SKILLS

A fear of heights can be debilitating for hillwalkers – but there are ways to ease the anxiety. On a Peak District-based course organised by the UK section of the Austrian Alpine Club, Alex and Hannah Roddie learned how to tackle this common phobia

Even experienced climbers can struggle with a fear of heights

“FOCUSING ON FEAR just reinforces it. Instead we must focus on positive feelings, such as the exhilaration of being at height, or the sense of achievement at getting to the top.”

My wife Hannah and I were sitting in a village hall with a group of outdoor enthusiasts, listening to hypnotherapist Alison Mortimer. We were both feeling a bit out of our comfort zone. Everyone there was. Ben, Claire and Jared came from diverse outdoor backgrounds, and the stories we’d shared were deeply personal: of being gripped with fear on pitches of via ferrata, struggling to cope with exposed paths, feeling limited in what we could comfortably achieve in the outdoors. We were all here because we had decided to do something about it.

Hannah learning about bridging moves

Photo credits: Alex Roddie

Claire moving well on the scramble

Descending the slab with a placebo safety rope

Hannah and I are both veteran hillwalkers. In my early 20s I was a passionate climber – until a few bad experiences in 2009 permanently dented my confidence on lead. I sold all my climbing gear in 2010. I still scramble regularly, but I have long been aware that more serious scrambles can bring out the demons once again. And Hannah, making a start on the Munros now that we live in Scotland, would love to join me on some of those more exposed ascents.