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Ani Zocher:
Pilgrims' Stories
Classic IP 2003,
by Ilana Jolson, CRUSY
I looked down and the twisted nauseous feeling in my stomach intensified. Itzik, our Israeli medic was
standing 50 feet below us, looking up and waving. I was strapped up in a harness, all ready, with my
helmet on. My friends told me it wasn’t so bad, in fact they wanted to go again. I held my breath and
looked down another time, now my gaze passed Itzik, as I visually made my way to the bottom, the ground.
It was 500 meters down from where I stood, at the top of the Ramon crater, in the middle of the Negev.
Now, 500 meters is enough to shake someone, even if they aren’t incredibly afraid of heights, like I am.
My task was simple, to rappel down the side of the crater until I reached Itzik. He was there, ready to
help me and catch me should I come falling...
Ever since the first itinerary arrived in the mail, this was the one part of USY Classic Israel
Pilgrimage that I had been dreading. I had already confronted my fear of heights several times before this
while on Pilgrimage, and everyone was very supportive of me. In all the youth hostels we stayed at, I
never once had to sleep on a top bunk bed. (Yes, even that scares me, and I always a struggle to get down
from the top!) Despite all this, I was determined to make it down the mountain to Itzik. I refused to back
down from any challenge over the summer, certain that I would regret the missed opportunity later in life.
When it was finally my turn, Omar, our desert experience guide, strapped me down, and told me all I had
to do was lean out with my feet flat against the rock, and release part of the rope. It was easy. I walked
to the edge of the crater, said the Shema (really, I did!), and turned towards Omar. “Go,” he commanded. I
couldn’t. I screamed, and then just froze. Too hysterical to realize what was happening, I swung my leg
down, onto the side of the rock. After five more minutes of screaming, my second leg joined the first and
I realized I was over the edge. I had stepped back off the side of the massive crater!
I went a few more steps, and Omar asked me if I wanted to go back up. Looking at the protruding rock
separating me from him, I had my doubts. Then my feet lost their bearing, and I was swinging like a
pendulum. (This was the most terrifying experience of my life!) After a long panic, I regained my footing,
and made it down. When I first felt the ground, I was overcome with relief. And when Itzik finally
unhooked me, I was shaking so much he thought I really would fall down the crater. But I had done it.
After that, I knew I could handle anything... even Gadna.
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