I could feel my heart beating fast when I glanced down the 165 ft ledge. Was I really doing this? Apparently so. I had seen a few others do it already, and they survived, so that was a plus. There was a cool breeze playing with the trees and mist in the air from the waterfall that was rushing below the platform we were standing on. We were in a rainforest – birds chirping and sloths hanging out in the trees. My brand new husband was standing next to me, and I was suddenly very happy we had already married…you know….just in case these were my last moments. The guide clipped my harness to the rope, and I tip-toed to the edge. I felt my breath catch when I peeked down. He looked at my reassuringly, with a grin plastered on his face. He told me to turn around, and I obeyed. Then he suggested that I hang precariously over the edge. Holy crap. As I was dangling over the waterfall, he asked me if I remembered how to stop myself and what to do. Yep. At least I thought I knew what I was supposed to do. I had no idea what it would feel like. Well, there is a first time for everything. I jumped backwards off the cliff.
Exhilarating. Amazing. Heart-stopping.
My feet gripped the wet rocks, and I looked down as the waterfall raced past. Wow.
165 foot drop
I had never done anything like this before, and it was an amazing experience. First of all, the sign up and customer service were great. My husband and I were staying at the Arenal Nayara in Costa Rica, and neither of us could speak fluent Spanish. We were able to book this adventure from our hotel (I booked online in advance because I am a planner, but you can also book once you arrive), and the Pure Trek group picked us up at the hotel and brought us to our destination. The guide was informative and easy to understand. They gave us a safety speech and a brief description of what to do, and basically said okay…hold on, turn around, hang off the edge, and jump down this 165 ft drop. Bye! No practice jump. Ah!
Having no idea what to expect, I basically trusted that the guides knew what they were doing. And they did! It took a minute to get the hang of it, but I never felt worried about my safety. I was able to go down at the same time as my husband (who had done this sort of thing before), and he helped to give me tips along the way. We repelled right down a waterfall, and while I have seen many a waterfall hiking, there is no way to describe the experience of repelling down one. It was fun, exhilarating, and a once in a lifetime experience (hopefully it will be a multiple times in a lifetime experience, because I really want to go back!). We did a half day canyoning, and the adventure included lunch afterwards. Canyoning with Pure Trek is definitely a must do if you are in the La Fortuna area!
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