How I Was Able to Overcome a Fear of Heights on Pike Peak's Summit
Jacket: Cotton On (old, similar Amazon find here) // Scarf: LOFT by Ann Taylor // Leggings: Amazon // Boots: Kamik (great for snow - goes to below 40 degrees) // Turtleneck: Amazon // Purse: Target
Location: COG Railway in Manitou Springs and Pike’s Peak Summit
Years ago, I developed anxiety that was triggered by specific situations. I began a path down therapy and came across the concept of Exposure Therapy. Basically, whatever the phobia is you slowly start introducing yourself to it in small doses until it becomes manageable. For some fears, I think there’s always a chance that it could still raise your heartrate, but overcoming a fear is being able to manage through or around it. Bravery is not being afraid; it’s being able to function and lead through fear. For the past couple of decades, I developed a fear of heights. I am not sure when it started but sometime in my teenage and early adulthood I started feeling nervous every time I did anything up high - hikes, plane trips, high-rise buildings… you name it. Each time I positioned myself close to the edge of a drop off my heart raced, my palms sweated, my thoughts would speed, and then I would start to feel light-headed. I’m not talking so much about elevation sickness… it could happen on the fifth floor of a building. I just didn’t want to get close to the edge anymore.
If you are new around here you probably should note that I still go on hikes often because I love the outdoors so dang much! After spending a few days in West Texas hiking and driving through both Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro Canyon I decided to head more north to celebrate New Year’s in Colorado Springs, CO. I’ve made several trips to Colorado over the years with friends but this was the first time alone. I decided that if I only did one epic activity it was to get to Pikes Peak Summit. I quickly researched the ways to get to the top - you can hike about 14 miles… um… no thank you. That’s pretty aggressive to get to one of the tallest peaks in the US. You can drive it but winds a lot and steep grades. It is Winter… and again… no thank you. Then, I stumbled across the train! You can take a three-hour round trip up 9 miles on a train to reach Pikes Peak Summit. That I could manage!
I booked a $60 ticket for New Year’s Eve and decided to make my way to Manitou Springs. There are a few options on the train. Make sure you book the side of the train with three seats, not two. You’ll get a MUCH better view. Another tip is to arrive about 30-40 min early if you want pictures. It’s really scenic! This train operates as the tallest in elevation for a COG Railway in the world. As you take it up the mountain, your conductor with share all sorts of history and tidbits. It’s fantastic, great for kids and I highly recommend to almost anyone! Make sure you drink water (I mean tons) about 24 hours before traveling. You’ll feel better when you reach the top if you are hydrated. It’s over 14,000 ft in elevation. Trust me on this one, stay hydrated.
Let’s talk about how this train helped me overcome my fear of heights. First, getting to the root of the fear was important so I could still enjoy an experience. Driving and hiking sounded like the most extreme in this situation. Since I was traveling alone I figured I should let the experts handle transporting me. No need to “wing it” out there by myself. Secondly, the train is operated all year round in the most extreme of Winter conditions. If there was a safety problem, they would be well equipped to handle it. I relied heavily on my logical side of the brain to give myself a scenario that was doable. The other thing about riding the train was that I couldn’t back out once I got on board. Knowing logically that this is a low-risk ride and I’m traveling on a decent weather day… I would just have to get myself on board and then take it one minute at a time until we reached the top. That’s exactly what I did.
I climbed aboard the beautiful red railroad car decked out in my snow-friendly outfit on New Year’s Eve. I was seated next to the sweetest momma named Jennifer, who was such a blessing on the trip. We quickly became travel buddies and I share I was nervous due to a fear of heights. Before that train took off she made sure to tell me how much courage I had in doing this. I felt elated. It’s one thing to fight through fear, it’s another thing to have a complete stranger recognize how big this was for you. We chatted off and on throughout the next few hours. The ride up to the top is a little over an hour and changes the scenery. It’s a slow ascend and the conversation was welcomed. After a few climate and terrain changes, we arrived at Pikes Peak Summit.
The top of Pikes Peak is unlike most summits I’ve been to. There’s a diner, gift shop, and tons of restrooms. I purchased a new Christmas tree ornament for my tree and a few tiny gifts for my sister and daughter. You can refill your bottle at the top as well. Lots of people take pictures, so feel free to snap away! When we got to the top it was -11 degrees with wind chill and snowy. What a sight! You’ll have about 30-40 minutes to hang out and then time to make your way back on the train. One last note before I talk more about overcoming my fear of heights - you can also hike up the mountain and then take the train down one-way.
Here’s the thing about fear: you can move around it. You can make fear smaller and play a less important role in your life. Things like developing a coping plan for anxious or emotionally charged situations will help during panic moments. Training your brain to go over logical facts while deep breathing helps push through a tough moment. Remember fear stands for False Events Appearing Real. FALSE EVENTS. They haven’t happened yet. You can choose to do a little at a time to expose yourself to a safer version of situations where you can deal with fear. You can involve a trusted friend or go through therapy over it. You don’t have to let fear derive you of life experiences that could change your path's trajectory. No, you can do hard things! What is one fear you’d like to overcome?
