Extreme Ways of Conquering Everest: Helicopter, Shanks Pony, Skis

Have you seen this? Not quite an extreme sport when going in by air, but an extreme endeavour and an extreme helicopter perhaps.  

On 14th May 2005 history was made when, at 07h08 (local time), a serial Ecureuil/AStar AS 350 B3 piloted by the Eurocopter X-test pilot Didier Delsalle; landed at 8,850m (29,035ft) on the top of Mount Everest. This achievement breaks the record for the highest altitude landing and take-off ever. It was done as a kind of publicity stunt by Eurocopter, the maker of the helicopter, but it has huge implications for future ascents of the highest peaks.

Stepping out of his helicopter; Didier Delsalle commented “To reach this mythical summit definitively seemed to be a dream, despite the obvious difficulties of the target to be reached; the aircraft demonstrated its capability to cope with the situation…. sublimated by the magic of the place.”

 Thanks to bajarunner for the video.

This is the other, hitherto and still more normal way to do it, shanks pony, thanks to rahulrathan for this video of an immensely satisfying achievement:

And finally, and remembering that this is an extreme sport site, here’s a video of the ultimate extreme adventurer, the Japanese alpinist, Yuichiro Miura, attempting to ski down Everest. It’s not only the ski-ing that’s an achievement… bear in mind he had to carry his skies up initially to be able to ski down! Thanks to YummyDVD for the video:

However, since Yuichiro Miura made the attempt, Everest has been successfully skied by Slovenian climber Davo Karnicar It took Karnicar four days to reach the summit of 29,035-foot Mount Everest, but only five hours to come down – on skis.

With a camera on his helmet and without ever taking off his skis, the 38-year-old ski instructor made it from the summit to the base camp at 17,500 feet on Oct. 7, 2000, becoming the first person to complete the whole trip in one run.

Karnicar put his skis on at the summit, 29,028 feet above sea level, before heading for the base camp, more than two miles below. The 38-year-old Slovenian skier made three stops on his way down: one to fix the camera on his helmet, one to meet other members of the climbing expedition and one before skiing down the Icefall – a journey under ice blocks that can unexpectedly break and fall at any time.

“I want to celebrate and feel the success for the rest of my life. This is just great,” Karnicar told The Associated Press on Monday after returning from the mountain.

Thanks to bvirc for putting this video on youtube.

Would You Ever Bungee Jump?

Somebody described it as ‘the ultimate leap of faith’… and it is an apt description. Extreme in the extreme, unnatural without doubt, crazy is in there somewhere, mad too – but an adrenaline thrill? … YES!!!

It is interesting how many articles I read which says – this IS the highest bungee jump. Just yesterday in the Jack Osbourne research, they claimed that the dam wall which features in the James Bond movie ‘Goldeneye’ was the highest bungee jump in the world – but I have it on good authority (Guinness Bood of Records) that Bloukrans Bridge just east of Plettenberg Bay, South Africa IS the highest jump in the world at 216m (710ft).

So what is the truth behind all these claims? 

The Verzaska dam wall, the James Bond one, near Locarno, Switzerland claims to be 220m (720ft).

There is an even higher jump though, but it is a commercial one – the Macau Tower in Macau, S.A.R. China, is 233m (760ft).This jump, however, does not qualify as the world’s highest bungee as it is not strictly speaking pure bungee, but instead what is referred to as a ‘Decelerator-Descent’ jump. The bridge at Bloukrans and the Verzasca Dam jumps are pure freefall swinging bungee from a single cord, while the Macau Tower jump has a secondary cable which controls descent and trajectory, thereby failing to take the place in the record books.

Thanks to wownnames for this video.

Guinness only records jumps from fixed objects to guarantee the accuracy of the measurement. John Kockleman however recorded a 2,200-foot (670 m) bungee jump from a hot air balloon in California in 1989. In 1991 Andrew Salisbury jumped from 9,000 feet (2,700 m) from a helicopter over Cancun for a television program and with Reebok sponsorship. The full stretch was recorded at 3,157 feet (962 m). He landed safely under parachute.

One commercial jump higher than all others is at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado. The height of the platform is 321 metres (1,053 ft). However, this jump is rarely available, and only as part of the Royal Gorge Go Fast Games—first in 2005, then again in 2007.

So, that’s that one sorted out. Officially it does appear that the Swiss jump is the highest and I suppose it is only a matter of time before the Guinness Book of Records updates this entry… Thank you to Wikepedia for the clarification.

So, would you travel to the ends of the world to do the ultimate bungee jump?

Then don’t forget Victoria Falls. Although no longer the highest, at 111m…

second gorge with bridge and third gorge on right

… it is still the most spectacular. The setting – plunging head first into the Batoka Gorge, must rate as one of Africa’s most iconic adventures. My vote for the best setting is still Victoria Falls.