Cliff jumps

[MT]

What is the best method for jumping 300' cliffs, is a PC assist totally necessary. It's over land (barely).

[imported_mknutson]

300' is no altitude to be figuring anything out!
You need to know by going to bigger cliffs first.

[MT]

Fully intend doing so Mick. Norway, Magland and other all before I even attempt it I'm just enquiring.

[imported_mknutson]

I would suggest focusing on riser control on your canopy. Visualize the deployment sequence when you are in freefal and practice getting your hands in place to immediately grap your risers.

You need to minimize the amount of time from opening to you actually being able to give riser input.

At 300' with a PCA, you will have to be ready to immediately turn your canopy left or right. There will be little or no time to think about it durring that jump. So, think about it now. When you take a running launch off Megland and pull a 3-4 second delay, you be clear enough from the wall to have time to react to a 180.

When you do this jump. Try turning 90 left with the risers on one jump that has an on heading opening. Then try to turn right with the risers.

Practice!!!
300' is fun when you know how to handle it.
Good luck, be safe.

Mick

[guest]

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-99 AT 12:42&nbsp;PM (EST)</font></center>

Hello MT,

There's a point in the sky where it sounds riskier, but free falling may be better than any type of assisted deployment in certain circumstances.

Here's why.

There is an eerie commonality in 18 out of 28 BASE fatalities that appear on "The List." (I received many updates I haven't correlated yet, so don't use 28 as a total).

Non-BASE jumpers figure hitting the ground is our main problem, but in reality the last major event in the above 18 lives is preceded by an object strike. So doing anything you can to avoid that catastrophe gives you an edge.

Now, it's a fact you can have an off heading opening anytime doing either direct bag, static line, or freefall. The only difference is proximity. Generally the further away from a object just leapt from the more time and distance you have to save yourself. And freefall, even from a standing position, puts you further away.

However, it easy to say a good running start from a 300 foot cliff is preferable, but not if you don't have the experience to pull it off. If you aren't very sure you can run off and deploy with stability then we get into should you be BASE jumping cliffs at this altitude at all.

Oh well, there are no easy answers . . .

(Isn't that why we love it so)!

It's hard to gauge your experience level from afar, however, I'd be remiss for not mentioning sound training is available from many sources nowadays and while it may not totally prepare you for 300 foot cliff jumps it would give you the tools to size things up and more importantly a real insight into your own abilities. (More so than helmets, knee or elbow pads, knowing your limits is your best protection in this sport)!

As a closer consider this, the neat thing about BASE jumping is you can afford to wait until your abilities match your ambitions because that cliff ain't going anywhere soon!

Good Luck,
Nick