5 Extreme Bungee Jumps That Will Get Your Heart Racing

‘It-it’ll be uh, just like bungee jumping. Y’know? But instead of bouncing back up, you-you won’t.’

—Ross Geller

Bungee jumping is essentially falling with a rope tied around you. A rope that, in the final moments before the fall, seems pathetically inadequate to keep you from resembling watermelon spatter as you plunge down, down, down…

Or just down. Most bungee jump freefalls last for an average of two to three seconds. Which is great, but usually ends up with you being caught mid-whoop as the rope reminds you of its sobering existence with a jolt.

The bungee jumping destinations mentioned below scale new heights in terms of the risk involved. At a time when bungee jumping as an adventure sport is becoming increasingly common, these particular spots are sure to give you bragging rights galore.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 bungee jumps that will scare the bejesus out of you:

5. Verzasca Dam, Switzerland

This one witnessed fame after being featured in the James Bond flick GoldenEye (1995).

At Verzasca Dam, Ticino, you jump alongside a concrete wall—studded with steel pegs—from a height of 220 metres! With a freefall of around five seconds, there’s plenty of time to scream yourself hoarse. The scariest bit, however, comes after the rope jolts and you’re left swinging— at times dangerously close to the concrete wall, pegs and all. How’s that for a 007-style adventure?

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4. Victoria Falls Bridge, Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls Bridge jump is popular for two reasons: its height (110 metres!), and the upside-down view of the magnificent Victoria Falls it offers. This long freefall gives you the opportunity to pray to multiple gods and confess your sins as you plummet towards the crocodile-infested Zambezi River. Interesting to imagine the proceedings if that rope broke, isn’t it?

Well, that’s just what happened when 22-year-old Erin Langworthy decided to take the plunge. Details about her brush with death can be found here but, as she admits herself, it’s one of those rarest-of-rare circumstances that don’t have a bearing upon the safety standards followed by the good folk at Victoria Falls.

3. Macau Tower, China

At 233 metres, this is the second-highest bungee jump in the world:  the kind of place where world records can, and have, been set.

The jump itself isn’t cheap  but doing so will ensure hushed silences whenever you enter a room. People who have done it say that after the initial panicked moments, it feels like you’re floating through the air. Until the rope snaps into action, leaving you swinging about 30 metres above terra firma. Feels like the crazy, ludicrous sort of thing you’d be up for? Well, go right ahead!

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2. Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge, USA

It makes no sense to talk about the second-highest bungee jump in the world without speaking of the highest. The Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge, Colorado, is the second-highest bridge in the world, and the venue for this 321-metre-high bungee jumping bedlam. It is reported that a typical freefall lasts for approximately ten seconds. That’s time enough for an existential crisis to strike you on the way down.

Unfortunately, the Royal Gorges Bungee Jump is not available all year round. You also need a crash course in How-to-Behave-While-Falling-for-a-heck-of-a-While to be declared fit for the jump.

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1. Villarrica Volcano, Chile

It’s certainly a heart-racing experience, bungee jumping from the heights mentioned above. Add an active volcano below and you have the stuff of nightmares.

Welcome to Villarrica, Chile where – if you have the money to pay for it – you can bungee jump off a helicopter and right into the lava-filled caldera of Villarrica. Known as one of the most active volcanoes in South America, Villarrica’s crater greets you with a bubbling pool of molten lava just 700 feet below your inverted body. There’s no way for the helicopter to retrieve you immediately after your bungee jump so away it goes, flying towards the airport with you still dangling 350 feet below.  

Safety Tips

• Ensure you follow the instructor’s guidelines fully.
• If you have a medical condition, inform the instructor beforehand to know whether you’re fit for the bungee jump.

So there you have it: the five most extreme bungee jumps in the world. What’s the scariest bungee jump you’ve done? Tell us in the comments below.