Narrating his experience of bungee jumping in Rishikesh, Samikshan Dutta Choudhury terms it to be the experience of his life...

Nothing is more psychedelic than getting high from falling. This is a feeling which is alien to most of us. And to get acquainted with these feeling you will have to go through the fun-filled, nerve wrecking, extreme adventure sports called bungee jumping.

Hell yeah, bungee jumping would make you forget every definition of fear and terror that you could have ever understood. Once you get acquainted with the game and its set up, it would be like a gimmick which is done by crazy fads for a little hype. But once you are actually through with, you would realize that it was the time of your life.

If you want to realize this experience, then Rishikesh is the place waiting to welcome you. Jumping Heights -- India’s first registered extreme adventure zone -- has a bungee platform of 83 metres and the whole setting is indeed quite bold enough.

After a fun-filled drive from along the Ganges in a bungee coach to the site, which in itself is no less than any adventure sports, you reach the actual place where you see the platform standing at such a mammoth height. It gives you reason enough to make you feel nausea. But it’s not even the beginning of what you would undergo in the minutes to come.

There are some small formalities done before the execution of jump in order to secure your safety. After it’s over, you are led to the site. While walking on that shaky cantilever made of more than 1000 tonnes of steel you start getting sceptical. It’s not because of the platform as it is firm enough to hold a tank, but it’s because of the surrounding. The place from where the jumps are executed is surrounded by hills all over and under it, is a rocky river.

Waiting for your turn and seeing other people go through exhilarating jumps, you start getting excited with an exception. The excitement in you also turns you more paranoid about the activity. Finally, it’s your turn to deck up and you get harnessed for the jump. Two body harnesses for extra safety and a rope suiting your body weight is tied to your leg. These procedures pump you up and charge you. You are all set for the jump. But when you are guided to the edge of the cantilever you would actually realize what the literal meaning of ‘Height’ is. Standing tall at 80 plus metres, you actually realize that in a meanwhile you would be playing with madness. And before you get mentally prepared for the activity, different thoughts run across your mind which might prove detrimental to the whole idea of your jump.

But then you need to conquer all that and get bucked up. The jumpmasters from abroad start talking to you to prepare you mentally for the jump. You are least bothered about what he is saying because you are in no condition to listen to all that as your Central nervous system would be reacting to other stimuli as increased heart palpitation, tremors, blood pressure. You do not even realize that while fighting with the evils within, the jump countdown begins and everybody around starts cheering for you. At that point it’s either this side or that. So just jump conquering everything.

After you jump off the cantilever, and you are in the freefall mode, not a single word would come out from your mouth. Only after you are caught by the rope and you realize that you are safe, you would scream your guts out, because an indomitable task has been achieved by you. While swinging like a yo yo upside down, your only link with world above is the cord, which you would like to grasp on to like it is your baby.

There is a misconception that the jump produces a painful bouncing effect. It’s not true, at least till the next day. You would be occupied with the feel that pain would not be even able to tickle you. Now after you fall through a rough height of 83 meters (283 Feet), within seconds reaching the end of the rope and stretched your adventurous bone to the ultimate, you would want to get lowered because now you want to tell the tale to the world. And accordingly, they comply and the rope is lowered down.

Now that it’s all over, you would be still shaking from the adrenaline shot. Fact is that you would be high on the adrenaline for the rest of your day. That was a jump before the life, and there is only life after the jump. You would like o see other people taking the jumps and would want to relate your experience with them. Unfortunately it is different for everyone. But the thing that remains common between everyone who has taken the jump is that “It would remain the jump of the life”.

Extreme adventure calling in Rishikesh

Jumping Heights of Rishikesh has set India's first ‘Extreme Adventure Zone’ in India. The site is set up at Mohanchatti, which is a 15 kms drive from Laxmanjhoola. The place has been blessed by Mother Nature and is surrounded by mountains and rivers.

Jumping Heights has three things in the house to offer for the adventure lovers. Asia's longest Flying Fox, Giant Swing of 83 metres and the mother of all bungee jumping from a height of 83 metres. The place has been designed by staff from New Zealand and has world class quality and the crew along with Indians includes staffs from New Zealand who have commendable experiences all over the place in adventure sports. The crew has undergone extensive training and the best equipments and procedures are in place.

Jumping heights is India's first registered adventure zone. The bungee, which is done from a cantilever of 83 metres is indeed stupendous and one of its kind in the world. A businessman from Ujjain says, “I travelled all the way from Ujjain, which is a 12 hours drive. I have come to take the jump and I would do it again. I heard about the place from my friend. The security parameters are good, so I am not all worried".

The Flying Fox is done from a height of 120 metres and is 1 km long. This is the longest Flying Fox in Asia. It travels at a speed of 160 kms. An engineer from Ujjain says, “I have lot of cars. But till now till is the best ride I ever got." The flying fox has been designed by Ron Craston.

It took a long time to get this place set up. In an interview with Samikshan Dutta Choudhury, Vivek Sethi, the official spokesperson of Jumping Heights, talks about the effort gone into setting up the venture. Excerpts:

ISN: Since how long is the Jumping Heights in operation?
Vivek: Commercially from June 1, 2010. But then the advertising started only in November.

ISN: How did you think of coming up with such an idea?
Vivek: The passion for giving India the world class facilities in its own backyard was what motivated us. We went to New Zealand and did an extensive research about the game. We conducted geological surveys, site seeing for setting up the site. We had to go through a lot of hard work.

ISN: What were the initial hassles?
Vivek: We had lots of hassles initially. We faced delays in government clearances. But the major one was local resistance, which was sorted out as our employees are all locals except the Jump Masters.

ISN: Coming up with such a massive project, how has it benefited anyone else other than adventure freaks?
Vivek: Let me make one thing clear, it has not helped us financially at all. And apart from benefiting adventure lovers, it has benefited the tourism of Rishikesh. It has given Rishikesh a new tag of adventure sports zone. It has also helped the local public as we employ only people from the locality.

ISN: How well secured is your zone?
Vivek: It very much secured. God forbid nothing has happened till date and nothing will happen in the future as well. Before executing anything, the person is given one body harness and then two additional supports in case the first one breaks. So it’s totally secured. It’s 100 per cent safe.

ISN: Your work force?
Ans: Two jumpmasters from New Zealand and 43 local employees.

ISN: Your vision?
Vivek: 10 years down the lane, we would be operational in five more places. The pace of acceptance would change. We want to put India on the adventure map