson's company to be overcrowding. I didn't know how much help he will become sooner than later. He had to help me lift my body to climb a flat surface of a big rock. Had I slipped, then someone else would be telling this story with a very different ending. Two hours of walking, limbs were starting to feel heavy, and the urge to throw away everything I had on me was creeping in. I was too far to turn back, and yet too far to reach the top as well. Crying seems to be the only available option for me, but I couldn't risk my street credibility like that. I opted to be mute because I felt every syllable leaving my mouth took out too much energy. I need to reserve every bit of my energy to get at the top of Table Mountain. My lack of understanding of how dangerous this trail we took could be seen on other peoples’ faces, as they try to comprehend how we found this trail because it is hidden. I believe that whatever is for you will always make its way to you. I have no other way to explain it beyond that. It took me three months to go back hiking. It took a week to be able to sleep without seeing myself slipping and falling. I have seen people posting on social media hiking this part of Table Mountain, and I beam with pride, knowing that I have participated in such a brave thing. For some, this is a mere exercise, but for me, it was an act of bravery. My spirit went to war with my mind, and it came out victorious. I won against fear.