BASE Jumping The Local Construction Site 🧡

Over a period of months, we kept returning to a local crane, always heading in after dark. The nights were brutally cold, every time our gloves touched the steel it felt like it burned straight through them. In the still air, even the faintest clink or bump echoed down the street, enough to catch the attention of late night dog walkers or nearby residents. We moved slowly and deliberately, never using lights 😈

Depending on wind direction and how the boom was positioned, we sometimes had to land on the green instead of the beach, which was a more awkward approach, but we never had any issues. We jumped this crane again and again over months, and somehow managed to keep it completely drama free 🤘🏼

Cranes are hands down one of my favourite BASE objects. They’re temporary, often placed in unusual locations, and always come with their own challenges. BASE jumping means different things to different people...some prefer cliffs and mountains for long delays, but I’m drawn to urban jumps. Figuring out access, moving quietly, and avoiding security is all part of the experience for me. It adds another layer that makes the jump feel earned.

Gaining access to sites like this falls under civil trespass, which in the UK carries very little consequence.

We never cause damage when accessing a site. Without getting into specifics, a telescopic ladder and good gloves usually do the job. And if any site managers happen to read this, anti-climb fencing isn’t as effective as you might think 😉

This particular crane did have a security guard, but he stayed in his cabin. With the lights on inside and the window open, his visibility was pretty limited. The site was close to a hospital, so constant sirens gave us plenty of cover, allowing us to move up the crane quickly with all that background noise.

I couldn’t tell you exactly how many times we jumped this crane, only that it was a lot. Access was dialled, we had two solid landing options, and all we needed was the right conditions.

One thing that still surprises me is how many people walk their dogs at 2am. It happens constantly. Just as we’re ready to go, there’s almost always someone wandering past with a dog, forcing us to wait it out.

Because of the crane’s height and layout, static line jumps were the sensible option. One mate did freefall it once by edging right out to the end of the boom, but it was sketchy and, in my view, not worth the risk.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the photos x