WALK THE LINE

I stare at the sea in the distance. The sun is high, the sky is blue and there is a cool breeze.

A seemingly idyllic scene, except for the fact that I am clinging onto a safety cord for dear life, stuck halfway in a rope bridge obstacle 20m in the air.

My arm muscles are burning and my legs, like jelly. I melodramatically wonder if blood is trickling down my hands. How on earth did I get myself into this situation? Oh right. I volunteered.

Making my way to the top

Earlier in the morning at Hendon Camp, I had been raring to conquer the HCC. After all, I didn't have a fear of heights.

"Easy lah," I thought, congratulating myself for picking this task. Boy, did I turn out to be wrong.

As its name implies, the HCC is meant to build up the confidence and coordination skills of trainees in manoeuvring calmly through various obstacles at height.

It is part of the Commandos' training syllabus, and comprises eight obstacles. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain in the morning, I only had time to try five.

In hindsight, that was the best luck I had all day.

On the wire

The first three obstacles were relatively simple to clear. After climbing up a ladder, I had to cross the Double Tension Wire Bridge.

This meant stepping onto two thin steel cables and making my way across while holding onto the safety cord and the cable above.

Resisting the almost overwhelming urge to look down is key. Even though I don t suffer from acrophobia, a quick glance down triggered instant anxiety.

After reaching the other side, it was time to run or, in my case, slowly climb up the Diagonal Steps. Think a truncated Apex Ladder in the Standard Obstacle Course, except higher. Much higher.

"This is pretty easy - you can just let go of the safety cord and walk up normally," said the HCC instructor.

Sadly, I wasn't brave enough. Afraid that my foot might slip through the gaps between the rungs, I ignored his advice and carefully ascended the steps with one hand firmly on the safety cord.

A long way down

Next up was the Balancing Log, where I walked across an open passageway between two towers.

This was a breeze to complete, albeit slightly terrifying if you start musing about the fact that there were no railings at the sides and nothing (besides the safety cord) to keep you from falling.

Of course, nothing much is likely to happen unless you somehow trip or fail to walk in a straight line.

We then had to rappel down the tower. "Wah lao, this isn't even one of the official HCC obstacles!" I thought indignantly. Making a smooth, controlled descent was much harder than the Commandos made it look - I couldn't quite brace my legs against the steep wall properly, and my feet slid awkwardly against the wall while I clutched the main rope.

Never was I happier to feel my feet touch the ground.

The worst, however, was yet to come.

High-wire act

"Erm, you go first!" I exclaimed, waving one of the trainees ahead.

The Double Rope Bridge stretched 30m from one tower platform to another across a wide water canal. At a height of about 20m, it is one of the highest obstacles in the course.

While the guys could grip the top rope in the palm of their hands comfortably, I was just too short. Even though my arms were fully extended, I was barely hanging onto the rope by my fingers.

Thus began the most uncomfortable sideways shuffle of my life. The wire rope cut painfully into my flesh, and I soon realised the folly of not wearing gloves.

Gritting my teeth, I tried my best to ignore the pain and continue moving slowly and steadily. As I approached the halfway point, the ropes became even further apart and it got harder and harder to hold on. Exhausted, I let go of the rope.

Can't let go

Of course, I didn't fall to my death. Clinging to the safety cord, which was attached to the top wire rope, I wondered if I should give up and wait to be rescued. The temptation to just quit was almost irresistible. Something in me, however, refused. "Must not lose face!"

After resting for a few minutes, I attempted to continue by another method: dragging the safety cord along the top rope.

Although it worked, the process was a slow and torturous one. There were times I almost slipped off the rope when it swayed too much. Somehow, I managed to keep my balance, and each wobbly step brought me closer to the end of the obstacle.

When I finally staggered onto the tower platform, there was no strength left in my body. My mouth was dry as dust, and my fingers were trembling uncontrollably from fatigue. Friction against the wire rope and safety cord left scrapes and a fine black powder-like coating on my hands. And I still wasn't done yet.

Feeling fly

"Just take a step forward and you'll launch from the Flying Fox automatically." Gulp. When struggling through the Double Rope Bridge, I hadn t noticed the height because I was too preoccupied with the pain in my hands. Now, standing at the edge and staring at the perilous drop down, I couldn't help getting a case of the jitters. Still, I hadn't come this far to back out at the last station. Taking a deep breath, I took the leap of faith.

The fear was instantly replaced by an adrenaline rush as I sped down on the Flying Fox, which simulates parachute jumps. When I landed, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. "I should try the real thing next time!"

Those foolish dreams of doing the Basic Airborne Course were dashed the next day, when I couldn t lift my arms from severe muscle ache. But if the opportunity ever knocks