Threshold of fear

Just picture this; you're stopped on a cornice and are standing ready to launch into the steep slope or the chute below. No matter what kind of a skier you are, several issues are being considered in your mind for self-preservation sake: The sheer size and the overhang of the cornice, the grade of the slope below and the space left available to first absorb your landing and then make the necessary turns.

So whether you are a bona fide “extreme skier” or just a recreational, all-around athlete, each extra inch of overhang, each additional degree of inclination and each foot taken away in the breath of slope below, add to the anxiety that is felt by the skier ready to let go. Based on the dosage of these components, the extent of the fear that can be felt may be exactly the same for a wide number of folks with vastly different abilities; only the threshold may change. Same fear level under different circumstances, what a uniting concept!