Thaindian News

Moscow, June 6 (IANS) Valery Rozov, a 47-year-old climber and base jumper from Russia, has set a new world record by performing a wing-suit jump from the 6,543-metre-high Shivling mountain in the Garhwal Himalayas of India.

Rozov and his climbing partners, Alexander Ruchkin and Victor Volodin, reached the summit of Shivling May 25 after a six-day climb, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday citing the website of Red Bull energy drink, sponsors of the event.

He took off in his wing-suit from a height of 6,420 metres and just 90 seconds later, after having hit a speed of 200 km per hour through the air, the Russian landed 2,200 metres further down on the glacier.

The other expedition members took three whole days to complete the descent.

Base jumping and wing-suit flying is an extreme sport that involves jumping from objects such as bridges, buildings and towers.

The Russian jumper has previously performed other breathtaking feats, such as flying into an active volcano in Kamchatka in Russia, and jumping from the Ulvetanna peak in the Antarctic.

“This was my first project in the Himalayas,” the two-time skydiving world champion said after his record-breaking flight.

“We had a few difficulties along the way, so I am really pleased that we were able to complete the jump successfully,” said Rozov.

By reaching the summit, the three climbers also became the first Russians to successfully climb the Shivling mountain, renowned for its difficult and dangerous passages. The peak was conquered for the first time in 1974.