It was a fantastic day today with clear blue skies and very warm sunshine, perfect for what lay ahead, particularly bearing in mind that the last few days had seen very high winds and the Table Mountain cable car unable to operate. The Gods must have been smiling down although I am sure that some of the participants might have been wishing that the Gods hadn't been so benevolent!
Today allowed no excuses and at midday we met up to read the insurance disclaimer and sign our names on the dotted line agreeing that there was to be no blame for our death/deaths! In fairness, at 63, I am a total fatalist and well on the slippery road to the pearly gates. A little help along the way wasn't actually what I was seeking but if it happened then it was going to be one helluva way to go! Slightly different for participants who were half my age, some with families! Anyway, we were pretty reassured to find that in 20 years of operation, Abseil Africa had never lost a client and in fact, their professionalism was clear to see and very reassuring from the moment we met the team.
Terror genuinely did prevail for some and if the film of Sarah roping up and taking those first steps backwards towards the 400' drop ever becomes available then you will understand what I am talking about. She won't mind me reporting that not only was she shaking with fear, she was also crying and yet despite what I was witnessing, I knew damn well that she wasn't going to say, "I can't do it!" As her dad, it was hard to witness the fear as she disappeared over the side and I watched the rope slowly unwind as she abseiled down the cliff face. It was such a relief to hear her voice on the radio and the elation at having achieved something both challenging and rewarding.
And then it was my turn but the strange thing was that although I was a touch nervous when we were being given the briefing about what we were to do, by the time I was roped up and ready to go, the nerves had completely evaporated and I was so able to enjoy the experience although I am told it was much shorter for me because I came down the line quicker than a rat up a drainpipe!! Perhaps sub-consciously, I just wanted to get it over quickly.
It was a genuinely incredible experience and feeling to reach the bottom of the rope and a great sense of camaraderie came out of the occasion. The smiles were as broad as you could ever witness but the true satisfaction came from the knowledge of how much money was being raised for a very special cause. That cause was brought very starkly into focus when we were having a drink later to celebrate our safe return to the summit of Table Mountain. Adrian, BA Wordwide Crew, had accompanied one of the Dreamflight trips to Florida as a volunteer and very sadly reported that one of his young charges on that particular trip had died just two days previously! It made us all fully understand just why we had done what we did today.
To all of you who have very generously sponsored our efforts, thank you not only from Sarah and me but also everyone involved in the Dreamflight charity and particularly the children who get that very special trip to Florida.
It isn't too late to make a donation and you can do this by clicking on the link below.
Please also take time out to look at my previous post which included two links which give you a real feel to the impact of Dreamflight.
Thank you for reading and thank you again for supporting our efforts today.
Changing Lives
A Very Professional Operation
Apprehension Building
Sarah Backing Towards The Edge!
Crying But No Going Back!
Look Ma No Hands!
Off And Running With Sully My Partner
Running Down Table Mountain!
Just A Few Of The Mad People!
A Relieved Linda Has Sarah Back Safely
No comments:
Post a Comment