BASE jumping can be traced as far back as 900 years. Whether or not the ancient pioneers of the sport survived to make more than one jump is unknown. Today BASE jumping is a rapidly growing sport with professionally organised competitions, legal jumping sites all around the world, increasing sophisticated jumping styles and photography and probably most important - the development of BASE specific equipment and training.
BASE is an
acronym for the four categories of fixed objects BASE jumpers launch from - Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges) and Earth (cliffs). Modern
BASE jumping (and man's obsession with flying) has a rich and fascinating history. To
read about it click here.
BASE jumping is potentially dangerous. It should never be undertaken without the correct training and equipment. Anyone considering making a BASE jump should contact Vertigo BASE Outfitters for advise on the skills and technology required.
Briefly the vast majority of BASE jumpers start out skydiving - one to two hundred skydives is the recommended prerequisite before beginning BASE training. It has been suggested that more skydives than that may actually make it more difficult to take up BASE because very experienced skydivers have strong beliefs about the height it is acceptable to jump from)
BASE training must have strong freefall skills particularly in
subterminal air as correct body position is critical to safe deployment of
the canopy. Poor body position can result in off-heading openings (one of the
most dangerous situations a BASE jumper will face) and other potentially life
threatening malfunctions.
BASE jumpers
also need excellent canopy skills. The ability to turn the
canopy around quickly should it open off heading (facing the object) and
land in tight areas is mandatory. A thorough knowledge of how to deal with all possible malfunctions is also a prerequisite.
Packing is also
critical as there is usually no reserve canopy in the case
of a malfunction. Vertigo make a BASE rig with a reserve (called the
Sorcerer). The BASEClimb 2 Team used these rigs for the Hot Air Balloon
training segment in August 2000.
Heather's training
schedule - listed below was (to our knowledge) the most comprehensive training program undertaken for BASE jumping.
For more detailed information about each segment of the BASEClimb 2 project
see Diary of an Expedition.
Objective: Practice
BASE launches so Heather becomes familiar with:-
1. The sensation
of 'ground rush' experienced when jumping relatively low to the ground (compared
to a parachute jump).
2. The sensation of jumping into sub-terminal air.
3. The correct launch technique - body position, head up, shoulders square,
good arch.
Objective - For Heather to obtain A, B & C Licences making at least 100
skydives, to enhance her flying skills, competency & accuracy with canopy
control & emergency procedures.
Objective - For
Heather to perfect her BASE exits in sub terminal air in a real jumping situation.
To practice pilot chute activation in stowed and unstowed situations, timed
openings, two and three way exits, canopy control, off drop zone landings,
emergency procedures and BASE rig packing.
Objective - Heather's
first BASE jumps from a 480 foot bridge (the goal is for Heather to do 20 jumps
from the Bridge to perfect the techniques learned previously).
Objective - to
comprehensively research the launch site on Mt Ama Dablam. To make a helicopter
jump from 21,000 feet to test all equipment prior to the main expedition in
March/April 2001. This research and training expedition will allow the team
to make any equipment and training modifications necessary, well before the
World Record attempt.
After regaining
currency at Perrine Bridge the Team travels to Moab for Heather to make about
20 BASE jumps from the cliffs around Moab Utah in order to introduce and develop
competency jumping from a cliff.
Objective - for
the team to practice 'big wall' BASE jumps, multiple exits and camera jumps.
