Here I go again! Stepping out of my comfort zone, facing my fear of heights, pushing my limits, and daring myself to a new adventure. During my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I decided to do more than just hiking and sightseeing. I added zip lining to my itinerary. It wasn’t my first time ziplining, but I’ve become more fearful of heights over the years, and well, these mountains were pretty high. And if you don’t know anything about the Great Smoky Mountains, you can view some pretty amazing foliage in the fall. So thought, why not enjoy the colorful hues as I experience the thrill of ziplining at the same time? I was in for an incredible experience!
It All Started In The Rain
It rained the morning of the tour, which didn’t exactly ease my fear. However, I wasn’t going to back out for a little bad weather. It’s only water, I thought to myself. I hoped that it would clear up soon. I wanted to make the best of this experience. There were six of us scheduled for the 9:00 AM group. We gathered in the equipment room, where we received our safety instructions and stepped into our gear. Once our instructors came around to snap and hook up our harnesses, we were ready to load up into the vehicles and head up to the mountains. That’s when the anxiety kicked in…
First, The ATV Ride
The rain poured down as we rode in our ATVs up the bumpy, muddy terrain. It was actually a lot of fun if you didn’t mind getting a little wet! The steep hills, curves, and sharp turns were the start of our adventure before making it to our first platform. By the time we arrived at the top for our final safety briefing, the rain had stopped – what a joy!
But I Did It Anyway...
Lining up in pairs, I watched the first two from our group go with ease. Okay, I thought. Seems easy enough. So I decided to go next. I stood on top of a narrow wooden box and let the instructor hook up my harness to the cable above me. Suddenly, my legs wouldn’t stop shaking, and I never felt more scared in my entire life. The man on the other line across from me seemed cool and calm. It was his first-time zip lining ever. “I can’t stop shaking,” I told him. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m really scared too.”
The instructor gave us the “all clear” to begin our zip. I immediately went into panic mode and desperately wanted to back out. I looked at the man across from me, hoping he would quit first, but he stood there looking at me as if waiting for me to make the first move. Still trembling with fear, I didn’t want to move – but I did it anyway. For the next few seconds, I ignored everything around me, closed my eyes, and gave myself a little push off the edge. For about five seconds, I was petrified. Then, when I realized I wasn’t rapidly plunging into the ground but instead smoothly gliding across the sky, I relaxed. I opened my eyes to find myself soaring above orange, yellow, and red-hued leaves that covered hundreds of trees of the Great Smoky Mountains. The amazing views were mesmerizing!
Not Your Ordinary Zipline
There were four more ziplines to conquer. Each one was of a different speed, length, or view. And to get from one point to the other, we didn’t just walk there. We crossed a total of four aerial sky bridges and climbed a couple of tall, spiral cases capturing 360-degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains. When we reached the final platform, I had one of the most amazing experiences. Since the rain stopped, clouds drifted through the sky, and as I zipped through the last line, I literally soared through a passing cloud! What a thrilling experience! Finally, after the last line, we rappelled from the platform wall before one last adventurous ride back in the ATVs.
An Experience To Remember
There are plenty of places to zip line around the Gatlinburg area, but I can’t imagine anything close to what I experienced with CLIMB Works. I chose CLIMB Works because it’s more than a zip line tour. The name CLIMB (Challenge, Learn, Inspire, Master, Believe) motivated me to do this! The two-hour adventure is an incredible way to step out of your comfort zone. You get to enjoy the ATV ride, five zip lines, the bridge walks, the spiral stair climbs, and the rappelling all in one tour! It’s an incredible experience and one I’ll never forget! Just like their motto…Always Climb!
Have you ever ziplined? If so, feel free to share your experience in the comments!
What an incredible experience. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, it was incredible. Thanks for reading!
Wow, so very impressive because you were petrified but did it anyway!
Having a fear of heights however, this is not for me. Not because I am a coward or etc it is merely because this has no appeal for me.
Nevertheless, viewing your beautiful images and reading your post, I repeat, you are a brave lady who reaps the rewards of doing it afraid.
Yes, ziplining isn’t for everyone, however, it was definitely worth the challenge. Thanks for reading!
This sounds like an amazing experience! Great reminder of the reward we receive when we step out of our comfort zone!
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What a wonderful story. I actually ziplined before. This was during my youth pastor days. The view is amazing.
You would love the view from this course. Thanks for reading!