This is a story about strangers meeting, going through dangers and a near death experience, before they hook up.
Zip line
Sacrificing yourself never paid such rewards.
After my divorce in my early thirties, I needed to not only find a new place to live, but a new job. So I took the first job in my field I could. Something more junior than my experience justified.
At the time, I thought nothing of it, but my prospective bosses questioned it until I explained about my situation. It quickly became apparent to my supervisor and my boss that I knew more about the job than they did combined. They seemed to assume I was planning to take their jobs. I took them aside individually and explained my situation. After they gave me their word, they'd not tell anyone else.
Not that I really fit in within the team. I was 32 and my boss 26. The average age was only about 24, mostly male and obsessed with sport. Growing up, I loved sport, but wasting my time watching others play it left me cold.
So I felt a little socially isolated at work. They were at the stage of going to the pub on a Friday after work. Getting drunk and trying to pick up women. I'd grown out of that and I only joined them a few times to try to fit in.
One day, I was zipping through my workload and overheard my boss talking to two colleagues. He was telling them about a new business venture his brother-in-law had started. It was an adventure trail, and they wanted to be amongst the first to try it out. When my boss noticed me listening, he hastily invited me as well.
Although he pointed out, it was quite physical, and it might be too much for me.
I reminded him I went to the gym 5 days a week.
I should explain that I've always been a big guy and when you're stuck in a loveless marriage, there are only so many ways to go. I went with eating and drinking too much, piling on the pounds. My wife took a different path. By sleeping with a few of my friends and a couple of neighbours.
My gym visits were to get myself back in shape, mostly by swimming, but not to look good for another woman. No, my divorce had left me emotionally sensitive and had no plans to let another woman into my life to crush my heart again. And given how my libido had died, it was no genuine sacrifice. I'd also grown a shaggy beard, which people said made me look at least 10 years older, as a defence against women showing an interest.
The boss explained that his brother-in-law had persuaded someone to grant him exclusive access to this area of private land. He'd guide small parties through it and we'd camp overnight and return the next day. I'd done my share of hiking, camping, and fishing as a kid, so it sounded interesting. And it might ingratiate me better within the team if I joined in. So I agreed to go with them next weekend.
When I arrived at the industrial estate on the edge of town, where the tours were based. I found our group composed of my boss and his wife, who I knew by sight, but had never talked to. Dave and Eric, my work colleagues, and Dave's girlfriend, Kate. She'd brought along one of her friends called Heather. I instantly got the vibe that Kate was trying to set up Heather with my colleague, Eric. I also got the impression Heather wasn't that interested.
Kate struck me as a little prissy to be roughing it and camping. She was short and curvy, even a little overweight, and had a heck of a lot of makeup for a camping trip. Heather was tall and slim to the point of skinny. But at least she had a decent pair of hiking boots. With her jet black hair, she gave off a Goth chick air.
Mike was our guide and a few years older than me, and his wife would drive us in a minibus to and from our destination.
We were each given a light backpack with a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and a one-man tent. On top of that, we had water bottles and a little food. I'd brought my gear, but figured it looked better if I used their kit. My one compromise was to slip the survival tin from my pack into the chest pocket of my shirt. I doubted I'd need it, but if you have one, you might as well take it.
Kate had a little fit when she realised that she had to carry her backpack, as she'd had a bag with multiple changes of clothes and makeup. Mike explained we were supposed to be roughing it, and I wondered if she'd just walk out on us. But ultimately, she just jammed some essentials into her backpack and grumbled.
It was a couple of hour's drive to where we'd be hiking. The guide explained how the entire area had been mined for a couple of hundred years and they only stopped at the last mine 60 years ago. So we had to watch our footing in the lower sections. However, the area was an enclosed river valley with cliffs on either side. We'd hike up towards the head of the valley to a great waterfall and cross the river and come down the other side.
I wasn't sure what part of that counted as an adventure, but kept my mouth shut. It didn't seem right to complain before I'd even seen it. And when we got there and stood on the edge of the cliffs, it was visually impressive. The river must have carved the valley from a softer rock, leaving steep cliffs on either side. Looking down the valley, I could just make out some old industrial buildings quite some way off.
Our guide, however, led us down a hand-cut path down to the valley floor and then we followed the river up the valley. In less than an hour, Kate was complaining about almost everything. Her pack was too heavy, her legs were tired and her feet were sore. I caught Mike's gaze, and we shared the 'I was expecting this' look.
Heather, however, seemed perfectly content. By unspoken agreement, I'd taken up the last place in line to make sure we didn't lose anyone. Because the rocky ground was uneven, we needed to watch our footing, which meant I spent most of the slow ascent looking at Heather's bum.
Several times, we had to stop or slow down for Kate. I could tell most of the others were getting a little annoyed with her. God knows what she'd be like tomorrow after a night in a tent.
I'll agree the waterfall at the head of the valley was impressive, but after over 3 hours of constant climbing, I was glad we'd got to the top. The cliff on either side of the valley was less than 100 feet apart and the waterfall cascaded down perhaps 50 feet in a series of small steps. This was where we discovered the first part of the 'adventure'.
Between a sturdy tree on our side of the river, and another on the other side, was a steel zip-line. It was about 50 feet long and dropped by maybe 15 feet. It was hard to gauge it, but it was quite impressive. You'd stand on the rocks about 30 feet above the river and step off and drop suddenly on the slack in the cable, and shoot across the river.
I'd done this sort of thing before and checked out the setup and was pleased to see everything seemed sound. Even the bark of the tree had protection to stop the cable from damaging it.
Mike was explaining how we'd each be strapped into a harness hung from a pulley and step off the cliff. There was a brake on the pulley to slow us down and we'd gently get to the other side. Then he'd haul the pulley and harness back for the next person. Once everyone but him was over, he'd send over the backpacks and we'd continue down the other side of the valley.
When he called for volunteers, it went rather silent, until I chuckled and offered to sacrifice myself for the team. That got a laugh as I slipped off my backpack and Mike got me into the harness. We both checked and double checked the straps and he showed me how to operate the brake. One hand on the cord that operated it and the other on the straps.
Even though I'd done this sort of thing before, standing over a long drop over a raging torrent of water, and intentionally stepping off, is not a natural thing. My heart was beating faster as I stepped off and fell about six feet, then I was hurtling across the river and picking up speed. I eased on the brake a little and zipped across the river. I wondered if I had pulled the brake too hard if I'd end up doing a 'Boris Johnson' at the Olympics in 2012 when he got stuck.
But all too quickly, I was over and pulled the brake to bring me to a gentle halt, as Mike had predicted. I could see everyone else looked relieved that I'd made it look so easy. But it didn't mean they were all clamouring to go next. It seemed the guys were covering their unease by playing the chivalry card. 'After you' to the ladies. The way Kate was looking, I suspected she might bolt back down the valley than do it.
Then Heather stepped up and Mike hauled back the pulley and harness and strapped her in. From the way he was checking the straps, I wondered if his wife knew how intimate he was with his guests. Relying on their fear, to overlook his ogling. With the sound of the roaring water, I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I saw him showing her the brake and when to use it.
She nodded, but looked scared. He led her to the edge of the cliff, and with the return rope in one hand. Used the other to count down from three to one and then gave her a little push. She let out a squeal as she dropped and both hands gripped on to the harness, abandoning the brake.
Suddenly, everything went into slow motion. I glanced at the tree they attached the cable to. Realising if she hit it at full speed, she could be seriously hurt. I started to move to intercede. Mike was panicking on the other side and was bracing himself against the return rope to slow her. I worried it might drag him off the cliff and into the river.
The moment the rope went taught, however, it snapped without hardly slowing Heather down. The look of panic on her face was intense, and I realised I had to do what I could to save her. No matter what it cost me.
I stood in her path and raised my arms in front of me. Aiming to lessen the impact if I could catch her shoulders first, then let my arms bend to slow her down. Considering I'd thought of that in a fraction of a second, it's hardly surprising it didn't work.
She was higher than I'd expected and I, as sure as hell, didn't want my hand to grab her boobs by mistake. I adjusted my aim just before she hit, but I'd neglected to account that I might slow her top half, but the bottom would swing towards me. The one saving grace was she didn't quite kick me in the balls. Instead, her knee crashed hard into my thigh and the other swung higher and impacted with my hip.
