Time to photograph my feet before going out and registering to take part, and joining the 2 hour psych up session and then WALK ON FIRE. I've got my map ready so I know where to go and I'm now getting quite excited.
Well, I've wanted to do a firewalk for a while, and the chance came up to do one for the Fossey Foundation, so I signed up sharpish and set about raising some money.
I'm worrying not about the hot coals, not about getting burnt but about the psych up session. I'm firmly in the scientific camp when it comes to firewalking believing that the poor conductivity of carbon and the leidenfrost effect are going to keep me safe. Why am I worrying about the psch up session then ? Well I might hear some things I disagree with quite strongly and I don't want to ruin things for the other walkers.
Thats a lot of faith in physics there, I mean these coals are up at 500ºC (1000ºF) you must be pretty certain. Well yes but then I did spend a lot of time in the undergrad physics lab playing with liquid nitrogen. The leidenfrost effect will quite happily let you plunge your arm into liquid nitrogen (boiling at -190ºC (-400ºF)) so I've been there before.
So here I am with 24 hours to go and I'm worrying about my hairy toes, I have some experience of fakir "stunts" and know its the little things that matter every time. Having had a bit of fire eating experience I KNOW what the wick effect is, and how it feels (unpleasant mostly) so do I shave my toes or not?
Decision made; it might be unatrual, but its safer so the toes have been shaved.
I'm now really worried about the psych up session since one of my so called friends has suggested that group hugs might be involved, still a full day at work to fret about hugging strangers and chanting
Just to satisfy the mystic side I've asked the geek's favourite oracle, the Magic 8 ball if it thinks my feet will burn, happily it answers "I doubt it "
Still not bothered about the hot coals, but it looks like rain, that might ruin things
Time to photograph my feet before going out and registering to take part, and joining the 2 hour psych up session and then WALK ON FIRE. I've got my map ready so I know where to go and I'm now getting quite excited.
Well I've arrived at the site , signed the release form which includes a non-disclosure agrement about the psych up session and been directed up the stairs to room 23 I met a few unexpected friends and headed into the seminar
Well halfway throught the training and its outside to see the fire, not nervous at all now(it was actually a bit bigger than the picture which was taken about 30 minutes later), another hour of training and I'm going to be walking on that COOL.
What can I say about this, I still wasn't too worried about getting burnt. I was however wondering if I'd appear "up" enough, not to bumped off the bed of coals for saftey reasons. So what does walking on hot coals feel like? Well a lot like warm sand, its very comfortable surprisingly, and yes I would do it again.
Well I've walked back home and my little toe is definately scorched, its not painful but its not comfortable, think a slight cookery scorch and your bang on. No blistering but its definatley red...
Looks just like before doesn't it ? Felt just like before too
Apologies if you think firewalking is much more spiritual than I've presented it, but I did warn you up at the top, a quick search will reveal what the webs more mystical thinkers made of the experience. If you want to have a go yourself, this walk was organised by blaze in nottingham through the nottingham branch of forbidden planet.
Finally thanks to everyone who gave money to the gorillas