That was one of the most horrifying thing I've seen in a while. I have a serious problem with heights, which was FUN (not!) when in Army ROTC I had to rappel off a 100 ft tower. I was terrified witless, but I went down the fast way and nearly passed out as soon as my feet hit the grass. So being petrified at 100 feet means that I could never go higher than that (heck, I only went that high because I had a sergeant screaming at me the entire time!).
When people asked, I told them the only fun part of that job was not doing it anymore. You really can get used to it, so you are only nervous, not terrified. But then you go on vacation or don't climb for a few days, after a weekend and then you have to go back up.
It all starts over. At the top, did your thighs get really tight? My legs would always act like they didn't want to get going (they were the smart part of my body, apparently) and my knees were difficult to bend.