This is the biggest challenge I have undertaken so far - not just for this '50' list - but EVER! To abseil off the iconic - in south Wales - Newport Transporter Bridge. It's high, awfy high. And I would be abseiling from 178 feet! Over a river....
When I compiled my list of things to do earlier this year I had great fun coming up with fun things and different things to try, like milking a cow, indoor skydiving, baking cupcakes etc. But I felt I needed a few more extreme things to do, so when checking out things to do for charity I came across this abseil and signed up. Back in April it seemed like it would be a jolly nice thing to do one autumn day. However, as the date has been approaching I have been more and more scared. And, so many times over the last few months we've driven past this bridge and the thought of what I would be doing became increasingly terrifying.
So yesterday, we drove to Newport and parked by the bridge. This was the first time really that I was up close to it. It is ominous!
I knew we would have to walk up 278 steps just to get to the platform and thought I would be fine with that but in actual fact, this felt like a task in itself. I'm grateful that I'm nearly at the end of my couch to 5k training as otherwise I think I would have struggled!
However, before I started the climb I had to get geared up - bottom harness, chest harness, helmet and gloves.
Finally, I started the climb to the top with the guy who would be doing it at the same time as me - throughout the day approximately 50 people were mad enough to be doing this. I think we were all driven though by the fact we were raising money for the charity St Davids Hospice Care. Thankfully, I don't generally have a problem with heights but as we climbed up and up and up I realised that there was no way I really wanted to look down, but, couldn't resist a break half way up to wave down to Stewart. Mam came with us as well and I was also greatly surprised when two friends from our regular Sunday night quiz turned up to support me. Felt great to have folk there to watch and offer support.
As we were climbing up the steps we met a woman who was walking down them. That could only mean one thing - she hadn't been able to do it. She was visibly upset and shaken and pretty much just wanted to walk past us but I did put my arm on her shoulder and asked 'are you OK'? She wasn't. By the time she had climbed up to the abseiling platform she was already in a state about the height she was up and just couldn't bring herself to do it. She was gutted. I felt gutted for her as well but at the same time I knew there was no way I could face going back down - by stairs. My quiz friend had said to Stewart that she knew I would do it and wouldn't bottle it - Stewart's reply was that he knew I would as well as I was aware how much sh*t he'd give me I copped out!
Once we were at the top, everything happened so quickly, which is good because by now my legs were like absolute jelly and not just because of the 278 steps we'd just climbed. For weeks I've been trying to visualise myself stepping off the bridge backward and letting go and I just haven't been able to picture myself in that moment. It's the bit I was most scared off and it turned out to be the bit that I did find most difficult and terrifying. It's SO not natural to step backwards off a freakingly high bridge and then let go! Thankfully the guys at the top were exceedingly calm and patient and encouraging. They had to be! Every time I was given an instruction - 'duck under the ledge' 'put both hands on the rope' 'take your legs away from the bridge' every single time I repeated the command, questioned the command and made him tell me how I could carry out the command and not drop to my death!!! Was I being a drama queen - hell yes!
The time I had been dreading had come - 'put both hands on the rope and step away from the bridge' I'm disappointed to discover that I screamed - not only did I scream but I really screamed like a baby!
This photo shows the height a little better:
Once I had let go though and was dangling, the rest of the abseil was an absolute dawdle. I wish I had actually gone faster on the descent and if/when I do another abseil I will! The video below is seriously shortened - the abseil itself probably took around 3 minutes from top to bottom. I am SO incredibly grateful to Stewart for not only putting up with me this year but also being my chauffeur and official photographer/videographer.
Overall, I am so chuffed with myself for doing this. The mental battle I had at the top to climb over the ledge was immense, I really was shaking and had to go into autopilot. But, I'm proud of the fact I have survived the 'step off the bridge', I enjoyed the views on the way down and I enjoyed waving to the folk waiting for me on the ground. It was incredible fun. If you have enjoyed what you have seen and enjoyed me screaming, then it's still not too late to donate to St Davids Hospice Care via my justgiving page:
See you next time! xxx
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