Thursday, July 11, 2013

Jumping the Goat's Horns

Until a century ago, Svolværgeita or Goat's Horns rock tower in Norway had never been conquered.
These days, not only is it one of the most popular climbing pinnacles in Norway, but thrill-seeking mountaineers defy death by jumping between its granite horns!
Goat's Horns peak - looming over the town of Svolvær - was first climbed in 1910. These days, climbers can scale Svolværgeita via the original route of its first climbers, just to see how good these pioneers were in their time.
There're several routes up the Goat's Horns but, once at the top, many climbers follow the decades-old tradition of jumping from Storhorn (Big Horn) to Lillehorn (Little Horn), over a 1.5m gap. It's considered the perfect mountainclimbing stunt, because it's easy enough to do, yet difficult enough to get your heart pumping. Jumping 1.5m may not seem too challenging, but one slip and you'll have to rely on the safety harnesses to save you from a 150m plunge to the foot of Goat's Horns pillar!
And if that jump wasn't scary enough before, a 3m section of Lillehorn broke off in 2008. That means the part that climbers used to land on is now missing. This apparently makes the jump even more exciting for rock-climbers in search of an adrenaline rush.
And the feat makes an amazing photo!

1 comment:

Madame48 said...

EXCITING???? Ahhhhh I really don't think so, noooo sir not by a long shot!!! I feel quite sick at the thought of such a crazy reckless dare devil stunt. Do these idiots not value their lives?