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Gunkie
climber
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May 21, 2015 - 12:02pm PT
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BASE jumping is ubiquitous in just about every other country that has exit points. I'm all for opening it up in national parks for at least few days/year. Depending on the winds and such, different exit points would open or close. Post some warning signs for hikers/climbers venturing into the potential impact zones on those days and at those places because the law of large numbers predicts that some folks will auger in; it's inevitable.
However, the flatbed 10 did nothing to help the cause nor did the 1999 protest jump from above Zodiac (see above). Maybe those incidents are still vibrant in the memories of NPS officials?
My distinct fear is that if the NPS begins to regulate BASE jumping, maybe they begin to feel the need to regulate climbing more closely.
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c wilmot
climber
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May 21, 2015 - 12:12pm PT
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If the NPS allows it then they would have to have BASE rangers to moniter and ensure the rules would be followed. It seems to be a liability thing along with the ever present lack of funds for the NPS.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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May 21, 2015 - 12:44pm PT
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Don't forget about the Gambler.
The NPS had a direct cause in his fatality too
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Bill Sherman
Mountain climber
Culver City, CA
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May 21, 2015 - 01:34pm PT
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Only if Heisenberg is equating The Gambler's decision with jumping in the Merced as a direct result of the NPS chasing him.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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May 21, 2015 - 03:48pm PT
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Bill you are correct.Guns drawn is the rumor. I wasn't there so I will not say.
The current charge is illegal air delivery. How is it that you can hang glide from GP and not BASE from El Cap?
Currently BASE is a permitted activity but the superintendent will not issue permits.
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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May 21, 2015 - 04:06pm PT
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Guns drawn is the rumor.
What choice did he have but to jump at dusk and then jump into the Merced? He must have feared for his life. What was he black?
Seems like it should be legal and regulated if people can do it responsibly.
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WBraun
climber
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May 21, 2015 - 04:13pm PT
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What choice did he have but to jump at dusk and then jump into the Merced?
At dusk?
Are you sure .....
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 21, 2015 - 04:15pm PT
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The national parks are not X Games venues, they are to be protected in their
natural state where the only things flying are birds, bugs, and the odd squirrel.
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crankster
Trad climber
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May 21, 2015 - 04:16pm PT
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NPS allowed some legal jumps around '80. Didn't work out. I think the view will always be that BASE is too much of a fringe, dangerous activity.
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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May 21, 2015 - 04:23pm PT
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Not in that particular case no. Sorry, not really trying to provide Information more referencing our perception of the bigger picture of whose to blame posited by the op re dusk jumps and repeated re Merced for the gambler and just combined the two for brevity and ease of human brain processing as a surrogate for the plight of the persecuted BASE jumper. You know, I read it on the Internet :-)
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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May 21, 2015 - 04:41pm PT
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Canyoncat said:
I don't see why NPS says base is dangerous, but allows soloing? Could be based on the history, which shows lots of deaths from BASE jumping and few from free soloing.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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May 21, 2015 - 07:47pm PT
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Add controls, legalize it, and let it evolve..
Evolution relies on survival to a point.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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May 21, 2015 - 08:22pm PT
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"The national parks are not X Games venues, they are to be protected in their
natural state where the only things climbing are lizards, bugs, and the odd squirrel."
There Reilly fixed it for ya.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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May 21, 2015 - 09:26pm PT
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Yes, today they could have a safe day or two per year. The problem then is who is qualified? If you could really control that, then it would be piss easy.
There have been big legal BASE events all over the world. They are sort of invite-only, so there haven't been any big problems.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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May 21, 2015 - 09:40pm PT
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Silly thread.
BASE kills.
Always has,
and always will.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 22, 2015 - 03:10am PT
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I totally get that flying is amazeing. I also completly feel that proximity flying is incredibly stupid. the idea should be to steer away from the cliffs that will kill you, not to see how close you can come to them. Absoluetly, completly and incredibly stupid. I street raced motorcycles when I was young and stupid. That was incredibly stupid as well . It's damn hard to get dumber than stuffing a crotch rocket into a turn at over a 100mph with guard rails, ledges, bridges, houses and trees etc. on one side and a log truck or semi etc in the other lane, yet I did that pretty much every rideable spring, summer and fall day from the age of 16yrs to 24 days after my 20th birthday. I crashed a bunch of times and somehow lived. came off at 110mph and was able to walk away and hitch hike to the hospital. (thought it was a really cool wreck at the time) Saved by full face helmet and Bates raceing leathers as well as a huge dose of luck. 6-24-84 I saw my best friend in two pieces on fire. parked the bike in the driveway and let it sit there rain or shine for about 5 months and then sold it dirt cheap..... A crotch rocket has amazeing brakes and manuverability. They go fast as hell but turn and stop on a dime often giveing you 10 cents change. Wing suits have no brakes and very limited manuverability. flying close to solid objects with them is at least 100 times dumber than street raceing which is about as dumb as you can get......
I hate that saying," he died doing what he loved". I only buy that line if your old and your health is failing. When a young person goes early they f*#ked up doing something they loved. No glory in that.. play the cards right and get lucky with your health and you can be like Fritz, soloing in your eightys still doing what you love..........
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 22, 2015 - 03:21am PT
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would also like to add that doing tricks on a short jump is incredibly stupid as well. The number of times we read about a base jumper decking while doing tricks is insane.. You only have a few seconds to get your sh#t together and get you chute open but you do back flips instead.. Ooopsi, you lose . now your family and loved ones get the big shaft.
this is Not dying doing something you love. It's being an as#@&%e, f*#king up and ruining you mom and dad and siblings and lovers and childrens lifes.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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May 22, 2015 - 06:52am PT
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The problem then is who is qualified?
That is the crux of the problem.
If it were legal and open then people without good sense would make a mess out of the landscape. Also, there are a select few who have a true death wish; depressed people want to die so try to turn their guides into unwilling executioners.
On the other hand, perhaps this would thin the herd. (dark joke)
Unqualified persons ruin just about everything, even hiking, backpacking, visiting beautiful places, etc.
A good solution is a strong formal system of training and permitting. Highly problematic, but a path forward.
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Gary
Social climber
From A Buick 6
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May 22, 2015 - 07:09am PT
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A good solution is a strong formal system of training and permitting.
But what if all the mentors are dead? Who does the training then? Reilly called it "ritualized suicide", maybe there's something to that.
http://base-jumping.eu/base-jumping-fatality-list/
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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May 22, 2015 - 07:11am PT
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Gary, Well I'm a pretty unqualified critic, but perhaps if they had more classes in aerodynamics?
Human flight should be an exact science, not an "adrenaline sport."
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