Headed up this weekend to Cold Springs, NY, to climb Breakneck Ridge, one half of the Wind Gate northern gateway (along with New Jersey’s Storm King Mountain, across the river) to the Hudson Highlands.

Aptly named, Breakneck’s apparently the most challenging hike in the Highlands, as it starts with a steep, semi-technical rock-climbing scramble that ascends nearly 1300 feet in three-quarters of a mile. The trail map warns it’s suited only for experienced hikers in excellent physical condition, and not for those with a fear of heights.

In my own case, I’m actually pretty pettrified of heights. But I also climbed throughout my youth as a way to push past that fear. So it was with familiar butterflies in my stomach that I pulled myself up boulders and ledges, trying to stay towards the sides which didn’t terminate on several-hundred foot drops.

And, in the end, we made it up to the top in one piece, then back down the beautiful and (relatively) meandering descent in blazing time, finishing the hike (usually estimated at 3.5-4 hours) in just 2.5 hours, to beat the setting sun.

It’s been too long since I last headed out to the woods around NYC, and this made an excellent point of return. Apropos enough, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, indeed.