Le tengo miedo a las alturas.

Hola Paul L

In the sentence "Le tengo miedo a las alturas", the use of "le" is an example of a dativo de interés or dativo ético, which is a redundant indirect object pronoun often used in Spanish for emphasis or naturalness. The verb "tener miedo" (to be afraid) typically does not require an indirect object pronoun, but in many cases, speakers add "le" to reinforce the idea that fear is directed toward something.

In this case, "le" refers to "a las alturas", even though "a las alturas" is already explicit in the sentence. The presence of "le" does not change the meaning but adds a nuance commonly found in spoken Spanish. While "Tengo miedo a las alturas" is grammatically correct and widely understood, adding "le" is a stylistic choice that makes the sentence sound more idiomatic in certain regions.

For comparison, we often hear sentences like "Le tengo miedo a los perros" or "Le tienen miedo al cambio", where the "le" emphasizes the directed fear. Though not strictly necessary, this use of "le" is common and natural in many Spanish-speaking areas.

I hope this helps you understand better!

Saludos

Silvia