D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0
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Montana is not the best place for
acrophobes. It has many stretches
of mountain ranges, peaks and cliffs
begging to be hiked or climbed to
enjoy the wide vistas and experience
the beauty of the great outdoors.
But there is one scramble-up which
terminates at a death-defying summit
with a 4000' or so drop straight
down toward beautiful, blue water,
enough to give the "willies" to even
the most accomplished trekkers. Mt.
Siyeh is one of eight summits in Gla-
cier National Park over 10,000 feet,
but the easiest to access, and if you
can stand on the edge overlooking
Cracker Lake you are most definitely
no longer acrophobic.
PHOBIAS
FACING
YOUR
7
GREAT
FEARS
AND
HOW
TO
OVERCOME
THEM!
IN
MONTANA
ACROPHOBIA:
FEAR
OF
HEIGHTS
A
LMOST EVERYONE HAS A PHOBIA OR TWO,
IF EVEN A MINOR ONE. Whether mild or severe,
phobias are a form of anxiety or outright fear of a spe-
cific thing or situation. One of the most non-drug related treat-
ments for phobia is "exposure therapy," a gradual de-sensitizing
of your fear coupled with relaxation techniques. Here are seven
of the most common phobias, and places in Montana where you
may well discover that you have conquered your phobia forever.
by BILL MUHLENFELD
illustrations by ROBERT RATH
