Archive for the ‘bungee jumping’ Category

LA Galaxy and England soccer star David Beckham was dunked in the water when he took a bungee jump off Auckland’s harbour bridge in New Zealand. Becks so enjoyed the jump that he completed the 134 foot plunge twice.

Beckham and his LA Galaxy teamates are in New Zealand on a promotional tour and took some time out for a little leap into the unknown – it was the first time Beckham has tried bungee jumping. Meanwhile his wife Victoria was apparently making an even bigger splash of her own – whilst on a shopping spree in New York!

Thanks to Simon Runting for the photos.

A head for heights: David Beckham doesn’t appear nervous as he gets harnessed up ahead of his jump

Splashdown: Beckham is propelled head-first into the water

Drenched but unbowed: Beckham is hoisted skywards after his soaking

This comment amused me – the author had been reading our blog on “is this the world’s tallest bungee jump” and in her various comments made this one:

The drive to impress women with acts of sheer stupidity is universal.

The episode I saw? All about land jumping. That’s the ORIGINAL version of bungee jumping. Only it’s done from vines with very little spring. And the men jump from an eight-foot bamboo tower. Their heads actually hit the ground. Total Penis Contest. If someone plucked these guys out of the jungle, dropped them in the middle of a car dealership, and told them they could have whatever make they’d like … they’d totally choose Monster Trucks and Hummers. The winner of THIS particular contest won a handful of grass, which, judging from the looks on everyone’s faces, seemed just as impressive.

If you want to read more please follow the link below:

All the world’s a jungle. Some places just require less clothing <b>…</b>

Good for a chuckle…

No don’t worry – this is not about a gorilla doing a bungee jump but it is a place where you can go and do both a bungee jump and see a silver back gorilla. Where’s that then? If you guessed Uganda you would have been right. And a lot more besides – check out what you can get up to in one of Africa’s richest countries, ravaged by Idi Amin and now slowly getting its act together and welcoming tourists.

I picked up this great information thanks to Fiona McIntosh of iAfrica.com and for your further interest I have added a video from the WWF who believe that less than 10% of the gorillas habitat could be left undisturbed by 2030.Another example of mankind’s selfish exploitation of the natural habitat of this world which we must learn to share.

Gorilla tracking
Gorilla tracking permits went up to $500 per person last year — but it’s still worth every penny and the often strenuous, muddy hike through the jungle for an hour with one of the troops.

The endangered mountain gorillas are only found in this tiny corner of Africa — the triangle of mountains where Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC converge. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga reserves offer some of the best and most accessible viewing. This is one adventure you simply must not miss.

Other monkey business
Visitors often overlook the fact that Uganda also has wonderful sanctuaries such as Mgahinga and Kibale National Parks or Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria, where chimpanzees, golden monkeys, colobus monkeys and other rarely seen primates can be viewed.

But take my advice and do these before you go and see the big guys. Once you’ve stared into the big dark eyes of a mountain gorilla munching on bamboo, or been brushed aside by a silverback male, anything else pales in comparison.

Safaris
The Queen Elizabeth National Park is the prime reserve for game viewing and boasts a few unusual attractions, such as tree-climbing lions as well as wonderful birds and reptiles. Murchison Falls National Park is also worth a visit particularly for antelope, hippo, buffalo and elephant — the Falls themselves are impressive, as is a cruise up the Nile.

The bird life is amazing — but unfortunately much of Uganda’s wildlife was poached, or fled, during the years of unrest. Nonetheless, the parks are recovering slowly and recent restocking measures have seen the reintroduction of white rhino and greater concentrations of big game.

Journey to the Source of the Nile
Well, it’s not a trip that will blow your mind — in fact the ’source’ is an anti-climax — but a day trip out to Jinja is worth the drive. The Nile is after all the world’s longest river and it’s wide and surrounded by beautiful, tropical vegetation here — quite unlike the typical desert scenery you associate with the river in its lower reaches.

So it’s a pleasant place to while away a few hours (or days) dining at one of the riverside lodges or visiting the country’s biggest waterfall at Bujugali. Watch in awe as the rafts hurtle down, and in amazement as local lads shoot the falls with only a big plastic container as ballast! If you’re feeling brave there’s a range of adrenalin-filled activities in the area.

Whitewater rafting
The river Nile, near Jinja, offers whitewater rafting, kayaking and river surfing that are on a par with the mighty Zambezi, but without the crowds. The rapids are big and intimidating, but it doesn’t deter the adrenalin seekers who come for the one day fix, or an overnight adventure. Once you’re hooked you can learn to kayak and plot your own route, or even head down the river in a tandem kayak or on a riverboard.

Fishing
Lake Victoria is famous is for its mean Nile perch. Hire a local fishing boat and you’ve a good chance of hooking a big one.

Bungee
A bungee in tiny little Uganda? You bet, and not only that, Adrift’s Nile High Bungee is also one of the most visually impressive bungee jumps in the world. Kites and fish eagles circle the tower as thrill seekers prepare to jump 44 metres directly down to the source of the Nile at Jinja.

Hiking
The beautiful volcano of Mount Elgon on Uganda’s eastern border is unspoilt and virtually unknown. There are well-marked short walks, and guided overnight hikes to the summit or around the lower slopes can be arranged with local guides. Alternatively, hike the Virunga volcanoes. One- to three-day hikes are offered in Mgahinga National Park.

Sailing
Lake Victoria is vast, and dotted with little islands. A sunset cruise is a perfect end to a Ugandan holiday, and there are longer expeditions to the Ssese islands.

Mountaineering
Trekking in the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains offers similar, and arguably even more dramatic, scenery than on the better-known peaks of Mt Kili and Mt Kenya. A seven-day trekking circuit of the fabled Mountains of the Moon is an incredible adventure for a fit hiker, but although porters carry all your gear and cook all your meals, the weather and boggy, high altitude terrain ensures some tough hiking.

The dry seasons, mid-December to the end of February and mid-June to the end of August, are the best times to visit, but expect rain — and lots of it — throughout the year. Mountaineering trips to the Rwenzori’s glaciated high peaks, Marguerita, Speke and Baker, require ice climbing experience.

When we bungee jumped not so long go with The Big Air Company at Victoria Falls, it seemed to us extroadinary that you were putting all your faith in a bit of strapping around your ankles and a long cord of elastic. Sure, there’s the safety harness too – but it’s what’s around the ankles that, psychologically, counts, or so it seemed to us, and that seemed awfully flimsy and insubstantial.

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Thanks to bubgl1.

The elastic rope first used in bungee jumping, and still used by many commercial operators, is factory-produced braided shock cord. This consists of many latex strands enclosed in a tough outer cover. This gives a harder, sharper bounce. Other operators and most southern-hemisphere operators, use unbraided cords in which the latex strands are exposed. These give a softer, longer bounce, but makes it look as though the elastic is old, weary and about to snap! It isn’t so don’t panic!

Although there is a certain elegance in using only a simple ankle attachment, accidents in which participants became detached led many commercial operators to use a body harness, if only as a backup for the ankle attachment. Climbing equipment body harnesses rather than parachute equipment are generally used. Happily The Big Air Company at Victoria Falls uses the safety harness too!

Despite the possible element of danger in jumping from a great height, several million successful jumps have taken place since 1980. This is because bungee operators rigorously conform to standards and guidelines governing jumps, such as double checking calculations and fittings for every jump. As with any sport, injuries can still occur and there have been fatalities, but not at Victoria Falls. A relatively common mistake in fatality cases is to use a cord that is too long. The cord should be substantially shorter than the height of the jumping platform to allow it room to stretch.

There are a variety of possible injuries during a jump. You can be injured if the safety harness fails, the cord elasticity is miscalculated, or the cord is not properly connected to the jump platform. In most cases this is a result of human error in the form of mishandled harness preparation. Another major injury is if the jumper experiences cord entanglement with his/her own body. Other injuries include eye trauma, rope burn, uterine prolapse, dislocations, bruises, pinched fingers and back injury. People under 40kg are not allowed to bungee jump with The Big Air Company because they are too light for the elastic which means the snap at the end of the stretch would be severe and that is when retina displacement can take place.

However, possible injury isn’t a great deterrent. The adrenaline kick from a bungee jump is so great that frequently people go back for more – and more and even more! Thanks to hollyereid for posting her jumps.

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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.

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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.

Extreme or not?

From recent experience we would say “DEFINITELY EXTREME.” There is nothing more terrifying than standing on a seemingly fragile platform 111m above the gorge at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, staring down (I know I know – you should NEVER look down, but try remembering that when you have just realised what you have signed yourself up for!) at raging waters way way below whilst the realisation of what you have committed yourself to slowly sinks in.

Now this sounds like I did the bungee jump doesn’t it? I didn’t. Fortunately, and here I heaved an ENORMOUS sigh of relief, you are advised not to jump if you suffer from a weak shoulder, weak knee, a heart condition or any neurological problem. I, happily, suffer from a dislocating shoulder caused by a body-surfing accident some years ago. Phew! But I had guinea-pigs in our party who were prepared, not necessarily willingly, to have the experience for me. Nothing like sharing a pleasure vicariously…

The Victoria Falls Bungee jump, at 111m, used to be the highest commercial bungee jump in the world, but it now takes second place behind Bloukrans River Bridge in South Africa which is a 160m bungee, though the gorge itself is 216m! However, and here I may be a little biased, the Vic Falls jump is still the most spectacular and is probably (almost definitely!) the most superb setting in the world.

The bridge lies in “no mans land” between the Zimbabwean and Zambian Border Posts. To one side are the Falls themselves – one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a World Heritage Site, on the other side is the turbulent Zambezi constricted within the narrow walls of the gorge.

The Big Air Company at Victoria Falls, ably run and managed by Garth Fowler, is a wonderful place to bungee jump. It has a 100% safety record – and is open 365 days per year. There is a rigorous adherence to safety standards. You may be confident in the knowledge that you are always in a safe, professional and controlled environment – even though you appear to be surrounded by a bunch of humorists! The joking, joshing and general pulling of one’s leg never ends and certainly makes the leap easier.

double jump

Waiting on the bridge with you are several other about to be jumpers – whether it’s bungee or the swing. Some don’t look so keen, but others are already zinging with anticipation.

Garth

The guys preparing you for the jump are fantastic. There is a lot of banter, a lot of jokes, some extremely black humour as you can imagine… “when you get back, IF….” and “do you trust me? – how can you trust me if you don’t know me?”; or “do you want to know my name? I’ll tell you if you get back. Oh, you want to know now incase you don’t get back? OK, it’s Junior Mugabe – NOW do you trust me?” !!! etc. But at no time do they push you into doing something that you don’t want to do. If you get to the edge, toes gripping the platform, shoulders hunched and the whole body straining away from the drop, they talk calmly and encouragingly to you and allow you to step away from the breach without losing face.

The Humorists - showing just how easy it is

and another…

Any crocs down there?

And just one last picture…

Bungee and Swing

There will be more on this wonderful place later but thanks to Garth and The Big Air Company for allowing me to use their photographs.