Base Jump & Wingsuit Flights Resume on 5 Jul in Chamonix

[airdog07]

Base Jump & Wingsuit Flights Resume on 5 Jul in Chamonix

Submitted by ChamonixNews on Mon, 08 Jul 2013 - 09:34

http://www.chamonix.net/sites/default/files/styles/galleryformatter_slide/public/base-jump-and-wingsuits-in-chamonix.jpg?itok=u1kSA7FS

After the accidents that took place in 2012 the Mayor of Chamonix had banned the use of wingsuit (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2012-07-24_1.htm) from peaks near Chamonix.


A review has taken place and a decision to permit the use of wingsuits has been taken.
Since Friday 5 Jul 2013, base jumpers can launch from the Brevent (2500m) and the Aiguille du Midi (3842m).

Some new regulations are now in effect. Notably, the wingsuit jump from Brevent is closed between 10am and 3pm to permit paraglider activity from Plan Praz (2000m).

Other regulations are published on information boards at each take off site. Gendarmes intervene in the event of non-compliance.

Chamonix Paragliding Accident - Paraglider Stranded on Telepherique Cable (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-paragliding-accident-paraglider-stranded-telepherique-cable)
21 Aug 2013
Sun Aug 2013, a rare incident high above Chamonix - a tandem paraglider caught on the cables of the Brevent telepherique lift system. The pilot and his client took off from Plan Praz (2000m) below the Brevent (2500m), and became trapped on the right...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-paragliding-accident-paraglider-stranded-telepherique-cable)

Hungarian climber missing on Mont-Blanc (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/hungarian-climber-missing-mont-blanc)
19 Aug 2013
An appeal for witnesses was launched on Fri Aug 16 2013 by the Chamonix police. A Hungarian climber who had attempted to climb the Mont-Blanc is missing. Sun Aug 11, Bagladi Zoltan, 28, departed the Col de Voza, on the normal summit route of Mont-...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/hungarian-climber-missing-mont-blanc)

The Cyclist Haute Route Challenge 2013 (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/cyclist-haute-route-challenge-2013)
16 Aug 2013
The Cyclist Haute Route 2013 does not pass through Chamonix. Do not confuse it with the original Haute Route, a high mountain hike or ski, traversing glaciers, cols and valleys, from Chamonix (France) to Zermatt (Switzerland). The Cycltist Haute...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/cyclist-haute-route-challenge-2013)

Mark Sutton Dies in Wingsuit Accident in Switzerland (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/mark-sutton-dies-in-wingsuit-accident)
16 Aug 2013
Mark Sutton, 42, was staying in Chamonix with his girlfriend, Victoria Homewood, 39. On Wed 14 Aug 2013 he travelled to Switzerland and took a helicopter flight with Tony Uragallo. They were participating in an event organised by Epic Tv , the...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/mark-sutton-dies-in-wingsuit-accident)

Two missing climbers found dead on Italian side of Mont-Blanc (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/two-missing-climbers-found-dead-italian-side-mont-blanc)
14 Aug 2013
Two french climbers missing since Monday, 05 Aug 2013 died on the Italian side of the Mont-Blanc. Their bodies were found on Fri 9 Aug 2013 at an altitude of 3200m, below The Point Baretti (4012m). François Deffert 53, a High Mountain Guide and his...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/two-missing-climbers-found-dead-italian-side-mont-blanc)

Avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacul, 13 Aug 2013 (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/avalanche-mont-blanc-tacul-13-aug-2013)
13 Aug 2013
On the morning of Tuesday 13 Aug 2013, an avalanche on the north face of Mont Blanc du Tacul left two climbers dead and a third in a critical condition. The avalanche occured around 4am when a block of ice, close to the summit of the Tacul, fell...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/avalanche-mont-blanc-tacul-13-aug-2013)

Brouillard Arete Mont Blanc - 2 climbers missing (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/climbers-missing-brouillard-ridge)
7 Aug 2013
On the morning of Saturday 2 August 2013, two French climbers, a High Mountain Guide, François Deffert (53 years) and his companion, Xavier Chambet (34 years) both from the Haute-Savoie, departed from the Refuge Monzino (2590m) on the Italian side...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/climbers-missing-brouillard-ridge)

The Old Goûter Refuge Disassembled (http://www.chamonix.net/english/old-gouter-refuge-disassembled)
7 Aug 2013
From 19 Aug 2013, weather permitting, the process of emptying the interior of the old Goûter refuge begins. Asbestos removal from the site starts in September 2013. The duration of the work is scheduled to take 2 months and the company managing the...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/old-gouter-refuge-disassembled)

In Chamonix, an earthquake of 2,4 intensity on monday night (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-earthquake-monday-night)
31 Jul 2013
On Monday night, around 2am, the ground moved in Chamonix. An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 shook the Chamonix valley. The epicenter was 5 km from Chamonix. We remind you that the Chamonix valley feels frequently small earthquakes. The last one was in...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-earthquake-monday-night)

Chamonix Lift System & Ski Area Management Contract Update (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-lift-system-bids-update)
24 Jul 2013
In December 2012, the Chamonix Municipality and the Compagnie du Mont Blanc terminated, by mutual agreement, all Lift Operation and Ski Area Management contracts, with the exception of the Aiguille di Midi and Montenvers train. The Chamonix...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/chamonix-lift-system-bids-update)

A Tragic Weekend: Three Fatal Climbing Accidents (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/three-climbing-accident-fatalities)
17 Jul 2013
Sunday 14 July 2013, at the Gaillands Climbing Wall, a Romanian climber, 30, was making a solo ascent. At about 3:30pm the man fell 40 meters from the top of the route. Paramedics were on the scene in minutes, but the fall had been fatal. On the...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/three-climbing-accident-fatalities)

Romain Desgranges European Climbing Champion 2013 in Chamonix (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/european-climbing-championships)
15 Jul 2013
On 11, 12 & 13 July, Chamonix hosted the 2013 European Climbing Championships with competition in two disciplines, Lead and Speed. The Chamoniard Romain Desgranges won Gold in the mens' Lead discipline . Saturday night, in front of 16 000...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/european-climbing-championships)

Champervan, an innovative concept for your vacation: rent a 1970s Campervan (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/rent-campervan-chamonix-with-champervan)
12 Jul 2013
A campervan hire company, “Champervan” has just launched in the Chamonix valley! Fans of retro and stylish travel can rent a classic VW campervan from the Champervan fleet, and go tour the Alps, the Italian lakes or French vineyards, take one on a...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/rent-campervan-chamonix-with-champervan)

Mont-Blanc Summit Speed Record Smashed! (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/new-mont-blanc-record-kilian-jornet)
11 Jul 2013
Kilian Jornet summits Mont-Blanc with a record smashing time under five hours. From 11 July 2013, the offically recorded time for the fastest ascent & descent of Mont-Blanc is 4 hours 57 minutes! This record is not for a one way ascent of the...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/new-mont-blanc-record-kilian-jornet)

Mont Blanc Summit Record: Attempt 11 July 2013 (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/Mont-Blanc-summit-record-attempt)
10 Jul 2013
Tomorrow, Thursday, July 11, 2013, Kilian Jornet and Matheo Jacquemoud will attempt to take the record for the fastest return ascent of the Mont Blanc on foot. The current record is an incredible 5h11m , set by the Swiss Pierre-André Gobet, on 21...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/Mont-Blanc-summit-record-attempt)

Base Jump & Wingsuit Flights Resume on 5 Jul in Chamonix (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/base-jump-wingsuit-chamonix)
8 Jul 2013
After the accidents that took place in 2012 the Mayor of Chamonix had banned the use of wingsuit from peaks near Chamonix. A review has taken place and a decision to permit the use of wingsuits has been taken. Since Friday 5 Jul 2013, base jumpers...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/base-jump-wingsuit-chamonix)

Charity Ride on the Route des Grandes Alpes for Chamonix Cyclists (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/route-des-grandes-alpes-2013)
8 Jul 2013
From Sun 14 to Sat 20 July 2013, Cycle Challenge on the Route des Grandes Alpes in aid of the Kennedy's Disease Association. A group of 26 people, complete novices to regular road bikers and hardcore competitors, ride the Route des Grandes Alpes...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/route-des-grandes-alpes-2013)

Les Houches: Bellevue Cable Car Closed throughout 2013 Summer Season (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/bellevue-lift-closed-summer-2013)
4 Jul 2013
The night of Wed 19 Jun 2013 a fire broke out in the Kitch Inn Restaurant , Les Houches, by morning the building was a ruin. The Kitch Inn restaurant is located next to the car park for the Bellevue lift and the telepherique cables pass very close...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/bellevue-lift-closed-summer-2013)

Three Gendarmes in fatal fall above Chamonx Mont-Blanc (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/three-gandarmes-in-fatal-fall)
3 Jul 2013
Three policemen, from the Ardeche mountain rescue team, came to train in Chamonix Tuesday 2 July 2013. The three sub-gendarmerie officers, aged 29, 33 and 44 years, were making a traverse in the Mont-Blanc Massif, from the Aiguile du Plan (3673m) to...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/three-gandarmes-in-fatal-fall)

Marathon du Mont Blanc 2013 Results (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/marathon-du-mont-blanc-2013-results)
1 Jul 2013
The 2013 edition of the Marathon du Mont Blanc took place from Fri 28 to Sun 30 Jun 2013 in Chamonix Mont-Blanc. More than 6000 athletes have marked their presence in six races (Marathon du Mont Blanc, Cross du Mont Blanc, Km Vertical, 10Km du Mont...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/marathon-du-mont-blanc-2013-results)

Egratz Viaduct resumes normal summer high season service (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/Egratz-summer-reopening)
1 Jul 2013
1 July 2013: Normal Service on Egratz Viaduct Resumes Since the end of the winter, all traffic on the viaduct Egratz has been two-way. This was to allow route protection to be applied to the original road that hugs the mountain side. This route is...
Read More (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/Egratz-summer-reopening)

Comprehensive up-to-date News from Chamonix Mont-Blanc | Chamonix.net (http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/latest.htm)

[airdog07]

Alps: Safety fears as fifth wingsuit flyer dies

Published: 19 Aug 2013 09:42 GMT+02:00

1925
A wingsuit flyer about to take a jump. File photo: Hakon Thingstad/flickr

The dangers of the extreme sport of wingsuit flying are once again being highlighted after the third fatal accident in a week in the Alps and the fifth this summer. The deaths come after a ban on base jumping with wingsuits was recently lifted by authorities in Chamonix.

British woman dies after 100m fall in French Alps (14 Aug 13)
Four climbers die in French Alps accidents (13 Aug 13)
Body found in Alps hunt for missing Brit soldier (26 Apr 13)

In the latest death to hit the sport of wingsuit flying, a 41-year-old Frenchman was killed on Saturday after jumping from the summit of the Dent de l’Arclusaz (2, 041m) near the village of Saint-Pierre d’Albigny.

The alarm was raised when the man's friend, who also took part in the jump, did not see him land. The emergency services, with the help of a helicopter search team, managed to find the victim's body at around 8pm.

“It is not yet clear what exactly happened,” an officer from the French gendarmes told French media.

Since the beginning of summer five people have died in the Alps while taking part in the high-risk sport, - described as a combination of hang gliding and sky-diving.

Wingsuit flyiers wear a jumpsuit that uses special fabric to increase the surface area of the body, which allows the jumper “to fly” as they launch themselves from either a "base jump" or an aircraft.

The suit allows the “flier” to freefall for much further than a skydiver, before they open a parachute. But the sport is considered more complicated and therefore more risky than straightforward skydiving.

Those risks have been highlighted in the last week, which has seen three jumpers die in the Alps.

Saturday’s fatal accident came just a day after a Polish man was killed in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps.

Earlier last week Briton Mark Sutton, a paratrooper who took part in the memorable James Bond stunt at the London Olympics, died while wingsuit flying. Sutton hit a ridge near the town of Martigny, Switzerland, close to the border with France.

Earlier this year, a German wingsuit flyer was killed when he hit a rocky outcrop in Chamonix and on August 13th another base jumper died in the Isère region of the Alps.

Last year the mayor of Chamonix took the drastic step of banning wingsuit jumps from areas accessible by ski lifts after the death of a Norwegian jumper, who died when his parachute failed to open.

"For us, adventure doesn't mean extreme risk," said Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier at the time.

In a town known for its extreme sports, the ban caused controversy until it was lifted in July this year, under certain conditions.

Jumps from the Brevent cliff and Aiguille de Midi are now permitted again, from June 1st until September 30th, but not between 10am and 3pm. A board listing the rules for base jumping has also been placed at jump sites.

Erich Beaud, who was the first man to perform a base jump off a cliff in France in 1989 said the new wingsuits can be dangerous for inexperienced jumpers.

“Today the suits are huge and increasingly high-performance. This can mean Formula 1 kind of speeds for people who don’t always have the capacity to control them,” Beaud said.

The former jumper also blamed the emergence of mini-video cameras that thrill seekers and extreme sports enthusiasts attach to their helmets or equipment.

“Some people are confusing video games with reality. You don’t get a second chance in a wingsuit,” he underlined.

But others who know the sport well say the wingsuits themselves are not the dangerous factor.

"It is not the wingsuit that is dangerous but base jumping," Yann Cavé trainee teacher at Savoie Voglans skydiving school told Le Dauphiné Liberé. He notes that it is much safer to jump from an aircraft than from a cliff and so the the two disciplines should not be confused.

Other professionals denounce the irresponsibility of some jumpers, who are to eager for the thrills and not prepared to learn the skills.

“You need to pass through the levels step by step before moving on," wingsuit teacher Stéphane Zunino the Alps told French rado Europe1.

"Often people take short cuts because things are not going fast enough for them. They want to go straight to higher places where the flying is better.

“We have many people contacting us, without ever having done a skydive from a plane. They think you can just go in a wingsuit like you would go canoeing in a river on a summer holiday.

Watch a wingsuit flyer perform a base jump in this video below.

Anyone wishing to do a basejump near Chamonix must contact local officials first on +33(0)4 50 53 00 55


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-bYPbF50b0&feature=player_embedded#t=1

[airdog07]

American wingsuit flyer dies in French Alps

Published: 16 Sep 2013 09:45

The dangers of the extreme sport of wingsuit flying were made apparent once again this weekend when an American died during a jump in the French Alps. He becomes the sixth person to lose his life in similar circumstances in the Alps since the start of summer.

It may not be long before local authorities in the French Alps are forced to consider reinstating a ban on wingsuit flying.

The extreme sport has now claimed the lives of six people this summer, with the latest being a 33-year-old American who died near the Alpine town of Chamonix on Saturday.

The American, who has not been named, jumped from a cliff near the summit of Brévent at a height of around 2,500 metres.

It was unclear how he came to his death and officers from the local gendarmerie’s high mountain unit have opened an investigation into what happened.

The extreme sport of wingsuit flying is described as a combination of hang gliding and sky-diving.

Wingsuit flyers wear a jumpsuit that uses special fabric to increase the surface area of the body, which allows the jumper “to fly” as they launch themselves from either a "base jump" or an aircraft.

The suit allows the “flier” to freefall for much further than a skydiver, before they open a parachute. But the sport is considered more complicated and therefore more risky than straightforward skydiving.

Those risks are evident in the fact that six “flyers” have now lost their lives in the Alps since the start of the summer, including the British stunt man Mark Sutton, who performed the memorable James Bond stunt at the opening ceremony at the London Olympics.

Sutton died when he hit a ridge near the town of Martigny, Switzerland, close to the border with France in August.

Last year the mayor of Chamonix took the drastic step of banning wingsuit jumps from areas accessible by ski lifts after the death of a Norwegian jumper, who died when his parachute failed to open.

"For us, adventure doesn't mean extreme risk," said Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier at the time.

In a town known for its extreme sports, the ban caused controversy until it was lifted in July this year, under certain conditions.

Jumps from the Brévent cliff and Aiguille de Midi are now permitted again, from June 1st until September 30th, but not between 10am and 3pm. A board listing the rules for base jumping has also been placed at jump sites. They also have to let authorities know of the intention to jump and starting point, which the American victim is known to have done.