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I am writing this because I am concerned about the very real threat that now exists to the future of legal base-jumping in the Lauterbrunnen / Steckelberg valley.

The many recent fatalities and accidents have again raised eyebrows and sparked the ongoing debate about whether or not basejumping should be allowed in the area.

This same debate has been going on for years now. - Nothing to be concerned about some may say. However, in the past few weeks these fatalities and accidents have attracted the interest of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. They have also given strength to the many local businesses that do not support but who actually oppose base-jumping in the Lauterbrunnen valley.

Last week there was an incident that affected Air-glaciers helicopter service - A group of "fairly new" and not so experienced base-jumpers failed to call air-glaciers to ask if it was clear to jump- they also failed to visually check the airspace before jumping. They jumped just as a helicopter was taking off and passing below the exit of Lamousse. This resulted in the chopper pilot having to react instinctively and turn the helicopter to avoid the jumpers. There were tandem masters and their passengers on board who actually caught it all on camera. The deployed canopies were within 30 meters of the helicopter. The helicopter pilot was visibly shaken and very angry. When he landed he made an official complaint and incident report.

Yesterday afternoon there was another incident that affected the Shilthornbahn cablecar company. This also involved the same group of "fairly new" and inexperienced base-jumpers. They were on the high Ultimate exit, while there was a storm passing through the valley. The winds were quite freaky and very strong- coming down the valley from Lauterbrunnen direction, towards Steckelberg. They must have been around 60mph. Two of the jumpers exited and pulled low- both had canopy issues on landing. The last jumper then jumped and was blown into the cable-car cable. He was pulled into the mechanism and suffered very serious head injuries-including a broken skull as well as a broken back.

It is a well known fact that while air-glaciers have generally supported the base-jumping activities in the Lauterbrunnen valley, The Railway/ cable car company does not.

I would like to remind new base-jumpers and even experienced base-jumpers who may not jump here all the time, that there are not many places in the world that supports and allows legal base-jumping. Especially when there is an airfield and so many other 'air-activities' going on in the same air-space. This is a rare thing that should be appreciated and protected.

The Lauterbrunnen valley is not a place to do a first-base course or learn to base-jump! However, it is a a great place for intermediate jumpers to very quickly gain more experience and hone their skills. It is also a place where experienced jumpers can come to get current again after a long break or before the season starts.

The local doctors and Police have been very supportive of Base-jumpers and have always defended base-jumping in this valley. However, now they are getting fed up with all the fatalities and incidents. They keep a detailed log and record all the fatalities and accidents involving the doctor or police. They feel as though we have had long enough to prove that we can regulate ourselves and jump responsibly here in the Lauterbrunnen valley. There is now a general feeling from the local population that the base-jumping activites in the Lauterbrunnen valley may very soon come to an end.


PLEASE COME HERE AND JUMP RESPONSIBLY.
DON'T FUCK IT UP FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

Reiner.

I have thrown this up on the UK board.

I may never get there, but this should probably be "sticky"
$0.02

Hi Reiner,

It has happened two days in a raw. Around 2 - 5 PM the winds will be at 10mph then all of a sudden a HIGH gust of winds well over 40mph will rip through the valley for a period of 20 minutes or so.

Is this phenomenon new to the area?
Is there any info you can share with us on where and when to expect these conditions? We've been here for 3 years now, and this is the first we've seen this.

Thanks

JF

I have thrown this up on the french board (french base association, FBA).

Olivier

+1

does that do $1.02 ??

Yup Reiner, this should be added to the other sticky LB posts... unfortunately...

 

I have also noticed these very strong wind conditions two days in a row. I have never experienced this before. I think it may have something to do with the storms that were passing over the valley. It is something for jumpers to be wary of during the summer season.


reiner

This is because of the thunderstorms that are passing Switzerland. When you see black clouds in the sky, it can start to blow within seconds. The valley then can act like a bottle neck and the winds will get very strong. It is best not to jump at all if there are thunderstorms comming up.

Not at you Mikki_ZH,
I am a bit old school. I never jump when I do not understand the winds. Sometimes I do not jump when I understand the winds. The prob that I see the most is that foreign jumpers come and jump because they feel that the site owes them a jump because they swam all the way from BF Egypt . The Mountain doesnt care how much effort you took. The Mountain makes the rules. Not the jumper. The Mountain owes you nothing.
Take care,
space

Posted on the Italian BASE Association forum

 

Is this bringing it back to thinking in the "tar and feather"esque ethos of control?

If this got shut down, this would have a larger impact than just the valley, people will automatically shut up shop and keep exits to themselves (as some Euros do at the moment anyway, and looking at this is proof to them its a good thing to do). The dominoe effect, will then be everyone desending on Brento, and the same lack of respect happening there....

I hope what doesnt happen, and what has happened to some objects that are on the brink of closure, is that people think "fuck it, its gonna close, lets rape the fuck out of it"...

Big shame.... Dont be a muppet... Think

i had the same strong winds at around 2 in the afternoon. standing on the via ferrata platform it felt like it was raining as it was blowing the waterfall on the platform.
i hate walking down, but i did.
clear blue sky btw. never had this before. but it has been a few years since i was last in the valley.

I dont think people have a clue here how big this issue actually is!! That guy HIT the cablecar cables yes he got hurt but the main issue is that people are sure to start to wonder if jumpers could harm the general public those cables cary people sometimes you know!

What happens when some guy decides to say "what if he hit a cablecar full of people" how are we going to answer that? This was a very poor decision that could have major consequences for everyone else. I was not there when this happened but from the reports it sounds like it was just plain bad judgement and I am interested to hear what the jumper has to say about all of this. It sounds like from what Reiner is saying jumpers endangered the general public twice in the same week this is very very bad and selfish please everyone think about this shit before you do it! It's one thing if you pound yourself in but it is another ballgame entirely when it is someone else you are putting at risk. The public will take this stuff seriously even if we don't I can promise you that.

Um, i take issues with you calling deceased jumpers "a**holes". Respect Mon. Deceased jumpers are a very important part of our sport. They bring up topics such as I told ya so, and wow, never considered this scenario. The death of our Brothers and Sisters should not be ignored or classified as an a**holes IMHO.
But thats just me.
Oh sorry, I did not realize you were invincible. :-)
fark all of that. tell me how you will die and not be an a**hole.
I want the same. I know it sux when a BASEr bounces on your fav site.
But that is no reason to call them an a**hole.
Respect mon.
Take care,
space

I think he was referring to the group of guys jumping in the storm and the guy that hit the cable...

So why dont we hear who the jumpers were that jumped in the storm with high winds and almost bounced,

i have not heard names or nationalities of the ones that were being a pain in the ass to the helicopter taking off from air glacier....and who were the jumpers that hit the cable car???

Does anyone know???

I'm really sorry to have been misunderstood. My poor english could be the reason. It's obvious (I though it was) that I was referring to the othr guys (Acoisa underlined that). i respect the dead and I know they are part of our sport. moreover I'm here reading about base because of their sacrifice.
Sorry again to have given you a different idea

Cable car guy is rumored to be a Kiwi

No worries, miscommunication . But I really know how one feels when....blah..blah. Send me a pm please.
Take care,
space

Very good post from Reinier highlighting the situation where we are at the moment. Our safety record in LB at the moment is horrible and like Reiner noted out, we have had plenty of time to show that we can regulate our selves. We as a community have clearly failed on this. On top of what has been said in this thread already, as an addition to the latest 3 fatalities and 1 serious injury (the guy in the wires) in Berner Oberlands we also had yet another close call on High Ultimate where the jumper failed to clear the underhung outcropping and hit his feet to ledge in freefall. This resulted into a front loop which the jumper luckily was able to handle, after the loop jumper tracked away and made a clean opening. He walked away from it more or less without a scratch.

On top of the 2 fatalities last winter from HU, this was 4th (FOURTH!) freefall cliff strike from that exit within a year (and that´s only the ones I´m aware of). The jumper in question is experienced BASE jumper who generally has very solid exits with good push. Think about this!

I hope this clearly shows everyone the nature of this exit. It cannot be underlined enough how demanding it is. We have 2 dead guys plus 4 jumpers who have made contact with the underhung section who luckily survived, 4 jumpers who could have so easily ended up to the list. Do you want to be the next one? Please take this into consideration if you even consider jumping this exit.

Has anyone just totally blown an exit?,
I've totally blown 3 exits because of miss stepps or ice slippage..and it was a full moon...I am not so inexperienced, But occasionally screw and an exit. maybe one out of 75.

As a regular paraglider and resident in the Lauterbrunnen valley for 10 years I am quite familiar with the winds in the valley.

Of course, the normal situation in summer on a sunny afternoon is to have a strong anabatic wind blowing up the valley, on some days it can be very gusty and stronger towards the middle of the valley and on the particularly on the east side. As the west wall becomes shady the dominant surface wind usually appears to be a weak katabatic flow from W to E. Though the windsock and the flags on either side of the PGLZ will often show 90 degree different wind direction.

A strong wind gradient often exists above the LZ areas with a vigorous talwind 50m above the ground. The wind gradient often makes a downwind final desirable later in the afternoon.

When the weather is interesting or the overall wind direction is unusual more complexity is introduced. Storm systems, fronts, north Bise and fohn effects will all lead to unpredictability. Occasionally there can even be a strong laminar mountain wind returning under or over the anabatic talwind, and a resulting turbulent interface at some levels.

I was flying at 3000m shortly after midday on Tuesday and finding bumpy gusty conditions and a strong W wind at up to 50kmh, not very pleasant. In the valley at Muerren height there was a strong 40km wind from the SW (not the usual valley wind direction). The high mountains showed lee clouds and a hint of fohn. All in all I felt better being on the ground and curtailed my flight with a spiral descent. At the LZ by contrast a light valley wind was blowing and conditions seemed normal/light/friendly. Tuesday was an unusual air day to start with.

A week or so earlier I was flying in good thermic conditions over Wengenalp with the possibility to fly up to the eiger (blue skies with thermal cumulus), where someone else was already heading, but even at the same time a gusty storm front was moving in around the schilthorn and prudence required descending to the LZ before the weather system affected the valley and closed off a line of retreat.

Back to Tuesday afternoon. 1730 I was at the cafe at Neuhaus, Unterseen and saw the Niesen vanish into the blackness of an approaching storm. It looked rather interesting so I decided to stay and watch the weather. About 1800 the gust front of the storm literally swept off the lake bringing hail and winds strong enough to make it difficult to run to the car. The transition from complete calm to chaos was about 90 seconds. Tents were ripped up and blown away at the campsite, and tree branches, debris and broken fences littered the roads as I left interlaken and drove back through Wilderswil.

Approaching the cable car station I was amazed to see a guy walking to the Base House carrying a canopy that he had obviously recently used. Given the ferocity of the storm in Interlaken I would have assumed no flying had been possible in the valley for a while.

Entering the car park I came across the latest sad accident victim receiving first aid on the asphalt. A few minutes later the helicopter arrived with Dr Durrer.

The valley has a complex wind system. Its a long pipe that goes down to interlaken at the one end and flows up to the high mountains at the other. Its important to have an understanding of the overall weather and the patterns that can exist, but also to keep a close eye on and be informed of the local situations and respect them. A glance at the weather radar using a smartphone showed an aggressive storm approaching interlaken between 1730 and 1800. Purple coding indicated precipitation at 40mm/hr or so, this was not a weak storm, and any storm connecting with the valley system can produce very strong winds and unpredictable conditions.

I use the SwissWeatherRadar app on an android phone to keep an eye on the last minute weather before making flying decisions, can even use it in the air. The phone cost around 100CHF and data service is 7.50CHF per month with a sunrise sim on pay as you go.

The predictive weather models on www.MeteoBlue.com (more maps) and the flying forecast from ChillOut www.chilloutmeteo.com are also extremely useful to inform of the general situation and tendencies.

When trying to assess the weather and wind please remember:

1) The situation can change very quickly as a result of weather features that may be nearby but out of sight.

2) The wind in the valley core may be rather different from what you would imagine based on surface indications

Please fly safely in the valley and learn and respect the weather. There really have been far too many accidents and incidents recently.

Excellent information.

Unfortunately. most "modern" BASE jumpers don't care and only want the "adrenalin rush" and the party afterwards.

space - I believe in respecting the dead. However, if the actions that led to their death were due to lack of respect or interest in theirs and other people's safety, then that needs to be highlighted.

Sugar coating irresponsible behaviour diminishes the impact that prevents future similar behaviour. If people think before they jump that if I do doing something really stupid and die, that no one will respect me and my achievements, it may deter the behaviour in the first place. If, on the other hand, people think that the BASE community will treat me like a fallen brother after I do something stupid, then perhaps they may be more inclined to take greater risk.

Agreed. Stickied.

I always thought through the write up on the list I would get if I was about to bounce on the jump I was about to do. If it sounded to me to be a negative write up, with lots of didnt haves, hadnt dones, should have thoughts, I didnt jump. I wanted my listing to be one that my family and friends could read and see that I hadnt been a muppet.

For example, I went to the Valley for the first time in 2007, and before making a jump I wrote up my "listing" for my going in on the jump I was about to do, suffice to say, I didnt jump the cliffs due to a lack of slider up experience, sub-terminal tracking experience, and lack of currency at terminal from being out of skydiving for many years. I scoped the cliffs as I would any object, and my judgement was that they were slightly out of my skillset at that time (130/140 BASE jumps all bar 1 slider down).

Far from pressure from others in the Valley, the response I received (mainly from the Swiss, but also the friends I was with) when asked why I was not jumping was "..I wish more people thought like that"...

It does not feel like things will change...

Quite many jumpers seem to lack respect. Lack of respect for their own lives; of their abilities; of what others have been working hard for... the list can go on.

What scares me most is the total disrespect for oneself.

I dont know how many times it has been stressed that LB is not for beginners. Or the pure fact about essential things while preparing oneself for a jump.... the list can go on here as well. There are heaps of information available nowadays.

Of course, accidents can happen to anybody. But, I do believe that the more prepared one is, the better chance/luck one has.

Thank you Mikki for all your efforts to keep this gem of an area open to all of us. I am afraid that we are our own worst enemies, and have been since the opportunity we had in Yosemite in 1980 to prove that we were capable of controlling ourselves, and appreciating our limited resources. Our sites are fragile and irreplaceable,"You don't miss your water 'till your well runs dry." I am afraid that much of this tragedy lays on the newcomers to the sport that don't understand how fragile our access is, and what we stand to lose. If we look at the continuing annual increase in fatalities and incidents it is obvious that the problem isn't going to go away when the sport continues to grow and our ranks increase. If we haven't already lost the Swiss Valley yet?... it is inevitable!Unless there are controls and restrictions initiated immediately. I suggest taking a look at how unjumpable Lysefjorden is without the Stavanger B.A.S.E Klubb approval. Granted this is geographically controlled. Unless someone is capeable and willing to take control of Lauterbrunnen, tragically we will lose access to one of the primary BASE meccas we are fortunate enough to have. This isn't just a potential possibility, it is inevitable,"the writing is etched in blood on the walls"

I saw this and a memory came back and made me laugh. A few buddies and I were doing a terminal A and one of them was about to make his first terminal jump. I went first doing my normal poised for tracking I've done for years every week. I left, then I was facing the tower. I remember turning away laughing and thinking that's not suppose to be there and flew away, we all had a pretty good kick out of it. If I make a mistake like that in the valley...might not be so funny.

you just need a bad day, thats all you need, and youre done. not gonna do that exitpoint anymore. one hit out of 5 jumps, not good enough for me. so totally agree Maretus !!

On a slightly different note, I met some persons in front of the COOP when I was off to a jump, and I said hello. I asked about where they where jumping and they stated "Yellow Ocean we think". I asked how many base jumps they had, they said one and zero respectively. They said, they where paragliding pilots, so they seemed to feel that was enough for them to just go it alone.

They stated they where hanging out at the Bar for a while, and someone finally told them the way to the exit point, and they where off!

HOLY SHIT!

Drink yourself stupid all you want, but I think telling anyone where the exists are is a really bad idea.

30m? Can we see the video?
because on the video I have seen it is more like 300 to 400m

If you want to argue about the distance you are missing the point. There is no need for jumpers to be in the air with a chopper flying in the valley.

Is it really too much to ask to call Air Glacier and check if it's ok to jump or if you should wait and enjoy the view for another 5 min?

while I have not been to LB, generally it's a bad idea to argue with first-responders, especially over safety!

if the Air Glacier people are upset, then we screwed up. arguing about the distance will make jumpers appear insensitive. if we want respect, we need to demonstrate it.

Just a thought but why dont all the experienced and local jumpers of the area set minimum requirments for certain exits in LB, example 20 tracking terminal base jumps for yellow ect (this is just an example iv never being to LB and only have 4 jumps so i know nothing about the area or much at all) but id like to jump there sometime in the distant future. As a newbie id rather be told i need X amount of (specific jumps) before attempting to go to LB, and what jumps/exits i should try with X amount of experience.

what the f..uck...10m-3km what ever, you just call the AG and thats it...can you hear me!!! it takes 1 minutes of your time at the exit..lady on the phone is very nice and for sure lets you jump

i have a bad feeling that by the time im actually ready for lauterbrunnen (which is still a year, maybe 2 or more out), that it will not be available............. i hope this doesnt get fucked up, but if it does, i can see exactly why.

Pete, you are getting old.
If there was 300 m distance in front of a climbing helicopter, what could have happened, probably they only woke up the dozing pilot.

I don´t know how RETARDED people can be. That statement is an admission of guilt and huge disrespect. Any kind of education is wasted here.

I have had my helicopter ride, friends of mine had theirs. We were extremely glad to have Air Glaciers around and hold the pilots in high opinion. The pilots don´t get pissed of easily and they can judge a distance. If they say it was close, it is gospel for me. If you don´t believe that, watch a longline rescue.

Earlier there was a kind of common sense how to jump in the valley, that common sense got lost. Formulating abstract rules only helps if the rules are enforced. Did you choose to basejump to have some Base-Nazis sniffing around, telling you what to do and what not?
The “rule” in this case is even written down at the exit - complete with telephone number. That doesn´t help if you are too cheap to buy a swiss phone card and too dumb to look down before a jump.

The only thing that would get those people more conscious would be if the helicopter would hunt down basejumpers (I know some people to whom that has happened), take their gear away and transport them to some mountain top.

Maybe Feral has a thing in mind too.

I never said it was ok what they did but writing 30m is totally false information.

I have a phone I call in all the jumps and AG are spot on with info all the time. 2 days ago they said wait 5 minutes I didnt even hear the helicopter till it flew underneath us it landed we called back and they said your clear its a good safe system

Live and let die and if they close the valley so be it; it'll be another Yosemite, big deal, the carnage won't stop anyway.

lets say youll have 5000e fine and lose your gear when you jump in the valley. how many jumpers will do that ?

You have got to be joking, this is said in jest? right? This is the mentality that we are trying to correct. I don't mean to be rude, hopefully I've just misunderstood what you were trying to say? Do you jump regularly in Yosemite? I would like to but the risk isn't worth the effort.The Swiss valley is BASE heaven, the Gestapo in Yosemite are a nightmare, which do you prefer?

 
I have spoken to the very experienced chopper pilot and I have also spoken to a good friend of mine- who is an experienced basejumper and a very experienced tandem master who was also on the helicopter at the time. They were both visibly shaken after the incident and they both assure me that when the canopies were open they were approximately between 30-50 below the climbing helicopter. This was confirmed by the video footage which was taken from inside the chopper. The footage was from a go-pro camera. I requested that the footage be destroyed so that it could not be used as evidence in any complaint.

mavs710............Please accept what is the truth. Accept it and learn from it.

Reiner.

+1

I think it's time to make the landing cards "mandatory". Of course enforcement is a problem. But, if we start putting the word out that you have to buy one, and everybody starts holding the people they know accountable. More people will buy them...

And what is the difference to the situation now? Landing card is "mandatory". A direct quote from SBA website :

General Valley Rules before Jumping:
- Register on this website
- Buy your Landing Card and get detailed information about the exit points.

http://www.basejumper.ch/...p;id=23&Itemid=1

So please put the word out as much as you can and hold the people accounteable. Not a bad idea to ask from your fellow jumpers in the exit point "did you buy the landing card?".

My Mistake... I thought it was still "suggested".

The landing card (now sticker) gives you the right to land in a field with a windsock.
We have this agreement with the farmers.
If you jump without, you land on private property without permission.
The farmer could sue you.
Unlikely, but he could.

Without introduction of the landing card the valley would have been closed by now.

So please just buy one.
Its cheap and it makes yourself, the farmers and everyone else happy....

If i bought a landing card in sept 2010 is it valid only for 2010 , or as the website states 1 year... does this mean i could return in 2011 up to sept and still have a valid landing card!!!!!!

dont be a tight arse Patto landing card every year so when you go back is 2011 season :-)
same as if i bought i season pass for kjerag in august does it still cover me for jun and july the next year ....


Love ya Graeme

No, the 2010 card was valid til end of january 2011.
Beginning of december we start selling the following years cards and it's valid til end of january of the year after.
So if you visit over new year you have to buy only one.
If you buy it first of december it's actually valid for 14 months.

its only 25 chf, thats just about the half price of a single skydive in switzerland.
About 4 beers.
Just a little more then a single jump from kjerag.
Its affordable even if you visit the valley for a single day.
So buy one.

Thanks

4 beers ? you just really made me rethink my position on the matter ....

just kidding ...:-)
Graeme

Graeme and those beers, they will be the death of you,not that winguit..

are you coming back to kjerag on sunday with POLLI????

14 months woohoo..best christmas present ever hahahah

Unfortuntately not. The landing card is valid for the current calendar year (regardless on when you buy it) and you need to get new card for next year. It still is only 25chf (less that 5 beers in Horner).

I paid $50 CHF when I bought mine as an extra donation. Being in the Valley for the first time was a dream come true, and honestly the longer I was there the more it became an Honor to jump freely without fear of repercussion from authorities as we deal with in the States. It truly is the most beautiful place on Earth and the Disney Land of BASE. On one of my jumps a lowish pull prevented me from making the landing area and I had to put it down in an adjacent field, a female farmer was harvesting 50 ft. from where I landed. I quickly walked over to her and apologized for the inconvenience and she said it was fine but I could see the disapproval in her eyes. I dropped my gear, went to the coop, and bought some steaks and a bottle of wine and returned to her house. She was amazed by the jesture and invited me in to her home for tea. It was a great moment. I tried to be as humble as possible during my trip, and give back for everything I gained while I was there in hopes of contributing to a positive cause of keeping the valley alive. Hell, we even cleaned up someone's shit in the gear up area at High Nose (TY dick). The point is, we all makes mistakes, I did and I did my best to better and resolve the situation. The heli incident was a little bigger than a missed landing or a turd, but I know the jumpers went out of there way to meet the pilot with humble attitudes and sorrow for what happened. It doesn't take the past away, but it was a lesson learned to all of us about how serious things can get there. I agree, the valley is in danger, and it's up to us to do something about it. Learn from others mistakes and try your best to prevent them from repeating. Follow the simple guide lines, and if something does happen, do your best to bow down to those effected and level the situation. Any who...TY to all the people I met and the wonderful adventures I was blessed with, I hope the Valley continues to flourish for years to come and I'll keep my eyes turned east until I return. Till next time, Tata!

As an old fart who saw a lot of sites go down in flames...especially yosemite..this makes me shiver.

Jumpers have to regulate their own behaviour. If word of mouth isn't doing it, then get medieval to save the site.

Trust me, 20 years from now, people will either thank you or curse you.

Another thing. It used to be totally cool for anyone to just back off of a jump for any reason whatsoever. Nobody would say a thing. Ya gotta say no whenever you want, without any judgement.

Don't flame me for this, but the worst ambassador for the sport is a dead person. Fact.

wondering whats the situation now with the valley? i cant seem to find anymore info. pm wud be great. fingers crossed everything settled down.

actual situation is that there are important floods in the region.
Maybe people who are in the area can confirm ?
http://www.20min.ch/...uisse/story/15332494

 

Situation is:

Come and jump!- But be safe, and be a good example for other jumpers. Lets all help to keep incidents and fatalities to a minimum!


Reiner

Why is this sticky in the beginners forum?