Bid to break world record with Himalayas base jump

A man is hoping to achieve a world record by jumping off the world's fourth tallest mountain in a wingsuit.

Tim Howell from Martock, Somerset, will attempt to break the record for the world's highest base jump, jumping about 8,300m (27,231ft) from Lhotse, Mount Everest's neighbour.

Mr Howell had attempted the challenge in 2024, but it was cut short due to bad weather.

"For me, it's kind of stepping into the known, rather than the unknown and I'm ready for it," said Mr Howell.

An extreme sport, base jumping involves jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute or wingsuit.

Base is an acronym that stands for buildings, antennas, spans (such as bridges) and earth (such as cliffs) - the four recognised categories of objects people can jump from.

While not illegal in the UK, gaining access to suitable base sites can prove problematic in terms of trespassing, unless prior permission is sought.

Tim Howell said: "I think last year there were a lot of unknowns"

The current record holder is the late Valery Rozov, who jumped 7,700m (25,300ft) from Cho Oyu in 2016.

He later died in a base jumping accident in the Himalayas in 2017.

On preparation for his challenge, Mr Howell said: "Fitness is an obvious one.

"I've been training a little bit more for this one but really for me it's feeling as comfortable as I can in the wingsuit.

"It's one thing off my mind when I'm standing on that exit point about to jump," he added.

Mr Howell said he had also partaken in up to 70 to 80 jumps this year alone and visited a high altitude simulation room.

"I think you can compare it to being drunk.

"People were feeling dizzy, headaches, your response times sort of falter," he said.

'Fickle game'

However, he said this year he is feeling more prepared as he knows what to expect.

"I think last year there were a lot of unknowns.

"I didn't know what it was going to be like to be up at that altitude. I didn't know the logistics. I didn't know how much effort I would need, all these things that I now know the answers for," he said.

While he knows what to expect, Mr Howell said he still tries not to have high expectations.

"It's a fickle game. I don't get too excited until I'm there and I'm ready and I'm good to go," he said.

On the hike and jump itself, Mr Howell said he will be making the 7,000m (22,965ft) climb before using oxygen and while the climb will take weeks, the jump itself should take about three or four minutes.

"I will just enjoy all the little bits until we're up at the top and we're good to have a flight down," he added.