Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
FeelioBabar
climber
Sneaking up behind you...
|
|
|
Jun 19, 2008 - 06:54pm PT
|
do they clank when you walk? Must be a hassle with the metal detectors too. Proud.
|
|
Redwreck
Social climber
Los Angeles, CA
|
|
|
Jun 19, 2008 - 07:07pm PT
|
Hahahaha nutters. Nicely done.
|
|
blacksun
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, California
|
|
|
Jun 19, 2008 - 07:17pm PT
|
*drool*
...
*poop*
|
|
nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
|
|
|
Jun 19, 2008 - 08:30pm PT
|
now that's called livin' folks, step right up and grab your share.
|
|
MisterE
Social climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
|
Jun 20, 2008 - 10:21am PT
|
Absolutely amazing!
Fiction, Anders?
|
|
Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
|
|
|
Jun 20, 2008 - 12:49pm PT
|
I was just trying to throw any Miss Grundys off the scent, in case there were any bureaucrabs or civil serpents around who didn't approve of bungee jumping in the Valley. They haven't always been open to such things.
Glad to hear that the feat was "pre-cleared" - pretty impressive stuff. It sounds like the jumpers had experience. It'd be awful exciting to jump from Half Dome's visor for your first jump.
|
|
PWScottIV
Trad climber
Arroyo Grande, CA
|
|
|
Jun 25, 2008 - 10:45pm PT
|
It's super lame that BASE jumping isn't allowed in the park... How the hell can the park service determine that doing this (or free soloing) is automatically less dangerous than BASE. Crazy.
|
|
GaryV
climber
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 01:09pm PT
|
There was at least one earlier bungee jump from Half Dome.
Myself, Rich Grigsby and David Davies climbed the Regular NW Face of Half Dome in late August 1986. We did what was usual at the time, hiked in and fixed the first four pitches, then slept at the base and started the climb the next day, hoping to make Big Sandy by nightfall. We didn't quite make it to Big Sandy, and spent a fitful night on sloping ledges at the top of the chimney system. Anxious to get out of the chimney and up to Big Sandy, we were on the move at first light...
It was my lead. Groggy, I climbed a short, steep face and was happy to see the chimney system becoming more of a ramp. I'm about 100' from Dave and Rich when suddenly, the sound of a huge falling something roars past my ear. What-in-the...?? As another something roars by, I'm reacting, adrenalin flowing, I'm thinking someone on top of Half Dome is pushing car size rocks over the edge. But there is no sound of rockfall. No small pebbles. No rockfall smell.
David yells something from below. Confused, I look down as two chutes pop into view. As soon as it had become light enough to see, two base jumpers had lept from the top of the Dome. Their chutes had opened 200-300 feet below us and more than half way down the face. Wow!
After awhile I continued to climb. Still adrenalized, I glanced upward to the Visor, a jutting point of rock that overhangs the northwest face. This must have been where the base jumpers launched themselves.
As I gazed upward another body hurled itself over the edge. Writhing and flailing, this base jumper was in BIG trouble! The body was aimed at me. Instinctively, I pushed into the wall as close as I could. It was going to be close.
Nothing happened. I looked up to see the body, still flailing, but bouncing upward! It was a bungee jumper!
Feeling somewhat stodgy and earthbound, and always looking upward, we continued to Big Sandy Ledge.
Gary Valle
|
|
the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2008 - 02:33pm PT
|
Interesting Gary, altough it was likely a rope jump, not a bungee jump.
The Dangerous Sports Club out of Oxford England started bungee jumping in 1979, and came to the US to jump the Golden Gate and the Royal Gorge bridge in Colorado in the next year or two.
Then in 1988, John and Peter Kockelman of Palo Alto, Calif., formed the first commercial bungee organization and started jumping in No. California.
I haven't heard of anyone bungee jumping in the US between those times.
It's still notable either way. I have talked to a lot of people and haven't heard of any other rope or bungee jumps off the visor.
|
|
the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2008 - 02:41pm PT
|
As I understand it the ban on BASE jumping has more to do with the experience of other people vs. the safety of the person doing the activity.
The park service doesn't want brightly colored parachutes drifting down from El Cap, Half Dome, etc. when people are taking pictures, etc. and they don't want the jumpers endangering other people.
Personally I wish there was at least one day a year where BASE was allowed.
|
|
Sender
Trad climber
Truckee
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 03:05pm PT
|
They did and a poor lady fell to her death in front of everybody:(
So much for that idea....
|
|
Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 03:20pm PT
|
Was this like some of the Base jumps I've seen done, where you had to rig the apperatice quickly, jump, then dismantle the apperatice and mosey?
Or was it more relaxed?
Seems to have been a real treat.
Congrats or whatever is called for. And thanks for the story.
Oh, yeah.. Wasn't this the first BJ off of HD?... BJ = Bungee Jump... Not the other.. Mind out of gutter! LOL
|
|
Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 03:28pm PT
|
In a sense, every climber who has ever taken a fall on Half Dome was bungee jumping. Except those who may have been unroped, by choice or accident.
|
|
AlanSpero
Trad climber
Ramona CA
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 04:14pm PT
|
This may have been the first bungee jump off half dome, but it isn't the first time someone has jumped off the top while tied to the end of a rope.
Way way back in 1977, I was at the base of the NW face getting ready to do the std route when I heard a scream. I looked up to see someone falling from the lip of the face. While I was watching in horror the falling person suddenly stopped his descent ended up hanging from the end of a rope. I looked to me like he had simply tied a 50 meter rope to an anchor on top, attached the other end to his harness, and jumped off the lip. After a bit of swinging (and a lot of howling and shouting) the person started jugging back up the rope and eventually disappeared from my view as he reached the top. I thought I had seen it all!
|
|
GhoulweJ
Trad climber
Sacramento, CA
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2008 - 04:43pm PT
|
1986 = Rope Jump... More ballsy than a bungee in my honest opinoin.
I was creating Bungee gear in the early days in American bungee jumping and have to say we talked about bungee jumping Half Dome, but never did it... As for a rope jump, give me a rubber cord.
FET, very cool you did it... NICE!
|
|
the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2008 - 05:22pm PT
|
Was this like some of the Base jumps I've seen done, where you had to rig the apperatice quickly, jump, then dismantle the apperatice and mosey? Or was it more relaxed? Seems to have been a real treat.
It was relaxed. We were making sure we did everything as safe as possible. It WAS a real treat, less scary, but more fun than I predicted (for me anyway).
More ballsy than a bungee in my honest opinoin.
I'm actually a pretty cautious person. Lots of people are braver than me! I felt very confident and it was very thrilling but I never felt in too much danger. The rubber in the bungee cord is about the same strength as a climbing rope. One aspect that added danger was the possiblity of rebounding up into the Visor which would be much less likely with a rope jump. Rope jumps have the advantage of much less weight to deal with on the approach, and a longer free fall. But bungee has a MUCH smoother ride, and the rebounds are as fun or more fun than the initial jump, give me rubber too!
|
|
Hardy
Sport climber
Tyrol, Austria
|
|
|
Jun 27, 2008 - 07:26am PT
|
nice, very impressive man
greets from tyrol
Hardy
|
|
Ezra
Trad climber
WA, NC
|
|
|
Jun 27, 2008 - 09:51am PT
|
WoW ! I think i may have lost it!
-e
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!