Mount Hood Base Jump?!

[cluck]

Mount Hood: The Chamonix of the west!

 

Full story and link to video

 

MOUNT HOOD - A man from Spokane, with the help of a local friend, became the first to ski base jump off Mount Hood and the daredevil act was all caught on tape.

 

Matthias Giraud is on cloud nine after making the most impressive jump of his life on Thursday.

 

He cruised to the edge of Mississippi Head, shot off the vertical cliff and soared 253 feet before a parachute guided him safely down into the snow.

 

"It's the best feeling in life," he said. "It's the perfect moment. You get to the top and hiking, getting ready to do it, and you're like 'Oh my God, what am I doing?'"

 

Asit Rathod helped Giraud pull off the historic ski base jump. They had tried it before but the notoriously fickle Mount Hood weather did not cooperate. This time, 50-degree sunshine made for a picture-perfect day.

 

At 7,159 feet, Mississippi Head is one of the most dangerous spots on the mountain. It is part of the Mount Hood Triangle where climbers and skiers face the danger of tumbling down into Zig Zag Canyon.

 

Base jumping is not illegal in and of itself, it just depends on where you do it. KATU checked with the U.S. Forest Service and after a lot of research, they determined Giraud did nothing wrong.

 

However, while they admire the adventure of it all, they are not encouraging others to try the same thing.

 

 

[sobo]

That was pretty cool. The head-cam shot was the best!

[ScaredSilly]

Not so impressive - the euros have been ski hucking themselves off cliffs for quite some time now. I am actually surprised no one has done this before.

 

And I surely would not say that this history or a first to ski base jump OFF of Hood, Mississippi head wall is at 7k so he started 4k low.

[jordansahls]

I wonder when the Willis Wall will be jumped?

[letsroll]

Mount hood base jump, more like Mississippi Head base jump. how if he did off the summit. I would be impressed

[Couloir]

I'm sure Arc has already done it.

[Couloir]

I wonder when the Willis Wall will be jumped?

 

I'm sure Arc has already done it.

[sobo]

Where the hell do you get those avatar pics??? Spill it!

[Weekend_Climberz]

I wonder when the Willis Wall will be jumped?

 

I'm sure Arc has already done it.

 

Looks like Arc has be relegated to apray painting buildings in SODO:

 

[cluck]

Not so impressive - the euros have been ski hucking themselves off cliffs for quite some time now. I am actually surprised no one has done this before.

 

Whatever. You guys are so hardcore.

 

Besides, neon green parachutes are sooo 80s.

[lightning]

it is still cool!

 

 

 

cluck:

does this make Hood the new mt. Blanc?

[goatboy]

 

"However, while they admire the adventure of it all, they are not encouraging others to try the same thing."

 

 

[ScaredSilly]

Whatever. You guys are so hardcore.

 

Not really, just not easily impressed. Too many wannabe's out there trying to be the "first". To the point that most of the antics are uninspiring and boring.

[gapertimmy]

And who said nothing good ever comes out of Spokane????

[Greta]

Whatever. You guys are so hardcore.

 

Not really, just not easily impressed. Too many wannabe's out there trying to be the "first". To the point that most of the antics are uninspiring and boring.

 

STFU noob

[billbob]

Whatever. You guys are so hardcore.

 

Not really, just not easily impressed. Too many wannabe's out there trying to be the "first". To the point that most of the antics are uninspiring and boring.

 

STFU noob

Sounds like somebody had a bad day

[Joe_Poulton]

I think this "new transplant" technique is perfect for safely descending the Cooper Spur route...but imagine the Willis Wall...do you think you could fly to Olympia, Tacoma or even Seattle...maybe Vancouver BC. What the record flight is something like 276 miles with the glider chutes???

[Couloir]

Arc did...or will...

[Lowell_Skoog]

The thing to keep in mind is that there are at least three classes of chutes people use to fly off mountains:

 

1. Paraglider (a soaring canopy optimized for high glide ratio)

2. Speed flying chute (a small, fast paraglider intended for ground skimming)

3. BASE parachute (a skydiving canopy deployed during free fall)

 

The recent Mt Hood descent used a BASE parachute. Because of their poor glide ratios, you generally can't soar or fly cross-country on a speed flying chute or a BASE chute. I think it's accurate to say that the number of places you can use one of these canopies decreases as the glide ratio decreases. So there are relatively few places you can use a BASE parachute. I think even Willis Wall may be too low-angle to use one there. There are probably few, if any, other places on Mt Hood to use one, since you need a vertical wall to jump off.

 

The first known paragliding descent (from the summit!) of Mt Hood was made way back in June 1988 by Michael Koerner of Everett. That flight and many others are documented in the following article:

 

"On a Wing and a Prayer: The Mountaineering Roots of Northwest Paragliding"

 

 

 

[cluck]

Thanks for the historical perspective, Lowell. Your stories from the "old days" are always enjoyable

 

Regardless of whether this guy was the "first" for anything - I still find it amusing and somewhat inspiring to hear (and see the video) of his hairbrained stunt in my backyard playground.