That Valley in Switzerland

[TomAiello 25]

I'm reproducing this from a post by a local there. If you are planning a trip there, please read this, and please follow the guidelines he lays out:

Quote

To all:

- BASE here is Tolerated

If everyone knows how to do it right, behave and act in a self-responsible manner, it will stay that way.

(The meaning of "self-resposibility" (without the need of regulation by police/goverment) makes part of the swiss/europe mentality.)

It is tolerated because of the good will of the people there: Local People, Air Glacier, The farmers

For their help and support, you might bring the farmers some good bottles of whiskey you brought from home, special schnaps and wine, sure they appreciate it if you do as well. Air Glacier, they like chocolate, flowers, etc...

This little things does make happy people and help increase the amount of tolerance we are happy to get from this people.


Even it seems unnecessary to mention, I repeat it again:

- Easy freefall:

Even this *might* be true for some exits, this is not the case everywhere!!! Neither underestimate the Spots nor overestimate your skills.

- Waterfall:

Keep jumping to a minimum, this spot is very close to the village. I suggest to, if you stay longer and absolutely want to jump this, do it just once early in the morning. There is no need to regulate (because regulation means responsibility, and noone has any interest to take this.

Use your brain, the people in the village are still traumatised (I spoke to one last week) from the Guys who jumped during a funeral!!!


- Trash / Garbage:

Don't leave anything there!!! It is not nice to see this bottles, red-bull cans, etc anymore. And the Guy who left tons of duct-tape at serveral exits last week should learn to fly with a bowling ball whenever I see him littering exits...

Replaceing old ropes is possible however.

- Exits:

Don't touch the exits. They are opened that way and jumped that way too. Don't cut trees, this is bad attitude!

The Guys who completely rebuilt the upper Nose Exit jst because they couldn't do a correct 2way otherwise already know they did wrong. I hope not to see this anymore.

- Landing:

NOT IN HIGH GRASS. Cutting the grass on a fields where several jumpers walked on in a pain in the a... for a farmer. The pushed down grass gets stock in the cutting machine and every time this happens, the farmer has to get out of their tractors, remove the stock grass by hand before they can continue to cut the grass.

Go check the landings before you walk up. If you don't see any options, don't jump or go to talk to the farmer.

- Call Air Glacier

- Be safe and spread the love




- Most Important: Be nice to the locals

Be nice with them, even if you think it sounds strange but paying loads of beer and coffee in the morning after, sharing girlfriends, packing others parachutes is considered good behaviour and is normal there.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

Be nice with them, even if you think it sounds strange but paying loads of beer and coffee in the morning after, sharing girlfriends, packing others parachutes is considered good behaviour and is normal there.

When was this e-mail sent Tom ? 1968 ?

Quote

- Call Air Glacier

Is there a phone# ? or will people who go know this already ? or at least be aware of it ?

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[gus 1]

The valley is an incredibly beautiful place to jump and a small amount of cooperation with the locals and a bit of respect for the environment is a very small price to pay to keep access open.

Each exit point has a plaque nearby with the Air Glacier phone number on it.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[piisfish 135]

Quote

Quote

- Call Air Glacier

Is there a phone# ? or will people who go know this already ? or at least be aware of it ?

the number is +41 (33) 856 05 60 and can be found at Horner's at the information board.

The trash thing is IMHO applicable everywhere worldwide.

Only went twice to the valley to ground crew/pick up. While spending my time waiting at the landing area, I managed to pick up many energy drink cans/bottles, duct tape, chocolate papers, cigarette butts etc... I am a smoker,, I am an energy drink consumer and a chocolate eater... But I try as much as possible not to throw things on the ground. Specially in places where I know that my presence is tolerated, and that my favorite activity depends on being able to reach that place.

For the girlfriend thing, yes, Toni is a bit of a '68er... Nowadays we would say share our girlfriend, boyfriend or both

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[unclecharlie95 3]

Good post Tom, it doesn't hurt to have a reminder for these things.

Last season I was talking with the owner of one of the campsites, he asked our group not to jump the waterfall - explaining that he was put in a very difficult situation when a large group of tourists staying at his site witnessed a fatality and suffered obvious psychological distress (some needed councilling...).

It doesn't hurt to do the jumps from the waterfall early morning when there aren't many people about...

BASEstore.it

[JaapSuter 0]

A related post...

Let's try to minimize any incidents in the future. Never be too embarrassed to pick up somebody elses trash and never be afraid to call somebody on their behaviour.

I mean, when people start rubbing tri-tip on their shirts and doing static apnea in ice-water, maybe it's time somebody says something about it.

We're always guests everywhere we go and even minor incidents can easily cast an image on the entire base jumping community. Next time a non-basejumper shows great hospitality, don't hesitate to write a thank-you note or maybe bring a little present. A sixpack of beer, a bouqeut of flowers, or a box of chocolate goes a long way.

[FIREFLYR 0]

We're always guests everywhere we go and even minor incidents can easily cast an image on the entire base jumping community. Next time a non-basejumper shows great hospitality, don't hesitate to write a thank-you note or maybe bring a little present. A sixpack of beer, a bouqeut of flowers, or a box of chocolate goes a long way.

[Lavielle 0]

Quote

- Exits:

Don't touch the exits. They are opened that way and jumped that way too. Don't cut trees, this is bad attitude!

The Guys who completely rebuilt the upper Nose Exit jst because they couldn't do a correct 2way otherwise already know they did wrong. I hope not to see this anymore.

I have been at the mentioned Nose Exit and couldn't believe my eyes. Some other paths and exits have been rebuilt also. I talked to some locals and they were really angry. Please don't forget: you are a guest, so behave like one.

Pascal (a guest from Germany)

[GaryP 0]

There's another popular site in another valley North of this one - 700' wall with a waterfall next to it and the military air-base near the landing area 1500' down in the valley below.

Protocol with the air-base is to jump only very early in the morning and between 12:00noon and 1pm (this is when the air-force is off to lunch ). Otherwise it ticks off the military dudes BIG-TIME as we found out.

The exit point is on the farmer's property and so walk single file along trodden paths and leave a bottle of wine at his door for the 1st load. How would you feel if a constant stream of back-pack carrying foreigners beat a path across crops you've toiled over and tended to by hand for months??

Enjoy
g.

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

The exit point is on the farmer's property and so walk single file along trodden paths and leave a bottle of wine at his door for the 1st load. How would you feel if a constant stream of back-pack carrying foreigners beat a path across crops you've toiled over and tended to by hand for months??

When I talke to that farmer a couple years ago (not sure it's still the same farmer), he asked us to walk along the very edges of his fields (closest to the edge of the cliff). Do you know if this is still what he wants?

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[eb66to77 0]

Quote

the number is +41 (33) 856 05 60 and can be found at Horner's at the information board.

This is where I went first in the Valley. The Horner Pub is near the waterfall. Any of the ladies(Especially Marie) will be able to guide you in the right direction for Air Glacier. They are also very easy to deal with. You can speak pretty much three different languages at either place and you will get your point accross. The Horner has had vacancy the four or five times I have been down there. Good food great time!

[GaryP 0]

Quote

Quote

The exit point is on the farmer's property and so walk single file along trodden paths and leave a bottle of wine at his door for the 1st load. How would you feel if a constant stream of back-pack carrying foreigners beat a path across crops you've toiled over and tended to by hand for months??

When I talke to that farmer a couple years ago (not sure it's still the same farmer), he asked us to walk along the very edges of his fields (closest to the edge of the cliff). Do you know if this is still what he wants?

It's been two years myself - yes, walk straight to the edge of the field closest to the cliff. single file helpsand shows we care. I'm not sure if it's the same farmer as two years ago but he watched us walk along his property a couple of times in the same day and didn't seem to mind. We did leave him a bottle of wine at his front door first load. It's pretty inexpensive for a group of jumpers to chip in and get one bottle. This is a pretty sweet jump and worth the drive.

I don't suggest ever paying money to any farmers though as it would start a bad precedent (except the 5 franc landing fee at the 800' jump at the end of That Valley accessed by the cable car)

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.