Europe for Beginners

[JaapSuter 0]

Hi,

does Lauterbrunnen have any sites that are suitable for terminal beginners?

What about the Italian big wall? I've heard conflicting reports. Some say it's a great and easy wall, but others (and Nick's list) contradict this.

Trying to plan a Europe trip this fall, and I won't be able to get to Norway. Are there any other good beginner sites I'm overlooking? I'm mostly looking for the high stuff.

PM if you have to get into site details.

Thanks,

Jaap

[BASE813 0]

visit the UK whilst in Europe mate, always a bed and breakfast for you here..............

sorry cant help with terminal here, but I am sure some of the lower stuff will grab your interest..........

[unclecharlie95 3]

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What about the Italian big wall?

ITW has teeth, dangerous winds to the un-educated, rock drop is deceptive, a near landing area and a far landing area with not many easy outs in between.

How raw is this beginner of which you speak?

BASEstore.it

[Faber 0]

as sais ALL slider up is dangerus dude

Anyway ill work hard to convince you to pay me a visit in DK,hell i might even climb 500´whith you if you want a high one

Hold on to your hat

About the Italian wall,whith out have been there(as its slider up) i were told it aint a good begginers site...

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PM if you have to get into site details.

bring your laser

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[JaapSuter 0]

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How raw is this beginner of which you speak?

I'm not sure what raw means in this context, but he is a beginner with only 57 slider down jumps and zero terminal jumps. He has not nearly enough skydive experience to be a base jumper and his never ending optimism and faith in body-armour will one day get him into trouble. His only redeeming quality is that he loves hiking so walking down is never a problem.

I would advice all Europeans to stay away from this guy unless you have a ten foot pole.

Huh, what?

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Anyway ill work hard to convince you to pay me a visit in DK.

I already told Nikolaj I would come flik something with you guys when I'm in Europe. Looking forward to it!

[jeanneretjerome 24]

Yellow is often used as the wall for beginners. Getting to the last meter of the exit could be challenging but the wall is adequate.

jerome

[TomAiello 26]

Jaap,

I think you'll be fine in Italy. Do that first, and then decide if you're comfortable enough to move to the (lower, more challenging) Swiss jumps.

The 3rd "standard" stop on that trip is in France. Next time you're down here I can sit down with a road map and show you a good 2 week loop.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[maretus 0]

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I think you'll be fine in Italy. Do that first, and then decide if you're comfortable enough to move to the (lower, more challenging) Swiss jumps.

I'm a bit tired and might be getting this wrong but are we talking about the same terminal wall in italy ? I'd be interested to know how you Tom came up with a decision to give that advice to a guy who stated that he has 0 terminal jumps and very little skydiving experience and we are talking about the wall that has "a plaque at the launch point, not so much to memorialize the dead, but to forewarn the living that ITW is an advanced skills level BASE jump." ? So basically you are advicing a beginner to go to a advanced skills spot ? I've never been to that wall in italy myself but many have said that even though the full alti is huge the rock drop isn't that high on that wall. As James said the winds are tricky too and many of my friends don't consider it to be suitable for beginners.

http://www.ufufreefly.com

[TomAiello 26]

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I'd be interested to know how you Tom came up with a decision to give that advice to a guy...

My personal knowledge and evaluation of his current jumping skills. I taught his FJC, I've jumped with him on multiple occasions since then.

I'm not just basing this on the info he gave out on this forum, in other words.

Edit to add: I've also jumped that site multiple times, so I've got an idea of what the difficulties are, along with what his skill set is.

Edit to add also: This is not meant as a general recommendation for any other person or any other set of sites. My comment was particularly directed at Jaap, and particularly at one specific site.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[JaapSuter 0]

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I'm a bit tired and might be getting this wrong

Not at all, I appreciate these comments.

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I'd be interested to know how you Tom came up with a decision to give that advice to a guy

In Tom's defense, he probably would be the best judge of my base skills or lack thereof.

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who stated that he has 0 terminal jumps and very little skydiving experience

180 skydives; 40 with my base canopy. 80 dedicated to tracking.

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and we are talking about the wall that has "a plaque at the launch point, not so much to memorialize the dead, but to forewarn the living that ITW is an advanced skills level BASE jump."

Yeah, that's precisely what I am wondering about as well. After the popular Norwegion wall, the Italian wall is the deadliest wall on Nick's list.

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many of my friends don't consider it to be suitable for beginners.

Do you know of any other good beginner spots in Europe, besides Norway?

Thanks!

Jaap

[Faber 0]

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Do you know of any other good beginner spots in Europe, besides Norway?

i dont know any good once but alot of bad once

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[hannes1 0]

personaly i recomend and chose for beginners first terminal jumps the ITTW.
but only with somebody who has experiance with the spot and the wind situation at that wall.!
watch for the self regulation codes posted on the italian site.
but to say when a jumper is ready for the first terminal is another thing.it depends on skill level more than the number of jumps.
switzerland no.
take care
hannes

[maretus 0]

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I'd be interested to know how you Tom came up with a decision to give that advice to a guy...

My personal knowledge and evaluation of his current jumping skills. I taught his FJC, I've jumped with him on multiple occasions since then.

Edit to add: I've also jumped that site multiple times, so I've got an idea of what the difficulties are, along with what his skill set is.

Edit to add also: This is not meant as a general recommendation for any other person or any other set of sites. My comment was particularly directed at Jaap, and particularly at one specific site.

That was exactly what I thought, thanks for the clarification Tom.

http://www.ufufreefly.com

[iXic 0]

I made my first terminal jump from ITTW. Would be the whole different situation if I'd went there alone (zero experiences in wind, landing options...), but I had bunch of experience jumpers behind my back and now I have 14 jumps off it.
I'd suggest that you write when you'll be there and ask if there are any of the more experienced guys there at the time to PM you...
Unclecharlie is almost cooked and fried there every free weekend ... Ups, did I say sth wrong?

FYI: Before my first jumps from this great wall, I had 8 slider-up jumps from S in Croatia...

[maretus 0]

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Not at all, I appreciate these comments.

Yeah, just wanted to say that my post wasn't about underestimating or bashing your skills in base or skydiving, just wanted to hear Tom's views on how he came up with his recommendation.

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Do you know of any other good beginner spots in Europe, besides Norway?

I take it that we are still talking about high walls here ? Sorry but I'm not an expert on European sites, I myself made my first jumps on popular wall in Norway and since then I've been jumping in the famous valley in Switzerland and the pretty well known wall in France and that's about it. The valley in swiss has nice walls and as somebody said in this thread the YO is probably the "easiest" jump there. But regarding the valley I'd say contact the swiss base association (info@subterminal.ch), they'll have the best knowledge about it and it's suitability to you.

http://www.ufufreefly.com

[JaapSuter 0]

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just wanted to say that my post wasn't about underestimating or bashing your skills in base or skydiving

I would rather have that people (myself included) underestimate my skill than overestimate it; it'll keep me alive longer. So no worries.

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But regarding the valley I'd say contact the swiss base association (info@subterminal.ch)

Yeah, for sure. I have no intention of jumping anything anywhere without connecting with the locals. At this point I was just trying to get information so I can design my travel itinary.

Thanks everybody,

Jaap

[desert1 0]

FYI: Before my first jumps from this great wall, I had 8 slider-up jumps from S in Croatia...

[Faber 0]

DEXTER READ THIS!!!

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to say when a jumper is ready for the first terminal is another thing.it depends on skill level more than the number of jumps.

i tell you.im not ready.. often my wife says i have no skills what so ever.. please dont hurt me

Hannes,the above is not to take the p!ss on you,but at Dexter who thinks that i should get more slider ups in

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[DexterBase 1]

Hey dude, I'm not the only one who wants to put you off some cool shit. Too late. You're already fucked!

You are in for it now! (((crazy lunatic cackle)))

[Faber 0]

the trip starts in 20 mins from now...

No i heard people try to through me off 200ish stuff aswell

nah will be cool learning new stuff.. but ill let you test it first


how do you regonice me in the airport? you wont miss us i can tell... gonna be a show..he he

hold on to your hat bro...

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[DexterBase 1]

Awesome. Be safe in your travels. I will c-ya at the airport! Hope your rigs are packed

[Faber 0]

they sure are,slider off as i have no slider as i leave home,peter bring one...

c ya "soon" bro(like 15 hours from now i guess he he)

get some sleep you´ll need it

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[iXic 0]

Khmm, you're right ... sorry for this - yes, slider down (you know us women - always want to have things up )

[toni 0]

Agree with James here. Personnally had some really hairy situtations at the ITW where I'm happy to be alive...

Two problems I see there:
- Underestimation of the jump
- Winds

LB is ok to do your first jumps (did my very first jumps there), but I stronly suggest to do slider-down jumps first (there are some exits suitable for this). This is to train your eyes (often this point doesn't get trained enough) and to get used to the landing.

But I agree with some on this thread, some spots require bomb-proof exits, good tracking combined with enough eye-perception and a little bit of cold-blood, hence are not suitable for low-timers!!!

We (euros) all began jumping here I guess, and until last week (where I felt a bit lost) my jumping always involved a wall behing my neck...

[vandev 0]

I think there is some very good information here for us less or no experienced ones. I see a division of people on which sites they recommend for first terminal or E jumps as there prefrence. But seems to be division on either Norway or ITTW as one and Swiss as another. It looks as if it's undecided by the masses as to which. I am intrested also as to which the masses suggest as a first big wall jump. The more i read the slower i want to take it.

Thanks all for the information, Chris

In the end...the universe has a way of working itself out.... "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle"