It is indeed a leap that requires a commitment, a mediation of natural fears (BASE jumpers, as can be observed on countless jumps, exhibit fears just like anyone else). Fear is vital to survival. Without fear one may rapidly succumb to an impulse that is not tempered with sound judgement. It is possible to find inspiration in observing the feats of individuals who set out to conquer their fears in this way. These individuals are anything but fanatics with a death-wish! They draw on years of progressive experience, through incremental steps in a skydiving pathway to the eventual goal of BASE jumping. We can learn from observing how they ritually control their response to fear. How they use stress to facilitate performance. How they narrow down the focus of attention to the task at hand, minimising distractions that will hamper performance. In this case distraction could be fatal.... The UK does not, as a rule, exhibit the grandiose walls of the
Alps or North America that allow for extended freefall. Instead, to facilitate exits from much lower altitudes requires specific attention to safe practice. BASE jumpers, like other extreme sports pursuants (such as technical divers for instance, an area I have greater first hand experience in) will obsess over kit configuration, the latest technology to help them mitigate as much risk as possible. In military parlance, Proper Preparation Prevents (Piss) Poor Performance. The infamous, yet beautiful location forever now to be known as ‘Dire Straits’ – a portentous name given by Hans to the BASE exit PRIOR to his jump...
BASE jumpers do not strike me as ardent thrill seekers (I’ve witnessed first hand – hanging off cliffs alongside - well in excess of 100 jumps, varied jumpers and locations). They thrive on the ‘objective’ or ‘mission’, the thrill of putting long experience into practice. And the psychological component of conquering their own fears. Hans freely admits to me he doesn’t like heights or cliff edges – he can’t wait to get off! So I do my small part, when needed, to help facilitate the safety through rope work and anchors, extra reassurance allowing focus on what jumpers have to do where it is required. We have returned to the ‘scene of the crime’. Hans has these last
few weeks begun to find he can put weight on his leg. The cage came off a couple of months ago – without it he would have lost his foot, but the doctors are pleased, or even surprised at his rate of recovery. He is driven to get back in the air – that's his motivation. To get back to the thing he loves doing.
But he admits to me during this latent recovery phase that he is not sure he will ever be able to jump again. Walking a short route in the Welsh hills he is notably in pain. It takes him a few days (and Radox!) to recover from that.
As we drive back to the valley where it happened I assume that all we’re doing is to get a few shots for our documentary. This will mainly involve him talking about what he went through, at the valley floor, possibly climbing back up to the exit point if he is feeling up to it and his leg doesn’t give him too much grief. I’ve perhaps underestimated his determination.
SUMMIT#103 | AUTUMN 2021 | 43
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