Freefall over the roof of the world

SHYANGBOCHE (Nepal) (AFP) - Skydivers in Nepal plunged through the shadow of Mount Everest on Saturday in preparation for a planned free fall over the world’s highest peak.

Launching themselves from 6,666 metres (22,000 feet) on Saturday morning, the skydivers had around one minute in free fall before a parachute descent that offered a stunning Himalayan panorama.

“It was like floating on a cloud while looking at the highest mountains in the world. The views of Everest were amazing, you could even see base camp,” said Steve Hennessy, an Australian skydive instructor who made one of the first descents Friday. The unprecedented jumps are being offered as a commercial enterprise by the British adventure travel company “High and Wild”.

The first 32 clients each paid 24,000 dollars to be part of an exercise that the company itself classified as “touching madness.”