Watching base jumping films can be a nerve-wracking experience, but this video captures the sport’s often-unseen serene side.
Created by long-time base jumper and skydiver, Ossie Khan, and shot over a two-year period, Experience Zero Gravity reveals some of the most stunning base jumping locations in Europe. What makes the film special, however, is that the footage is played in slow motion, allowing you to revel in the splendour of each place while feeling as though you’re experiencing the magnificence of human flight.
“There’s a really beautiful side to base jumping and to being able to fly through the sky in what becomes a very non-stressful headspace,” said Khan, whose goal with his filmsis to challenge the misconception that base jumping is all about adrenaline.
The video’s four main locations are Switzerland’s Eiger Mushroom (six seconds in), a 335m-high base-jumping and rock-climbing mecca; Switzerland’s popular High Nose jump in Lauterbrunnen (22 seconds in); Norway’s 900 to about 2,000m drops from the Fjord Mountains in Lysebotn (30 seconds in); and the majestic mountainsides of Annecy in France (35 seconds in).
Each location has its own special beauty, but for Khan, base jumping is unique because it provides a very different travel experience.
“I am looking at the city from a bird’s eye view and jumping directly down … not many people get to see it from that perspective,” said Khan of his experience jumping from the Eiger Mushroom in the Bernese Alps.
For those interested in base jumping, Khan recommends beginning with skydiving, then travelling to jumping points via tour groups such as Stevanger Base Klubb in Norway.
By Talia Avakian, BBC
For more information and details : https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20140523-base-jumping-the-serene-side-weve-never-seen