Gorge swing

If you look closely at this photo you'll see I'm not exactly happy. I had just jumped backwards off a cliff near Victoria Falls in Zambia. When I could bear to open my eyes, all I could see was the cliff falling away in front of me. I don't remember screaming, but according to this photo I did - unless it was one of those soundless screams. The swing at the end of the freefall was great and a couple of minutes later I had a huge grin on my face. After the climb back up the hill I had a red face. I had one go on my own, and one with a partner. I don't recommend sharing the swing - the jerk at the end of your freefall is pretty bad. You can fall off backwards (for the faint-hearted) or step off forwards, facing the gorge. I don't know whether it would be worse to watch the world fall away or step into a void. Despite still being scared the second time, I was determined to keep my eyes open. The compromise? I screamed my lungs out. And I remember that.