You will quickly learn to respect Nature when She is wet
Sometimes you see a minor challenge that asks you “if you can’t handle me, what are you even doing here?” Sometimes this challenge is a disused rope bridge in a foreign country.
Ropes are steel cables, those won’t break. Anchors are deep in rock, seem solid. Steps are slippery AF, but you can wedge your feet right up against the anchoring wire, no problem. Only question is, do I trust my ability to stay balanced, stay calm, and keep moving forward?
Let’s do this.
The scariest part is the step that’s out. I manage to just stretch across to the 2nd step after, because I have long legs. HELL of a rush.
Trickiest part is maneuvering in/through the tree branches that have grown through the bridge. Less of a rush, but more interesting, and still delicate maneuvering. Bridge feels like it wants to flip once, but I’m not sure that’s actually possible? Pants get caught on bramble vines a couple times, they are no longer fit for general going-out. Super worth it.
Can’t cover the last dozen steps, as they are completely overgrown.
I gotta bail out, but fortunately I’m close enough now that I can lower myself between two steps and drop the last ~2 feet to the ground. No sweat!
Bad times - I’m now in the middle of densely overgrown bramble with no path home. Nature takes pity on fools—after 15 minutes slipping, scrambling, and sometimes crashing through underbrush I am sent a guide to lead me home. His name is Pico, and he remembers the treats I gave him earlier in the week. He herds me back to civilization.
As a reward to myself, I explore all the nooks and crannies of the retreat (more later!). One such triumph-treat is a big ol’ mossy boulder, a local maximum that gives me another 10’ height advantage over, like, anyone a few feet away from me. I am very aware that many injuries happen well after the period of maximum danger, when the victors are high on invincibility endorphins and forget to grease the chariot axle before disengaging the parking brake, or some shit. I am careful and all goes well.
After five minutes of surveying all the environs I possess, I descend to go check out other stuff. The moss on the rock forgot that I defeated it already, and therefore I didn’t have to encounter it again. I lose the roll for initiative, and my foot flies right out from me when I’m coming down, still high on life. After all that, I’m beaten up by an over-grown rock covered in wet, slippery moss. T_T I escape with a skinned elbow, bruised tricep, and slightly tweaked back. No lasting damage. Just enough to remind me not to get cocky.
Guys. No matter how safe you think you are, never ever forget. Always respect Nature when She is wet.