on thursday i did rappelling. it was pretty cool.

first we did it from a cliff, walking down. then we tried it from the airborne tower in camp which was more fun, 'cos its meant to simulate rappelling from a chopper; so you don't walk down - rather you slide down the rope all the way without touching the tower wall - 'roping', its called.

most everyone - myself included, i'm not scared to say - was pretty scared at first, especially looking down - you have to look under your arm to make sure the rope is clear. then getting into "L-shape" - your rappelling posture - is pretty uh-oh too. and kicking off from the simulated helicopter skids was the worst part. logically, your brain is telling you you're perfectly safe. but still, it flies against all your instincts to just throw yourself backwards into thin air. but once you're on your way down, though, its cool.

's really unfair, too. my platoon won't be going for the live task - rappelling down a real chopper. stupid budget cuts or whatever.