Chris Rainier's Everest Skydive
.... After five days of unusually late Monsoon rainy weather in the Himalayas, this morning at 8AM October 19th local Nepali time - we took off from the highest runway in the world at over 13,000ft and climbed to 29,500ft+ flying past many of the great peaks of these amazing snow capped Mountains. After 50 minutes, gaining altitude we circled Mount Everest coming within 1500 ft of the summit of the highest Mountain in the world...Several minutes later strapped in a tandem rig to my instructor, the door to the plane was opened - and far, far below me within the curvature of the earth lay a series of valleys, glaciers and Mountain peaks that stretched over the horizon into Tibet. We jumped and the team set the highest worlds altitude record for a tandem skydive - over Everest..Without a doubt the most profound experience for me lay in those sublime moments - floating in the presence of these mighty Mountains, rushing to the earth - and for a brief humble time- in the Company of the Gods.....After 30 minutes - we landed on Terra Firma.........I am still breathless......
As we draw closer to the full moon on October 23rd , restless last nite I stayed awake photographing the Himalayan Mountains bathed in Moonlight and stars....