In terms of the scariest things I’ve ever done, climbing the cables to the top of Half Dome ranks right behind running off a cliff in Peru and paragliding. It ranks right ahead of cliff jumping in the Galapagos. The common denominator? Height. I don’t even like climbing step ladders!

Not sure if these pictures capture it, but it’s the best I can do. And yes, that’s me wearing a cowboy hat. It’s my hiking hat.

At the top of the cables, someone had etched a saying into the rock: if you can do this, you can do anything. It felt like it. I definitely had to face my fear of heights, but if you run away from your fears you’ll be running your entire life. You’ve got to face them, confront them, challenge them, stare them down and take them down.