Afraid of heights

[inside-out]

Recently turned around on Guadalupe Peak trail in Texas.  Actually turned around at same place in February and March.  It’s a shear drop off.  I get there and I feel like I jumped off of a merry go round.  Successfully did trail in 2015 though when my daughter was ahead of me so I had to go on.  I can retire in 3 years and would like to do some of the long through hikes but idk if I can.  It seems like it’s getting worse as I get older.  I’m 48 in excellent physical condition.  Advice?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Welcome to the forum! I haven’t done this Guadalupe Peak hike, but being afraid of heights is totally normal and a good mechanism to have in my view especially if it is indeed a sheer drop.

Is it an easy section otherwise or does it require proper hand and foot placement for safety (example an actual technical climb or requiring technical moves)?

If it’s purely mental (example there is no real actual safety issue), and you want to complete the hike (there are many hikes without sheer drops of any kind), I think you just have to find what works for you. Deep breathing, mentally rehearsing positive outcomes, etc…perhaps consult with a professional as well for tips and tools.

That said, you could always choose hikes without this concern and I wouldn’t call it giving up, but that’s up to you to decide. For the other hikes you want to accomplish, good route finding and map skills could help identify areas of potential concern and these areas could be evaluated beforehand and avoided if needed.

[balzaccom]

First of all, I am sorry to hear about this.  It's no fun hiking when you are terrified. And it's no fun being at the top of a precipice and feeling that you might well fall over! 

There are certainly plenty of hikes in the world that don't involve cliffs (exposure, in climbing terms) and of course you can always just focus on those. My wife suffers from a mild version of this, and we've still hiked more than 2,500 miles in various mountains around the world. Soemtime, admittedly, a bit slowly! 

There's no real cure for acrophobia (the technical name for fear of heights.) Some people find it helpful to work with a psychotherapist, and that treatment usually involves something called, ironically, exposure therapy. This means that you take baby steps towards your fear, slowly trying to bring it under control.  With virtual reality, this can be done in an office! 

Medications to ease your fear/concern may no be a great idea, because people fear heights for a reason--they can be deadly.  You want to keep that survivla instinct alive! 

[inside-out]

Thanks for your responses!