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BASE Beginners

zeke-zero
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Overcoming fear.
Hi,

as a community you guys and girls have inspired me. And so, I am on a journey that I hope will culminate in my first BASE jump... I won't go into the reasons for my decision right now, but they're compelling to me on a deep level.
I have a 7yr background in paragliding, speed flying (fl) and paramotor and am in the middle of my AFF course.

The question I have is about fear. I am scared of heights - sounds fucking ridiculous doesn't it? But it's a little more complex than that. It's not heights per se so much as 'the edge'. I've got no problem jumping from an aircraft or being thumped around at 2000ft under my paraglider etc - fear doesn't play a dominant role.
My problem is with shear drops, cliff tops etc. I find it difficult to peer over or get closer than 3ft from the edge. I have had this 'edge fear' for as long as I can remember - it's not quite vertigo but I do feel rooted to the spot and intensely aware of the void.
Can any jumpers relate to this? I suppose I'm asking if anyone has experienced or overcome this - or are all BASE jumpers relaxed about heights?
I know in my mind that once I've exited that the fear will dissolve away. Your advice is truly appreciated.

Thanks, Zeke


Thanks
hookitt
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
You're not scared of the edge, you're just afraid you'll be compelled to jump. When you put a rig on and make it a conscious decision, it's much easier to stand on the edge.

You can stand there all day and just turn around and walk away if you choose. The fear isn't gone, it's just manageable.
Ajunkie
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
zeke-zero wrote:
Hi,

as a community you guys and girls have inspired me. And so, I am on a journey that I hope will culminate in my first BASE jump... I won't go into the reasons for my decision right now, but they're compelling to me on a deep level.
I have a 7yr background in paragliding, speed flying (fl) and paramotor and am in the middle of my AFF course.

The question I have is about fear. I am scared of heights - sounds fucking ridiculous doesn't it? But it's a little more complex than that. It's not heights per se so much as 'the edge'. I've got no problem jumping from an aircraft or being thumped around at 2000ft under my paraglider etc - fear doesn't play a dominant role.
My problem is with shear drops, cliff tops etc. I find it difficult to peer over or get closer than 3ft from the edge. I have had this 'edge fear' for as long as I can remember - it's not quite vertigo but I do feel rooted to the spot and intensely aware of the void.
Can any jumpers relate to this? I suppose I'm asking if anyone has experienced or overcome this - or are all BASE jumpers relaxed about heights?
I know in my mind that once I've exited that the fear will dissolve away. Your advice is truly appreciated.

Thanks, Zeke


Thanks

I very much afraid of heights and especially being on the edge of a tall object. My fear is manageable, but its still there. I won't go anywhere near an edge if I don't have a rig on.

If I climb a freestander with no rig on and I am checking out the exit point, I always have to be holding on to something and it scares the shit out of me.

That being said, I am very much comfortable on the edge when I have my rig on. Its kind of a similar concept to a security blanket for a kid. My favorite part of a BASE jump is when I am on the edge about to leave. Thats went i'm in my element and the most focused.Smile

-TJ
gauleyguide
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
Once you put that rig on, you'll look at the edge from a different view.
FreeFallFiend
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Re: [gauleyguide] Overcoming fear.
gauleyguide wrote:
Once you put that rig on, you'll look at the edge from a different view.

+1 as well as the above comments. Now that i have been jumping I get MORE nervous when it comes to heights if i dont have a rig on. I was on an observation deck the other day with some friends and kept finding myself nervously reaching back to touch the PC that wasnt there. (Of course it prob didnt help that I have jumped from that ob deck.)

When I have my rig on however it doesnt bother me at all. You'll learn to trust yourself, your skills, your training, and your gear.
Lonnie
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Re: [FreeFallFiend] Overcoming fear.
I know a jumper with over 1500 BASE jumps who still has a fear of the edge. You may never get over it, but just have to deal with it as this person does every jump!
OuttaBounZ
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
I'm super scared of heights. All heights. But it's a healthy fear. It doesn't cloud my ability to think. I also have a fear of small spaces which affects me completely differently. I panic and freeze up when in small places. I guess you just have to stand there with a rig on your back and determine whether or not its a manageable fear or a phobia at that point. I think bridges are super scary to stand on the edge of. And there you have a railing to hold, no wall, and the ability to walk back to your car in 5 minutes or less if you change your mind. You'll know on your first jump if its a manageable fear or not. Goodluck.
Speedflying a highly loaded speed wing is way more crazy IMO.
hookitt
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Re: [Lonnie] Overcoming fear.
Lonnie wrote:
I know a jumper with over 1500 BASE jumps who still has a fear of the edge. You may never get over it, but just have to deal with it as this person does every jump!

That reminds me of jumping with a well known jumper/instructor a while back. Just walking on the catwalk was enough to make him white knuckle the railing, stare down through the grate, and -- walk -- very -- slowly - one - step - at - a - time....................... "excuse me, may I get around you please?

Once he was ready to go, he'd climb over just fine and take a breath, count down and go. He was a climber at one point so it cracked me up.
waltappel
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
Lotsa great comments here.

I used to have an irrational fear of some mysterious force sucking me over the edge of a roof or through the window of a tall building. That was years before I started BASE jumping and I still experienced that when I started BASE. It went away gradually over time.

The first time I realized I was getting comfortable with heights was when I was climbing a tower with a friend in the dark. He was one section above me so just goofing around, I told him I was going to check the winds.

I climbed on outside of the tower and held a flashlight on it while I was taking a piss. LOL

As I recall, the winds passed the "piss test" so we jumped.
MBA-PATTO
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Re: [waltappel] Overcoming fear.
I always get a certain weird feeling near the edge when i dont have my rig on..its a sensation in my head telling me to run and jump...its like i dont trust myself to stand near any edges UNLESS i have my rig on , once my rig is on i am on the edge looking over standing and laughing....

but without the rig i am a scared little girl...

This is why i stay well away from edges until i have my rig then i feel comfortable and safe knowing i have my gear....ITS FUCKEN WEIRDTongue

Sometimes i have even imagined while standing on the edge that i have jumped with no gear on and experience the whole jump mentally until someone snaps me out of it with a question on the jump....
tgolsby
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Re: [MBA-PATTO] Overcoming fear.
MBA-PATTO wrote:
Sometimes i have even imagined while standing on the edge that i have jumped with no gear on and experience the whole jump mentally until someone snaps me out of it with a question on the jump....

haha! Same. Seems to happen almost every jump. I hate it. Not only do I feel very uncomfortable without my rig on, I can't stand watching people lean over to do rock drops etc without their rigs on. Just the sight makes me feel queasy. Once everyone's geared up it changes all together...
JordanKilgore
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
I'm scared of heights too. That's why I started BASE jumping. It helps to pull really low, you know. Closer to the ground. :)
I jump because its scares me, too.
BASE1361
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Re: [hookitt] Overcoming fear.
hookitt wrote:
You're not scared of the edge, you're just afraid you'll be compelled to jump. When you put a rig on and make it a conscious decision, it's much easier to stand on the edge.

You can stand there all day and just turn around and walk away if you choose. The fear isn't gone, it's just manageable.

Tim you said it the best.

It's the same thing with rock climbing, put on a rope and harness and doing .11c with shitty gear is more manageable then free soloing..... soloing is to black death and as rope climbing is to broken bones.Pirate

Manageable.
Hoolzen
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
PM sent
GreenMachine
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100% Correct!!
afraid you'll be compelled to jump

I have a day-blaze freestander and the first few
times I solo'd it I literally had to hold on to the
railings during every rest break because I kept
wanting to jumping even though my rig was still
inside the stash bag.

They are right, we are all nuts... but fun Cool
78RATS
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
Most of the time it will be dark - that helps alot. Cool
wwarped
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Re: [zeke-zero] Overcoming fear.
zeke-zero wrote:
Your advice is truly appreciated.

you have 2 possible outcomes. either you get over the fear enough to allow you to jump, or you don't. eventually, you will find out which one you are.

BD seems to see a lot of proud owners of new-to-them rigs.
many of these rigs will be sold after BD. they find BASE is not for them. no big deal. it's not for everyone. it's good to move on by choice! Smile
jumpsalot-2
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Re: [wwarped] Overcoming fear.
To OP. It's funny to here you ask, "Is anyone else scared"..Who isn't scared ? Maybe 1 in 20 jumpers, I would think. When you get to your first exit point, with your rig on, you will feel yourself hesitate to approach it. But you will force your body and feet to the edge, or over the rail (or under the rail at some spots ). When you get to that exit point, think back to this thread, and all the jumpers who have said being scared is OK, and normal. So, there you are, scared but in place to jump......let go of the rail, give a good push with both feet, keep your head up, feel you body getting heavier as you begin to speed up for those few seconds of freefall, throw your pilot chute, then.......Pow. You're flying your canopy, that was fun, let's do it again....................worth every second of fear.
OuttaBounZ
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Re: [jumpsalot-2] Overcoming fear.
Amen!

Thread over!
juanitos
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Re: [OuttaBounZ] Overcoming fear.
The deep root level of fear is the Fear of Death.
We all are human...and is "naturally" to experience fear when close to danger..
cheekybastard
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Re: [OuttaBounZ] Overcoming fear.
OuttaBounZ wrote:
Amen!

Thread over!

To add: A good friend of mine once told me "fear is temporary, regret is forever."

I'll never forget that.
sebcat
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Re: [cheekybastard] Overcoming fear.
cheekybastard wrote:
To add: A good friend of mine once told me "fear is temporary, regret is forever.
Forever ends at impact :)