Valery Rozov dies in BASE Jump accident on Ama Dablam

Born on 26 December 1964 at Nizhny Novgorod in Russia, after becoming double sky diving World Champion Valery Rozov began combining his love for mountaineering with the wingsuit. Over the course of the years he carried out a series of impressive jumps from spectacular peaks and from increasingly high altitudes.

Rozov’s highest B.A.S.E. jump was carried out in 2016 when he leapt from a record 7700m off Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world. In doing so Rozov beat his 2013 record of 7220m, set on the North Face off Everest. Other jumps, always at the very limit of what is possible, include last July’s jump from 6725m off Huascaran in Peru, Kilimanjaro in 2015, Shivling in 2012 and the stunningly exposed Grand Pilier d‘Angle on Mont Blanc in 2011.

It goes without saying that Rozov was obviously an extremely proficient alpinist, with ascents across all continents, often up complex new lines before gliding back down to the valley floor. In 2002 for example Rozov was part of a Russian expedition to Baffin Island in Canada where the route Rubicon was forged up Great Sail Peak before flying back down to base camp in just a few seconds.

The central pillar of Nalumasortoq in Greenland was climbed via the new route One Way Ticket in 2003, and this granted Rozov 35 seconds of free flight before opening his chute, while in 2004 Rozov helped establish the Russian route up the complex West Face of Amin Brakk in Pakistan before opening his wingsuit at 5500m. And in early 2007 Rozov travelled to Patagonia in order to repeat the British route forged by Chris Bonington and Don Willans before leaping off the Central Tower of the Paine Towers.

In 2010 Rozov made the first base jump off Ulvetanna (2931m), a mountain in the Antarctic considered one of the most beautiful on the entire continent. Struggling against the -30°C cold that froze his muscles numb during the flight, at the time Rozo stated "I felt like an astronaut in space. It was like a journey to another planet. It’s deeply satisfying and has given me a long and lasting feeling of happiness."


Valery Rozov, BASE jump from 7700m off Cho Oyu in 2016