Basejumper.com - archive

Curious to know how it goes out there... and be curious to know your experience level if you do reply. Oh, yea, and what kind of object(s) (if that matters to you in this case).... Thanks!

I've done an "A" completely alone (though I did have a cell phone and let people know where I was) and an "E" sort of alone (I yelled down and asked some passing bikers to stand by, just in case things went wrong, they were more than happy to oblige ).

We've sort of had this "To Solo Or Not To Solo" debate before.

My opinion is that the whole sport is about comfort levels. Each person has their own and I like to think most people will respect it and not push someone to go beyond their personal level.

I personally enjoy solos. It's quality time with myself. I feel a greater sense of accomplishment when I do something completely by myself... prepare on my own, assess conditions, decide whether to make the jump or not (and yes, I have climbed down from solos many, many times).

But that's just me. YMMV.

Hey Elisa, nice to meet you over Memorial Day, hope your ankle heals quickly.

Baxter.

Right now at least 75% of my jumps are solo, meaning no ground crew. Although it's a lot more fun when your jumping with friends, it's also a awesome feeling when you get to the top of you favorite "A" at sunrise with not a soul in sight. Dennis McGlynn would say ," BASE is a inner thing, we do it for ourselves". When I do solo jumps, thats when I know exactly what he was talking about.

Hey Baxter... nice to meet you too! Just saw your mug as was enjoying the compilation footage of the 19-way... *so* getting a kick out of watching BASErs dirt dive, I just can't tell you....

Ankle's about 90% now... just a "blunt trauma," no fracture, no ligament damage... lucky and grateful! Hungry to jump (and am on the road, hence the poll topic).

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods....

You paint an awesome picture! I'm really hungry for the same level of independence, to be able to go for it when I want to go for it. But being a bit new, I'm being a bit cautious... this creates a LOT of inner tension (go/no go).

Yes, you're right... I read a couple interesting threads along these lines... one over the winter about Fear (where a series of the posts dealt w/ going it alone) and one recently that dealt w/ the solo issue. I am just curious to see how it "polls," amongst the forumers anyway... and, ok, I'm trying to develop my own practice... which I'm guessing will be a combo of accepted practice (f/e, making sure to call the locals when on the road... totally agree w/ that) and personal decision-making... all this under the heavy influence of the jonesing factor, if you know what I mean

I have done a few solos - including solos without a soul knowing you are there.

My first solo was an A i have done a few times and I also did my first B solo (but with telephone groundcrew).

yes there is something amazing about doing them, yes your confirm why you BASE, yes its so personal - but I wont do one again - I dont want to cook from the inside cause i get hung up on a heavily loaded A - i dont want to bleed to death from a compound fracture, I dont want to die from over exposure, I dont want to die from something that being with one other person could have prevented - its just a personal thing - if you want to do solos then fill ya boots - i guess its a "personal acceptance thing"........


be safe always

 

Have only been jumping regularly since the first of this year. I have right at 30 jumps. Half of them solos. All from three A's I opened myself.

You'll notice in my posts I don't give technical advice on jumping, due to my low jump #'s. (I haven't been to the Potato State yet)

But to answer your poll: I do solo jumps. New sites, and sites previously jumped with other jumpers.

cya
Rod

I like that!!

mf... you guys definitely have my admiration... I backed down from my first tower tonight. I'm ok w/ that, but it's not what I thought I'd be doing! Livin' to learn... sigh.

thats a far greater thing to do than jump a solo,its also the only thing that concerns me by jumping whith others(i have only my 2 first jumps whith other jumpers in the tower),which kind of pressure is that?Not saying that other jumpers say you should go,but the jumper not wanting to step down as other dont do it,and there fore migth do a jump they dont feel ok about..
I have walked down myself,on both solos and whith disapointed ground crew,i had no problems by that,i just feel a bigger hunger to drink beer after the climbing then

You should be just fine with it. Good for you for knowing when something doesn't feel right and listening to your instincts.

I'm convinced that we have a 6th sense that alerts us when things aren't right. A self-preservation instinct of sorts I suppose. Listen to it.


And learning to live!

I agree with you. Even though people like to say that there's no shame in climbing down, there is still that little bit of pressure (self-imposed) not to disappoint our peers.

When I'm by myself I have no one to impress or disappoint (including myself). Both me and my mentor agree that our thinking is clearer, more focused and less distracted. I've climbed down FAR more solos than I've actually done because I didn't feel conditions were right.

Yes, it is also true that I don't have anyone to immediately help me if something goes wrong. That's where letting people know where you are and what you're doing comes in. I call right before I jump and then immediately after. My friends know who to call and where to send help if I don't call back.

Oh, just make sure your cell phone batteries are charged. It would be kind of embarassing to call saying you're going to jump and then have the cell phone batteries go out.

or mincer forget it in the car,jump anyway,break the freaking leg so bad you cant move. well i think i know a guy that learned a lesson therewho me.. hmm it would bewrong to place names rigth

well now i also have morfine and a red ligt by me on the jump,so i can take the worst pain away and signal to people were i am.. as theres not much ligth in a watch or a cellphone..oh and if i mis my phone in the car again.. then i climb down

Living in the green and windy isle I think i have probably walked down / away more times than I have jumped.............

jumping in the car and driving home safe is a sucessful BASE night............ jump or no jump


dont say it faber - maybe its because i am a mincer!

be safe always

actualy in that case you´r NOT an mincer but im sure i could diog some mincer stuff about you up somwere.. oh well i better dont

yes, you're so right about that one! "Learning to live"... am definitely developing my own, quite literal rules to live by... maybe for the first time in my life! Yeeikes. Ultimately it was a good experience... my gang was so supportive, godblessem... "a good decision" they ALL said. Thanks! Honestly belive that nothing is ever wasted... in a wierd way, I guess I exercised a spectrum of "freedom" in a way I never have before. I've not exercised "no" in quite the same way I've exercised "go for it!" And, I also practically crashed my car today saying "I've got girliebabykahunas!" over and over until I was lol! (maybe you had to be there)

uhhh, "mincer"?... plz enlighten this suburban whitegrrl

I'm curious as to why you backed down?

Was it wind direction/speed, gut feeling, or.....?

you also paint quite an indelible image... which sounds pretty authentic to me! I'm not in a hurry (well, ok I am) to put myself into a situation like that (but it wouldn't happen to me), so I promise not to (until I feel I'm ready).

mincer, noun; as in someone who minces - to walk in an effeminate manner. Often used as

"...you mincing poof"

see also http://www.bartleby.com/61/88/M0308800.html

Just the usual charming non-PC insult us European types throw at each other all the time without meaning it. Unless the recipient is french.

Raw honesty here-- I wasn't ready. My first tower. It towered up near 1000. All day I had in my mind we were doing something 1/3 of that w/ a pca, but the winds changed to make this one more appropriate at the last moment. An easy jump. I simply had no realization of what I was getting into until I was there... I wasn't physically or mentally prepared... and I didn't recognize it until 50 up. No drama, just a clear "NO!" I do believe I heard my inner voice!...not the whiney "do we have to?" or anxty "have I packed correctly?". Simply, irrefutably "NO."

  
I like that!

I once climbed to the top with my mentor (close to 400 jumps), the conditions couldn't have been better. I exited first, after about 10 minutes of hesitation. Quite frankly I was scared. Well I landed, and waited, and waited, for him to go. After what seemed like an eternity, his canopy broke the dead silence of the cool winter night.

Once on the ground and securing our gear, I was amazed to hear him say "I was scared too".

There are gonna be those times when it just does not feel right. If it don't, don't do it. No shame, just back down.


Rod

hehehe yup... well i guess Mac dont take it to hard as he calls me the same all the time,by pure freindly joke.

Well i hope so,if not i guess i will be beated up this summer by him and other European Jumpers

only the things about he is old,fat and lazy should be taken serious,as its facts(but ofcours only in freindly manner)

Back to tread

im looking forward to get some jumps whith other jumpers this summer,i know its the way to learn more.and im sure its way more fun than being alone in a tower all the time.

I applaud you for having the guts to back down, I dont think once I get to my first jump I would back down (barring bad weather) because Im progressively getting more and more pumped. Just a question though, why did you want to do it from 333 feet instead of 1000? I have never BASE jumped before, but I would think the 1000 foot jump would be a LOT safer. Longer delay, more seperation from object...Or am I missing something?

Heh heh... Wait until you're at the exit point and you feel like puking and your knees are wobbling... it's ALL good!

That and when you swing your leg over the railing for the first time. MAN was I scared!

Thats one of the things you´ll need to control before you start jumping.No one want to be the freind of you left alone at a exit becours you jumped when you shouldnt.

Its all about mind control.bwaaa i got it in my mind i got, it in my mind please help me

I dont know if slider off or slider on is most safe,they both have their ups and downs.and why i would jump the 333ft instead of 1000ft?well:
Im lazy
i like slider off jumps
sliders scares me
becours i dont like spending my time in the tower instead of drinking beers

You guys crack me up w/ the "guts to back down" thing... t'weren't no thang... This must be one of those girl/guy differences (viva those!).

OK, re the 300footer... 1. It's what I had in mind all day. We talked about it and drew diagrams, so it was pretty real for me. 2. The small A was a nothing physical climb (stairs!). 3. I was packed slider off (tho, of course, there'd be no prob doing a <3 sec on the bigger tower w/ that setup). 4. There I was at the base of that big A... It was... just... so... BIG! (eh, I just threw that in here b/c you guys like to hear that ;o).

Yea, as a result of this one sitch, freedom now means having the same alacrity w/ "no" as I do w/ "yes."

Dude, you're so experienced... when did your walk-away happen?

Point taken