The thrill of rappeling

By on April 29, 2010

We never imagined what great outdoor adventure could be had until we tried rappelling!  Last weekend, my fiancée and I hopped in a bullet train from Tokyo to Annakaharuna station and headed for Mt. Haruna in Gunma prefecture.  

 

We were met by one of the AbseilingMe staff who drove us to the site and showed us a spectacular view of the mountains, valleys, rivers, and Lake Haruna.  Then we were ushered to the campsite 30 minutes later and welcomed by a cup of aromaful coffee while waiting to get a brief on the facilities.  Soon we found ourselves in what looked like a row of renovated bungalows where we dumped our bags and headed outdoors.  The weather was very agreeable and conducive to what we went there for as we watched Patric, the operations manager, demonstrate rappelling from the hills behind our cabin.  To feed our curious streak, we decided to give it a try and, before long,  found ourselves all buckled up, with a karabiner and a figure of eight.  We initially rappelled on a 30-meter slope, which most beginners can enjoy.  Daring ourselves for an upgrade to a 5-meter vertical wall, we tried normal, sideways, and even front abseiling. The overall experience appealed to our adventurous side.

 

After spending two hours of continuous rappelling, Patric asked us if we wanted something more thrilling to wrap up the adventure.  While our minds raced in excitement, mixed emotions and what-nots,  we indicated neither a nod of agreement nor refusal.  We just followed Patric, who guided us to the dam leading to the waterfalls site.  On reaching the campsite, the biggest challenge ever was right before our eyes:  should we or should we not try a depth of 12 meters?   I immediately did my math and started reviewing the endurance level of my harness in proportion to 90 kilos of weight!  We were told that the ¥12,000 each of us paid  covers a ¥500 million yen insurance package, two free meals and a half-day of abseiling.  

 

One thing’s for sure: we had a controlled descent.  Overall, the experience was empowering! 

 

If you are ready to experience the thrill, contact AbseilingMe at info@abseiling.me or 027-388-1799 and view www.abseiling.me for more details.


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