Last summer, while we were all having a good time at a pool party, a wild idea popped in my head and I enthusiastically stated that I would be celebrating my 30th birthday in Cabo! I'm sure many people have similar grand plans and exotic ideas for their milestone birthdays, many of which never come to fruition. Luckily, I have some of the most amazing, fun-loving, generous and thoughtful friends in the world, and they happily obliged my scheming. For the past year, we have been counting down the days in anxious anticipation of our beach vacation. On July 25, we finally found ourselves on the sandy shores of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! During our six-night stay, we spent plenty of time lounging by the pool, sipping frozen concoctions, and simply being "beach bums." Let's not forget though, that we are Fearless Femmes, and we could not leave Mexico without an adventure or two under our belts.
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| Fearless Femmes by the famous Arco in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico |
For our big adventure, we took a one-hour bus ride inland to an area where desert meets mountains, creating a unique ecosystem with rocky cliffs, ravines, canyons and lush greenery. The bus dropped us off at "base camp" where we were outfitted with helmets, harnesses, gloves, and all sorts of hooks, clips and carabiners. After signing an all-too-familiar liability waiver and receiving a brief orientation ("don't do this unless you want to dislocate your shoulder"), we were loaded into all-terrain vehicles and taken uphill, to the start of the course. We unloaded and started our hike through the woodsy trails that led us from one obstacle to another. These obstacles included seven or eight ziplines, a tight-rope bridge, a rickety footbridge (Indiana Jones style), a Tarzan swing, a rock wall climb and rappelling!
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| All geared up and ready for adventure! Notice the "OH MY GOD size" helmet required to fit my large dome :( |
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| Group pic of everyone in our tour group and our funny guides |
Our first runs on the zipline could be best described as cautious, with our vision focused strictly on the quickly-approaching landing platform. Our instructions were to place our dominant hand loosely around the rope behind us, and to press our palm down on the rope when it was time to slow down at the end of the line. I'm pretty sure we all burned through a few layers of the leather pads on our gloves because we were pumping the brakes longer and harder than we were supposed to. However, it wasn't long before we had all warmed up to the ziplining and progressed from insecure novices to speed-seeking aficionados, some even daring enough to take our eyes off the landing platform to appreciate the surrounding scenery. There were a few rough landings, but for the most part we all were pretty proficient. Our final zipline was over 1600 ft long and our guides informed us that we could reach speeds of up to 45 mph! The ziplining was definitely the highlight of the day. Even those with fears of heights said that it was much more enjoyable than they ever imagined it could be.
We were less fond of the bridges and specifically, their instability. It didn't help that our playful guides were taunting us by bouncing on the ropes and shaking the bridge. The general concensus on the rock wall climb was that it was easier than anticipated, and the Tarzan swing was simply a lot of fun. Surprisingly, rappelling came in close second as the favorite event of the day. It was also probably the proudest accomplishment amongst those who did it, as our initial concern was that this would be the most challenging and potentially terrifying of all the obstacles.
Unfortunately, Amy and I did not complete the rappelling as I had just suffered some sort
of "episode" brought on by the physical exertion of our hike, combined with the heat and being dehydrated, and was having trouble breathing. After resting for a few minutes and rehydrating, I was able to continue on, but didn't think the extended hike involved with the rappelling was in my best interest. Amy stayed with me, and we were able to do an additional zipline instead of the rappelling. This allowed us a great lookout from which we watched the other girls fly down that cliff. We were highly entertained as the sound of their screeches carried all the way across the canyon! I was super bummed that I was unable to complete the entire adventure, and embarrassed by my lack of physical stamina, but the girls, and our guides, were extremely understanding and compassionate. Thanks girls for taking care of me and for carrying on when I fell short. So proud of you all!
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| Alli on the rock wall climb |
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| Amy on the crazy ladder/wall climb |
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| Destiny on the Tarzan swing |
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| Jessi rappelling |
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| Meagan on the Tarzan swing (note Amy on the bridge in the background) |
Final verdict? Our Mexican outdoor adventure was a fantastic experience, in which we were being physically challenged and mentally thrilled, having fun, conquering fears, and making memories! From our guides, to the scenery, to the young kids in our group who fearlessly led the pack, every aspect of the day was unforgettable.
The rest of our week in Cabo wasn't so bad either . . .
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