This Is My Brain on Rock Climbing - Issue 46 : Balance
▻http://nautil.us/issue/46/balance/this-is-my-brain-on-rock-climbing
We reached Thank God Ledge on the Regular Northwest Face, of Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome climb, by mid-afternoon. This 40-foot horizontal plank-like feature is the most famous part of the route: not for its physical difficulty, but for its stomach-churning exposure. When I reached it, the ledge looked undeserving of all the hype. All I had to do, it seemed, was walk right across it. No big deal.The edge of fear: My climbing partner, Alaina, crossing Thank God Ledge, a part of Yosemite’s Half Dome climb.Courtesy of the author The first few steps were, indeed, very easy. But then the ledge narrowed, and the slab of rock against my right side bulged out, seemingly pushing me out into the abyss. Scaredy-cat that I am, I quickly found myself on my knees, and I began to crawl. Then the ledge (...)