Everest Skydive History

Everest Skydive has come a long way since the first test operation was held in May 2008. The team’s enormous level of dedication and the people, who wanted to see this event continue and grow, made it such a huge success. The love and passion of everyone involved has made Everest Skydive one of the most amazing adventures in the Himalaya today. It gives extreme adventure buffs the opportunity to get their names into the international record books and make history by taking a leap with the Everest Skydive team.
Everest Skydive history in brief:

Everest Skydive 2008 (4-11 October) – Shyangboche Dropzone (1,2350 ft) First commercial operation in October 2008

Highlights and International Records - Everest Skydive 2008

Names of Skydivers - Everest Skydive 2008

Everest Skydive 2008 Closing Ceremony- 14th October, 2008

Everest Skydive 2009

Everest Skydive 2010 May

Everest Skydive 2010 –Autumn (October14 -19)Shyangboche Drop Zone

Reconnaissance of the Drop Zone at Syangboche by the High & Wild Skydiving Managing Team

The first ever skydiving programme in the Everest Himalaya took place on in mid-May of 2008. Four skydivers, namely Ben Ian Wood, Andy Montriou, Nigel Gifford and David Ian Wood successfully jumped from a height of 16,000ft at Syangboche, near the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. All four divers belonged to the management team of High & Wild, which is a UK-based adventure company. This test jump became the first ever skydiving event in the Everest region. Explore Himalaya, the local partner of High & Wild, received the permit to hold the first ever Skydiving event in front of Mt Everest (29,035ft.) in the autumn of the same year.

6 May 2008 -Everest Skydive Management Team Arrives in Kathmandu
On 6 May, the management team of High & Wild Everest Skydive arrived in Kathmandu, with High & Wild’s Managing Director, Nigel Gifford, leading the team. After having spent a day in Kathmandu, the team flew to Lukla, the entrance to the Everest Region. The trekked a couple of days to Namche Bazaar, from where they walked up the hill to Syangboche to inspect the landing area. On 13 May, the team did a thorough aerial survey by Fishtail Air helicopter.

14 – 15 May - First Ever Skydive Over Everest
On 14 May, Ben Ian Wood and Andy Montriou were geared up for the test dive. Their first two attempts at 6.30am and 8am failed due to the weather – first it was too cloudy and then too windy. However, the weather finally cleared at 9:15 am, and Ben and Andy jumped from the dizzying heights of 16,000ft and landed safely at Syangboche airstrip.

The following day, Nigel Gifford and David Ian Wood repeated this feat by skydiving from a helicopter belonging to Fishtail Air. Sixty-two-year old Nigel Gifford was delighted with the jump, which lasted about 10 seconds in freefall. Unfortunately, the team’s plan to do a tandem jump did not work out due to the weather and they returned to the UK on 16 May.

After the successful Drop Zone test, the upcoming Everest Skydive mission for autumn 2008 looked very promising and Nigel was confident about running this operation as a commercial activity.
Explore Himalaya was proud to be associated as a local partner of High & Wild in introducing
Everest Skydive as a new product.More...