View Full Version : Fear of heights?
sbryson21
05-06-10, 10:37 PM
Ok sorry if this is a stupid waste of time question but it's been on my mind.
I've got a pretty bad fear of heights, just thinking about being up on that rappeling tower in boot camp makes my palms all sweaty like a little sissy girl... I asked my recruiter about it the other day just to get some feedback from somebody who's been there done that. Of course he's one of those BA's who doesn't fear anything and is an "adrenaline junky" so he enjoyed doing stuff from tall heights... Not much help...
So anyways, it's not really something that's keeping me up at night or anything just kind of wanting to hear from some Marines that had/have the same fear of heights and made it through it. I'd love to hear your experience of it. Thanks Marines
NakAttack
05-06-10, 10:40 PM
My Drill Instructor sorta kicked me off the top of the tower. Lucky I went down the center hole where you go straight down instead of off the side so it wasn't so bad. I later did another repelling tower in MOS school, and that one was from the side.
It's not so bad. I'd rather do a repelling tower than a swim qual just because I have to jump off the tower into water XD (I don't like water that much)
martinj
05-06-10, 11:20 PM
The tower is nothing man. You do it once you'll love it. Just get to the top, reach down deep and grab a pair and go. Its not that high anyways.
Dragonscript
05-07-10, 07:50 AM
So anyways, it's not really something that's keeping me up at night or anything just kind of wanting to hear from some Marines that had/have the same fear of heights and made it through it. I'd love to hear your experience of it. Thanks Marines
By this time in bootcamp, i was more afraid of the Drill Instructors than anything else. I wouldn't worry about rappelling too much if i was you. Now, when you do the Australian, or inverse, rappelling then i would start to get a little nervous. The spider drop was a bit hair raising for me but it just looks bad. But with spider rigging, i would just keep your eyes shut and think of a happy place.
Hope that helps you out a bit, there are much scarier things than rappelling.
I spent 13 months on a USMC Recon team in Vietnam. Maybe not as much combat as some but enough to last my life time. Besides the combat I had tigers and snakes and lots of other things to cope with.
The most pure terror I ever experienced and the bravest thing I did during those 13 months was the repelling. Off the side of cliffs, off the towers. It was pure and total terror for me. But I, after some gentle encouragement from the E-6 :-), did in fact do what I needed to do. As will you.
Anyone can do stuff they find easy.
Even if you completely bolo the rappel your belay man will stop you from taking a bad fall. I wonder if recruit training includes fast roping now? Slightly different story on that one.
boomer56328
05-07-10, 09:53 AM
Even if you completely bolo the rappel your belay man will stop you from taking a bad fall. I wonder if recruit training includes fast roping now? Slightly different story on that one.
We fast roped in boot camp. That was in '99 so i'm assuming they still do. Holy crap, that was 11 years ago. I'm getting old.
Wheels123
05-07-10, 01:31 PM
I missed out on that event, wild fires cancelled that training. :-(
SGTBrentG
05-07-10, 02:15 PM
I was nervous about it, but once the time comes, the adrenaline starts flowing. After I finished I wanted to go back and do it again! You'll do just fine. If not, your Drill Instructor will "help" you.......
Ok sorry if this is a stupid waste of time question but it's been on my mind.
I've got a pretty bad fear of heights, just thinking about being up on that rappeling tower in boot camp makes my palms all sweaty like a little sissy girl... I asked my recruiter about it the other day just to get some feedback from somebody who's been there done that. Of course he's one of those BA's who doesn't fear anything and is an "adrenaline junky" so he enjoyed doing stuff from tall heights... Not much help...
So anyways, it's not really something that's keeping me up at night or anything just kind of wanting to hear from some Marines that had/have the same fear of heights and made it through it. I'd love to hear your experience of it. Thanks Marines
Don't worry about kid...you want to know why?
Well, here are the statistics on the Tower:
Only 93 recruits have been seriously injured on the tower thanks to the supervision of those hard-charging DIs. Of the 93 seriously injured recruits, 91 of them were originally from Idaho. So, unless you are originally from Idaho, I wouldn't worry about it. (kidding)
It will be an exhilarating experience and you'll be proud of yourself when it is over.
Stay motivated and don't forget to scream "MARINE CORPS" on your way down.
martinj
05-07-10, 02:29 PM
We fast roped in boot camp. That was in '99 so i'm assuming they still do. Holy crap, that was 11 years ago. I'm getting old.
We didnt do it during boot, and i went through july to october 09.
Beltayn
05-07-10, 04:59 PM
Don't worry about kid...you want to know why?
Well, here are the statistics on the Tower:
Only 93 recruits have been seriously injured on the tower thanks to the supervision of those hard-charging DIs. Of the 93 seriously injured recruits, 91 of them were originally from Idaho. So, unless you are originally from Idaho, I wouldn't worry about it. (kidding)
It will be an exhilarating experience and you'll be proud of yourself when it is over.
Stay motivated and don't forget to scream "MARINE CORPS" on your way down.
My MCT instructors told a story about a Marine who fell off the top of the Jacob's Ladder obstacle (the freakin TALL one) and despite falling like 100 ft he executed a perfect Marine Corps back breakfall and got right back up without a scratch apart from bruises on the back of his arms.
Maybe it was one of "those stories", but it stuck with me and always made me more confident about doing training on heights.
Kegler300
05-07-10, 05:01 PM
I was afraid of water because I couldn't swim when I enlisted. The Marine Corps changed that. You won't have a fear of heights for very long...you'll learn to turn that fear into excited energy and enthusiasm.
Rocky C
05-07-10, 05:51 PM
You'll get over all your fears in Boot Camp.
Your Drill Instructors will make sure of that!!!
Good luck to you.
Kegler300
05-07-10, 06:00 PM
You'll get over all your fears in Boot Camp.
Your Drill Instructors will make sure of that!!!
Good luck to you.
True dat! The only thing you will fear is your drill instructor!!
Rocky C
05-07-10, 06:16 PM
True dat! The only thing you will fear is your drill instructor!!
:thumbup::D
FattyTheFerret
05-07-10, 06:19 PM
I didn't even get to do the tower. :mad: They only had time to let half the company even go out there that day.
You will have to climb the big log wall at the confidence course, though. Have fun.
SlingerDun
05-07-10, 09:52 PM
Never experienced a fear of height until a few years ago, it just came on all of a sudden like. Guessing because i've got more to lose than ever before, so these days i need to get warmed up or "broken in" when approaching a rim while hiking or scaling a ladder to work on the roof etc...Repetition tends to take care of it, for awhile. I could recommend getting familiar with teetering heights, it might help with the problem.
--->Dave
SlingerDun
05-07-10, 10:14 PM
Oh, you're a farrier. Of course fear of heights could stem from squattin under them horses instead of spending more time on their backs at altitude enjoying the vistas. I have also been sleeping on the ground for the last 13 years or more...
Williams5710
05-08-10, 11:24 AM
Just graduated boot yesterday... you will be more afraid of what your Drill Instructor will do to you if you show him you're scared of heights. The rappel tower is fun so make the most of it.
Boot camp is the easy part.
http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy144/bulkyker/fastrope.jpg
Never have been afraid of heights. It's the people who are afraid of heights that scare me.
Enrique2010
05-08-10, 12:21 PM
I also graduated yesterday. just listen to the Instructors and youll be fine. Once you get to the top of the tower, they push you so be ready. Even if you fall, they have someone to secure the line at the bottom. For us, they demonstrated what happens when you fall. The Marine at the bottom pulls the line and it catches in your D ring. so you stop dead in the air. You should worry about what comes after the Repel Tower. The Crucible.
firedog974
05-08-10, 12:29 PM
That is part of becoming a Marine. You WILL have to overcome fears and doubts. You will first have to wage this battle in your mind, and tell yourself "I will do it, or die trying." If you let your fears hold you back from doing anything, you will fail. Just tell yourself that you can do it (because you can) and remember the millions of Marines who came before you who did it. Have a good positive mental attitude and you will get through it with no problem.
TinDragon
05-08-10, 12:55 PM
Worst part about the tower is that damn getup they make you wear.
...and I managed to accidentally put the brakes on my way down and slammed my back in to the tower. Not my best move.
sbryson21
05-08-10, 03:32 PM
Don't worry about kid...you want to know why?
Well, here are the statistics on the Tower:
Only 93 recruits have been seriously injured on the tower thanks to the supervision of those hard-charging DIs. Of the 93 seriously injured recruits, 91 of them were originally from Idaho. So, unless you are originally from Idaho, I wouldn't worry about it. (kidding)
Hahahaha! Touche, sir, touche. I always knew being an Idahoan would be a downfall at some point in my life. (Pardon the pun)
Kegler300
05-08-10, 03:35 PM
Worst part about the tower is that damn getup they make you wear.
Yeah, that Swiss Saddle does a crimping job on the nutz...
sbryson21
05-08-10, 03:36 PM
Oh, you're a farrier. Of course fear of heights could stem from squattin under them horses instead of spending more time on their backs at altitude enjoying the vistas. I have also been sleeping on the ground for the last 13 years or more...
Very true, I've gotten really used to having my feet planted firmly on the ground. However, I think shoeing horses gives an advantage for boot camp. I'm already used to getting kicked, stomped, and s**t on. :D
sbryson21
05-08-10, 03:42 PM
Congrats Enrique and Williams on earning the Title, by the way! Thanks for all the advice and motivation, Marines!
sbryson21
05-08-10, 03:44 PM
Yeah, that Swiss Saddle does a crimping job on the nutz...
Awesome. Facing my fear of heights while having my PFC's getting smashed..... Can't wait.... :banana:
Phantom Blooper
05-08-10, 06:10 PM
You will overcome your fears....
The worst case scenario is the the clamp on the Swiss seat breaks....it won't be the fall that gets you...it will be the sudden and forceful stop.
Don't worry though....at ALL recruit training functions there is an ambulance waiting by.:evilgrin:
JCampbell
05-08-10, 07:05 PM
The rope harness is the worst part of the rappel tower. I thought my legs were going to just drop off after a while. There were a few guys in the series who were freaked out about the heights...but they went just like everyone else, with a nice push off the tower.
We fast roped about 20 feet or so, off the first level of the tower. This was about a month and a half ago, so I am pretty sure they still fast rope.
thezero
05-08-10, 08:24 PM
You only fast roped 20ft? Must be a SD thing. When we went through before the gas chamber, we fast roped the whole tower and rappelled, if you were at the end of the line though you only got to go through once. It's only 60ft or so nothing to bad.
martinj
05-08-10, 09:05 PM
http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy144/bulkyker/fastrope.jpg
.
Ya bootcamp was easy.
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=2393&pictureid=10559