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Tom, can you make this a sticky for some time and then ad it to the Lauterbrunnen guidlines after some time?

The police of Lauterbrunnen (the same ones that will have to identify your smashed up body if you go in in Lauterbrunnen) informed me that repeatedly jumpers have landed on the main road at Stechelberg. Today an accident has only been avoided by luck because an english speaking BASE Tourist has landed on the main road in Front of the Hotel Stechelberg in front of a driving car.
Believe me; it is very annoying to have to write this kind of information. This is common sense and I should not have to tell this to anybody. We are grownups and I’m not a Kindergarden teacher!
This year was a mess, reckless behavior, landings in the middle of Lauterbrunnen, jumping the Staubbach, littering at the exits, landing on the main road and so on.
The SBA tried to establish a good going along between jumpers and Lauterbrunnen during the last couple of years. Now, thanks to this year we fell down from being welcome to being tolerated. The next step would be falling from being tolerated to not being tolerated in Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen can do this very easy by simply not transporting jumpers anymore.
We all know that base jumpers don’t like to follow rules. But by not following this very small numbers of rules and use your common sense, the only ones you are hurting is yourself and the jumpers who would like to visit Lauterbrunnen after you.

I think its time to start a name and shame thread

Sounds appropriate. It's a shame if Lauterbrunnen get's shut down and it is distispectful towards Michi and the orhers in SBA who've worked hard to keep it open.
People fucking suck sometimes...

I honestly think the best solution is as follows:

1. Put a time limit on landing cards and/or limit the number that are issued at any one time.

2. Revoke landing cards from jumpers caught breaking the rules.

3. Enforce major fines/bans for jumpers caught without a landing card.

I feel like we have proved to the people of LB that we are children, and need to be treated as such. People are the worst.

Ive never had anyone check my landing card in the valley.
Limit would just mean more people without still jumping.
Aslo people running in the valley to avoid tickets at a legal location seems kind of silly.
The solution is stop being inconsiderate dicks.

Sorry to hear about the lack of consideration shown by some who engage in our sport, I agree with Dan, it sucks, but legal BASE sites are fragile environments and we have to protect them as best we can.

I am grateful and appreciate the people like Michi who work so hard to keep these special places available,

Respect, B.

My thoughts on those points:

1. The weather this summer was really bad. I would expect far fewer jumps were made overall than in previous years, yet there were (as a proportion) a greater number of incidents / "events" attracting attention. This suggests the problem is when people only get a limited window of opportunity - and when "there's always tomorrow" doesn't necessarily apply. Coupled with the potential to force jumping "underground", limiting the number of landing cards is definitely not the way forward. A ski-pass style charging system could work (so you pay for a period, and the cost difference between 2 weeks and the whole season is minimal) though.

2&3. Why not revoke the landing cards of irresponsible jumpers and make it compulsory to have one (with maybe a window of grace in order to get one, so an early morning jump is possible following arrival with purchase later in the day)?

3. All jumpers are at the mercy of the train and lift operators to get them to the exit points, or they face long hikes. If they could be convinced to check jumpers (or those that they suspect are jumpers - not difficult to spot) have a pass, this could help - and would give the threat of pass confiscation some teeth.

Ultimately, this is the kind of site that is going to require some form of regulation, whether jumpers at large want it or not - and developing and enacting our own system before one is imposed on us is a far better solution.

Maybe the solution lies in transportation then. Local police could start confiscating tram passes and banning jumpers from repurchasing for a period of time.

If you get caught by police landing in tall grass maybe they'll shut down your tram pass for the rest of the day. If you get caught jumping Stubbach they can take it away for the rest of the year.

If it gets to the point that the police or tram/train operators have to get involved in policing our sport, it will be to shut it down.

Stop being dipshits, it's really not hard to follow a few very simple rules and have a little fucking common sense.

As much as I'd like to think that BASE jumpers can all act like adults and protect/respect one of the only perfect legal sites in the world...I'm starting to lose faith.

Do not think they are a police state, with an officer at every corner, or in a car two minutes away. A police with nothing else to do than run after naughty base jumpers with an electro chock gun, or a gun at all. Screaming freeze you base jumping motha fucka . Neither can you expect the local jumpers policing other jumpers voluntary, unless the majority feel the need, and are willing to pay for it.

Time to get vigilante on people, surf style, before the locals finally have enough. 'Self regulated', isn't that what it's called??

http://i.ytimg.com/...q2ZTOU/hqdefault.jpg

Irresponsible people should first be educated, and penalized if they continue. As we don't want police to do this, we should do it ourselves. Verbally (e.g. shout), physically (e.g. punch in the xx, open pack jobs,), socially (e.g. tar and feather on BJ, FB, etc.), financially (cut up gear), legaly (landing card refusal). Take your pick. But really, some people just don't listen That is society after all, and that is why we have jails.

Yes, and with the proliferation of people getting into BASE, maybe those teaching the commercial FJCs could start by reintroducing the concept of BASE Ethics ?

Pre legal BASE access, there was a reason behind the concept of "Burn someone's site,... Risk being Tarred and Feathered. "

B.

BASE will never be a regulated sport, the risk is too high for insurance to ever be viable in such a small market.

I think the end of legal jumping in lauterbrunnen is inevitable. Promoting good ethics may slow this but lauterbrunnen is all convenience and instant gratification, it appeals highly to those who won't listen or talk about ethics but still 'forget' to buy a landing card or phone before jumping.

This may not be such a bad thing, in the long run. Jumpers with commitment and ethics won't leave the sport as a result, but a few of the trash might when jumping involvrsc hiking and logistics again.

Although I'm all for sharing and avoiding he use of violence (in most cases), aggressive localism certainly has its place and use.

On a different note - asking dipshit people to stop being dipshit is kinda pointless. Call the motherfuckers out with name and number, FORCE the dipshits to clean up their act or have them face the music.

Maybe we can all report offenders (and the offense) to the Horner and they can keep a list. Depending on the offense, they can decide not to give out landing cards (or maybe charge more for a landing card) depending on the offense.

As much as I hate telling people what to do and calling people out like children, LB needs to be protected.

I agree 100% Ronald.

This problem requires a communal disciplining method. If you guys name and shame I will not assist those jumpers in South Africa either. If these jumpers risk burning sites there, they have burnt easily accessed sights here!

Time to self regulate before we lose the very freedom we joined the sport for. I'm not above cutting a full line set to make a burners trip here a waste of time.

Edit to add: Obviously don't pack it again... that would be a little harsh. I think post them online where the global community can step in.

Why does it always go back to commercial FJC?

I have come through that path, I was in the valley recently, I didnt do anything wrong, its the individual being a dick so blame that individual no one else.

100% on the name and shame thing

Because commercial FJCs give you the basics required to start off, not all the essential tools, so you get people fresh outta an FJC with a GoPro and a name to make and VOILA! Trouble for the rest of us, as evidenced by LB and ITW.....

And the entire USA...Everyone is a pro with a t-shirt deal and an athlete page now.

FJC ~> EPICTV

Do you think lack of fjc will stop those who is willing to risk their neck, violating others property, the rebels among the rebels?

Lack of Common sense, and Nothing else is what we are talking about. If they havent learned that before they started base, I doubt they ever will.

Places like Kjerag and Lauterbrunnen can only be organized by jumpers onsite, not by internet or written rules. Sorry, it just dont work that way.

How many years have this debate going on, about stupid jumpers in the Walley? All this could have been avoided, if someone who was willing to take their time, and work it like Kjerag.

Mandatory training and information for everyone who is going to jump for the season. 100 euro for the season tag, no matter one day or 365 days. Season tags on their stash bags, helmet tags, or any place that is visable to anyone, so they know they got their "legal" access proved for jumping for the year. It should be a easy tag so lift operators, locals, and other jumpers do not need to ask if they have.

Where else do you find a statistic in base jumping looking like this?


http://www.basekjerag.com/...002B1F9?OpenDocument

I'm just another jumper with an opinion, but I personally think there's approximately 0% chance that Lauterbrunnen BASE activities could be run like Kjerag. If you've been there, you know why.

On another but related topic, I'm not sure it would be bad for BASE jumping to lose access to LB. Because many bad things in this sport derive from easy access, Disneyland if you will, BASE in that valley. The Swiss being the Swiss though, I don't think they will close it. Maybe restrictions of some sort in the future. Just my opinion, don't get your panties in a bunch. And I love that place. Legal sites in general are good, but there are others that are less of a circus.

Kerkko
BASE1184

and the guy that landed on the road was just out of a FJC?

Arguments about the validity and value of FJCs aside. It's a personal observation of mine that most of these "barely sponsored" wannabe pros with epicTV deals that I've come across in the last couple of years have skipped the FJC altogether and were mentored by their low experience, gung-ho, no respect group of friends. Just the act of signing up for a course shows some level of wanting to be prepared and informed.

I think that surfers have it right. Sometimes people just need to get the shit beat out of them and have their board/lines snapped in half and if that doesn't work then they need to be run out of town. Localism has its place in self regulated activities such as BASE. Looking to the authorities just hurts everyone.

Just on a short note:

95% of the jumpers coming to Lauterbrunnen are respectful to the environment an the locals.

It's just a small % of the jumpers which fall out of the line.
As I heard, the questioned jumper did not mean any harm, there where cows on the field he tried to land so he went for the road (which is a bad decision, worst which could have happened to him as that he land in cow shit and that the farmer yells at him, but still better then getting run over by a car...).

What also has caused some problems with the locals is that base bums sleep in the car all the time. The locals are bit afraid that Lauterbrunnen turns into a gypsy place...

But, like I said before; most jumpers are leaving a good impression, unfortunately the once who don't are the once which stick out and are being remembered.

To all the others, thank you for how you act and how you treat the valley and the people of the valley and we hope to see you again next season.

Over and out,
Michi :-)

Michi, you are a gentleman. as you say, 95% of jumpers are respectful,... yes, most BASEjumpers I know are great people, part of what makes the sport what it is.

Whether we are teaching FJC's, mentoring friends, or whatever? It is important to instill in newbies some sense of Ethics.
As the sport grows it is important to understand how fragile sites are, Respect that, and the People who have worked so hard in keeping them open and available.
So,.. to the 95% of respectful jumpers, (YOU know who you are,... and you also know,... that,... you behave that way, perhaps only 95% of the time yourselves,....) I suggest that we take it upon ourselves to control the delinquents, and when we catch them jeopardizing our sites, legal or private,...

TAR and FEATHER the MUTHAS!!!!

Regards, B.

So much hate for a dude who landed on the road probably because he didn't want to scare the cows! This vigilante talk is tedious. If you want to be a macho, Point Break-style surfer then please take up surfing, or do bank jobs.

The object of this thread should be to inform jumpers that Lauterbrunnen cows are pretty hardcore and don't get freaked out by parachutes landing in their vicinity. They just keep on chewing the cud and looking bored.

Also if you cut my lines or even just undo my packjob because I didn't want to scare the cows I will cave your fucking face in :-)

If that were the case then my two questions to that dude would be were there cows on both sides of the road? And what were you doing over a field of cows in the first place if you didn't want to land next to them?

If there's one thing in LB that is completely technically undemanding it's landing. If you have a functioning canopy and the bare minimum of canopy experience to be BASE jumping in the first place there's no excuse for not landing in the right place.

How about line twists?