I’m a serial hobbyist and can’t even decide on one discipline of climbing to concentrate on. But BASE jumping is my new passion, I like how the skills from both climbing and BASE jumping compliment each other and I hope to combine these two sports in the future.
All these extreme sports have one thing in common: they’re dangerous. Avalanches, cliff strikes, decking out; they all come complete with their own life changing injuries and the looming possibility of death.
After seeing the damage these sports can do to others, we go back for more.
So why do we do it, why take the risk? We suffer in harsh weather on mountains, spend hours in preparation for a 3 second BASE jump and after seeing the damage these sports can do to others, we go back for more. There are many clichéd answers to this question, but the fact that they’re cliché does not mean they should be dismissed out of hand.
We do it for the challenge. Not everyone is willing to put their mind and body to the task; this alone makes these sports worthwhile. If everyone was willing to throw themselves off a 30 story building, or scale 3000ft cliff faces, then there would be no stigma involved. Conquering fears that seem unconquerable to others is a driving force.
We do it for the accomplishment. It took me years of sacrifice, to save for my first skydiving course. Or foregoing luxuries to be able to save up for a trip, or the essential kit I need. Self-induced? Yes. Much like going on a diet, extreme sports also require a lot of dedication and willpower in order to reach the final goal. The accomplishment far outweighs the sacrifices. Assuming that it’s not your life you’ve sacrificed.