Switzerland!
Just like rock climbing, flying off cliffs doesn’t seem to get old, and having to travel to Europe to do it isn’t so bad either :). Europeans have giant cliffs coming out of their ears, and no prejudices about mountain sports, so they get a huge thumbs up. And a lot of tourist revenue from US jumpers. I suppose base jumpers should be thanking the NPS for petulantly denying all access to America’s biggest cliffs to our user group, as it forces us to travel and see new places, make new friends and taste new foods, all of which are good things.
This season in Lauterbrunnen, it seems to be all about the new suits. Wingsuit technology is advancing fast and with dramatic results. People want to fly further, faster and with a shorter start (the amount of distance you drop down before you can actually accelerate into flight). I have a V4 now, and though I’m still figuring it out, I can see already there is a real difference from my old V3. I like it!
We are staying in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland right now, one of the best spots on the planet for base jumpers, in a small house in Stechelberg, the Base House. From one of the nicest jumps in the valley, you can literally land in the yard, re-pack, walk 2 minutes to the cable car, ride up to the top of the cliff and do it again. Only Rifle has shorter approaches.
Of course there are plenty of bigger jumps that have bigger hikes, all around this area too. So for the last week, we’ve been heading out to Kandersteg Valley each morning and ending the day with a couple of quick Lauterbrunnen jumps. Viva Switzerland!
Love that video! It’s amazing how far you guys go! Instead of falling straight down to your death you get what must be one amazing ride. And you get so close to the cliffs too?? That’s a great video, it blows me away! Now I’ll read the write up, haha! Take care! 🙂