The View Was Worth the Fear

I always thought the hardest part of climbing was the physical stuff—grip, breath, the ache in your arms. But halfway up the Old Man of Hoy, with the wind clawing at my jacket and my legs shaking, I realized it’s the waiting that gets you. The pause before the next move, the silence between shouts. We stopped on a ledge that barely fit us. The view was absurd—sea, sky, cliffs that looked fake. But all I could think about was how small I felt, and how much I wanted to be somewhere safe. Sometimes, the best view isn’t about beauty. It’s about admitting you’re scared, and staying anyway. #FearAndWonder #ClimbingTruths #TravelConfessions #Travel