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fear of heights

servaasgoddijn

New Member
Scrolling through Ama Walkers blog (what a great blog! Thanks Ama) I saw some pictures of extremely narrow paths along fearfull ravines. That's nothing for me. I will become dizzy, followed by an urge to fly, and that will be an immediate end to my camino. So can anyone tell me what parts I should avoid? I'm going from Vézelay to Oviedo, and then the camino primitivo.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Oh dear! I can't imagine which photos you are referring to? Was it a post on the Camino Frances - or was it a post on the Aragones route?
I'd hate to think that any of my posts or photos are giving people with acrophobia the heebie-jeebies!
 
It's a photo - and description - you made last year, when you were walking with Val and Marion between Santa Cilia and Artieda. I think there was a river below. But its not alone this photo that gave me the 'heebie-jeebies'. I've read a lot of blogs about Santiago, and there were some really frightening descriptions. There is a path between SPDP and Hendaye that I surely will avoid. Thanks for answering. Servaas
 
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The reality is very rarely as bad as the expectation. If you are terrified of high places, I have to wonder why you would choose to travel the Primitivo, probably the most mountainous of all the camino trails.

I am/was neurotic about closed-in, small spaces. The thought of cramming myself into a narrow sleeping bag in a little bunkbed gave me heebie-jeebies. But when the time came, I was really too tired to give place to my irrationality. I climbed in, breathed deep, and fell asleep. I continued to do similar things every night of the trip.

Doing the camino helped me get a handle on my fear. Maybe it will help you, too.
I think you should Just Do It, don´t let your fear rob you any more.

Reb.
 
Servaas, the Aragones route was much more rugged than the Camino Frances. Start at Pamplona if you are afraid of the mountain paths and walk through the vineyards of Navarra and La Rioja. There are no scary, edge of the cliff trails on the Frances - promise!
 
Thanks for your wise words, Rebekah. I think I wasn't clear enough. I had this fear all my live, but ignored it. In Switzerland I climbed a gletscher and in England I walked very creepy pathways on the coast. I did this with a racing heart. But that is some thirty years ago. Next year I will be seventy - hopefully - and the idea of a racing heart is now bothering me. I'm not afraid of climbing and decending steep mountains. I only want to know about those very narrow and dangerous pathways, so that I can make a detour.

I didn't find much information about the Primitivo, but it must be beautiful. Eventually I may walk the whole of the Camino del Norte.

And thank you Sil for your advise. But I'm a bit of a loner, and the idea of walking in throngs of pilgrims on the Camino Francés seems to me more frightening than the mountains. By the way: I have given myself three months and start at Vézelay to finish at Finisterre.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

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