Bridge swinging is one of the most intense things you can do. Today, though, it is not what we are on. We are going to look at something that has been growing steadily: bungee jumping, an extreme sport that gives you the sensation of falling and a great deal of adrenaline with it — with the benefits that brings, and the enjoyment of doing it.
Where the name comes from
The name bungee jumping comes from bungee, an elastic cord, and jumping. Put together they name a sport that is commonly confused with bridge swinging , although the two are not the same.
The difference between the two
First, as with bridge swinging, it means throwing yourself off a bridge or a structure high enough for the jump to be safe. In both cases you need experienced professionals present for it to go as it should.
And there is a rope tied at one end to the person jumping and at the other to the structure.
The main difference is what happens during the fall, once you have jumped.
In the bridge swinging the movement is a pendulum, while in bungee jumping it is a series of oscillations perpendicular to the ground. The difference comes from the recoil of the elastic cord. That cord can hold up to 3,000 kilograms of static weight, though it holds less in motion and has to be replaced, since it loses elasticity over time.
Where bungee jumping came from
A final difference is in the origins of each. The first has its origins in 1970s France, where a climber used it to get from one bridge to another with a rope tied to one of them.
Bungee jumping, on the other hand, came from Oceania, and specifically from Australia, where it was a ritual marking the passage from childhood to adulthood.
If you are wondering what you need for it, here is what the activity requires.
How it is done
First you need somewhere high enough to jump from. After that:
Technically, you need safety equipment — a helmet and gloves for protection, a harness of the type used for parachuting, fixings that let the vertical fall be controlled and braked, and of course an elastic cord flexible enough, strong enough and durable enough not to degrade quickly.
In people, you need at least two professionals. One waits below and helps with the braking after the rebounds. A second is at the top of the structure to hold the jumper. And then there is the person jumping.
The best places in the world to do it
At GoRandom we want you living every minute of it. Between us we have found that letting the adrenaline go is genuinely good for you. So here are the best jumps there are — the most remarkable places for bungee jumping and bungee jumping. Pay attention, because among the best jumps in Spain and in the world there are several in the Basque Country — and it turns out to be one of the better things to do as a couple if you both like that sort of thing.
Ecuador
This first one is not a free fall in the usual sense but something considerably more unusual (the kind of thing we like). In the town of Baños there is the most extraordinary swing in the world, 2,660 metres up and known as “the swing at the end of the world”. It is nothing like a children’s swing: what it gives you is a feeling of freedom reserved for people with a good head for heights.
Switzerland
Closer to home is the Verzasca dam in Switzerland, another of the most spectacular jumps there is. It sits in the middle of the Verzasca valley, on the Vogorno dam, 220 metres above the ground. A remarkable place for the view alone and, if you are up for it, for the jump. For James Bond fans: this is where the opening of GoldenEye was filmed.
Azkarate
At kilometre 33 of the road between Azkoitia and Elgoibar is one of the best-known bungee spots in the north of Spain, with two levels of adrenaline: a 20-metre free fall and, the main draw, a 50-metre jump. The bridge is 62 metres and one of the highest in the country. Thinking about a present near San Sebastián? This is one.
Bungee jumping in Spain
Here, although the jump is over 20 metres and the bridge over 80, what really gets you is how close the walls of the gorge are. This is the Lanjarón bridge, in the Sierra Nevada, province of Granada.
Portugalete
This one proves that not every jump has to be out in the country. In Portugalete you get to jump from a UNESCO World Heritage site. A very good idea for birthdays in Bilbao or as one of the days out from Bilbao. Plan ahead, because the jumps do not run every weekend and the weather decides. If conditions are not right, not even the bravest gets to jump — this being a risk sport.
For everything else we have, come to GoRandom.
