BASEclimb 2 - defying gravity

When you think of ‘extreme sports’ what comes to mind? Snowboarding? Sky diving? Bungee jumping? Well BASE jumping takes this genre of sport to new heights (literally). BASEclimb 2 – defying gravity, chronicles the physical and psychological strength embodied in Heather Swan, wife of Glenn Singleman (creator, director and team member of BASEclimb), in her journey to climb and BASE jump 6812 meters from Ama Deblam in Nepal. Heather and Glenn married in 1998, 7 years after Glenn’s 6258 meter world record BASE jump off Great Mount Trango that was the basis for BASEclimb. Since setting his world record, Glenn firmly believed ‘that anyone who could stand on a chair, jump off and land upright has the physical ability to BASE jump the highest cliff in the world [and that] the only things holding us back are [our] mental barriers” (Singleman, 2002), it is this notion that inspired Heather Swan, Glenn’s second wife, to follow in her husbands footsteps, challenging Glenn to take her with him on his next expedition. The documentation of her comprehensive 2 year training regime to achieve her goal formed the foundation for BASEclimb 2 – defying gravity.

BASE jumping is debatably one of the most dangerous sports known to man. With the risk of injury or death increasing five – to eightfold when compared to that of skydiving (Soreide, Ellingsen & Knutson, 2007). Yet participants of the sport believe those who do not engage in the sport itself, would not be able to understand why BASE jumpers do what they do (Cooper & Laurendeau, 2007). Singleman does his best to illustrate the sport in a more constructive light, by injecting his film with comprehensive details of every aspect of planning that goes into any expedition he embarks on. His attention to detail allows no question to go unanswered and ensures his viewers are thoroughly informed of every facet of the sport. I found his approach quite comforting, and presume this thought is one shared by many (especially the critics). As one of Singleman’s methods to ensure the audiences woos are put to rest, he focused much of the film on Heathers comprehensive training regime. The training Heather underwent was carried out over a 2 year period. Each component of her training simulated an aspect of a BASE jump. From bungee jumping, skydiving and BASE jumping off smaller BASE’s such as bridges and small mountains, her training took her to some of the most iconic landscapes around the world. Twin Falls, Idaho USA; Namache Bazaar, Nepal; Moab, Utah USA; Arco, Italy; and Great Trango Tower in Pakistan. These picturesque views are one of the many reasons Heather states she enjoys BASE jumping so much as she ‘gets to go places usually only visited by birds’. Yet after a near death experience in one of her training sessions, Heathers moral was broken, she once again was faced with self doubt and overwhelming fear, sentiments she’d worked so relentlessly to eradicate from her life. Despite doctor opinion that she not return to the sport for at least a year, Heather picks herself up and becomes adamant that she achieve her goal, exemplifying raw fortitude at its best. “The real achievement is overcoming your own personal fears. Overcoming what you thought you couldn’t do.” (Swan, 2002)

In scenes of the climb, the atmosphere of the film was reformed, a new enthusiasm that was yet to be exhibited to the audience was exposed and spirits were high. Yet team moral was soon to be tested. Their attempts at the hike proved to challenge their ability, Ama Dablam was found too dangerous to climb, so plans were altered to hike the southern face of Great Mount Trango, where 2 weeks into the expedition, the weather proved unforgiving, and put the hike on hiatus. The climb was eventually called off due to circumstances out of their control, but Heather refuses to give up and what she does next is a true testimony to her passion and dedication. Despite her dreams being crushed, Heather matches her goals with challenge and skill (Csikszentmihalyi & Kleiber 1991:96, as cited in Hardy, 2002). Heather insists that she cannot judge her success on the end result and that her journey is something to be proud of. ‘The words “I can’t” are no longer in my vocabulary’ (Swan, 2002) This outlook is exactly what we need more of in today’s sport culture, where everyone is focused on extrinsic rewards or the end result, Heathers mentality is a breath of fresh air and exemplifies true sportsmanship.

Both Glenn and Heather narrated the majority of their journey, through this I found a deep sense of intimacy was created, it allowed me to become captivated in the teams pains and triumphs. I began to get quite absorbed in Heathers emotional battles, especially towards the end of the film. Yet I felt the movie did run a bit short, lasting only just over an hour, and some portions of their expedition were rushed or skimmed over. This being said, both BASEclimb 1 & 2 were originally only intended for television, so I understand that cramming 2 years worth of training and a total of over 8 weeks of hiking into a 60 minute time frame would have been difficult for Singleman. Another aspect of the film that I truly appreciated was the landscape, with each of the hikers being fitted with 3, 7 kilogram cameras (on head, back and back of knee), the footage captured was utterly jaw dropping. Often films in this genre can easily become consumed with the dangers or hazardous culture of the sport, yet BASEclimb 2 – defying gravity, somehow found a way to shift the focus. Found a way to allow its audience to just take a break and absorb the landscape. The still frames and panoramic views were awe-inspiring. Whilst the free fall recordings suspended time and took your breath away. Every piece of footage the film had to offer was spectacular. The scenery steals you away from the challenges Heather and her team had faced and the relentless terrains they’ve had to overcome, and before you know it, you are absorbed in the journey and forgetful of your prior reservations. If for nothing else, the landscape alone is worth the viewing.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed all this film had to offer, and I honestly believe BASEclimb 2 – defying gravity can change you views on the sport and even your outlook on life. The film is a true testimony to human spirit, and an essential viewing for anybody who ever said ‘I can’t’.

REFERENCES

Cooper, J., & Laurendeau, J. (2007). BASE Jumping. In

D. Booth & H.Thorpe (Eds.), Berkshire Encyclopedia

of Extreme Sports. (pp.25). Great Barrington:

Berkshire Publishing Group.

Hardy, D. (2002). The McDonaldization of rock climbing:

Conflict and counter conflict between climbing culture and

dominant value systems in society. In R. Poff, S. Guthrie, J.

Kafsky-DeGarmo, T. Stenger, & W. Taylor (Eds.), Proceedings

of the 16th International Conference on Outdoor Recreation and

Education (pp. 75-90). Bloomington, IL: Association of Outdoor

Recreation and Education.

Singleman, G. (Producer), & Singleman, G. (Director), & Swan, H. (Writer).

(2002). BASEclimb 2 – defying gravity [Motion Picture].

(Available from ABC stores).

Soreide, K., Ellingsen, C. L., & Knutson, V. (2007).

Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care, 62(5),

1113-1117.