But with Colby and Kathryn’s encouragement, I finally conquered Zeno’s paradox — the notion that if you do something in fractions, you’ll never reach the end — and made it to the other side, dismounting (another stomach drop) onto a set of metal rungs that ascended to a narrow ledge.
Another high-wire river crossing awaited. This one was more forgiving, with three metal cables underfoot instead of one. To soothe my nerves, I chatted with Kathryn, Jacqueline and Mary. Inevitably, we discussed our feelings about heights.
Kathryn loved them, she said. So did Mary. Jacqueline, not so much.
It turned out Jacqueline and I had both taken the same approach to exposure therapy, albeit in different parts of the country. She lives in Utah, and tested herself first in the state’s national parks. But even conquering Angels Landing in Zion National Park, one of the country’s most nerve-racking hikes, hadn’t been enough to defeat her anxiety.
“I’m not as scared of heights as I used to be,” she said. “But it’s still not comfortable.”