one rung at a time

For the second part of the hike at Bandelier National Monument, I was encouraged by the Park Rangers to visit Alcove House. It was about a mile further on the trail separate from the other cliff dwellings.

I did not anticipate was how high 140 feet up a cliff wall would look. There were 4 sets of ladders, each tilted about 60-70 degrees against the hot sandstone wall leading to the home at the rim of the divide. 😳

I experience vertigo at certain heights, and saw no failsafes if one were to slip while ascending. No turning back now, right? After putting on headphones with tranquil music, the ascent proceeded, one careful maneuver at a time. Looking up or down would freak me out, so I fixed my gaze straight ahead at the rock wall scrolling down with each step up a rung of the ladder. 1, 2, 3, 4… synced to the ambient drum track in my ears.

Finally I was at the top in the Alcove House, enjoying the breeze, and looking over the canyon for 10-15 minutes. It was worth the struggle to get there.