Grand Canyon Leap

Summary:
Photographs currently circulating via email show a photographer leaping from one towering Grand Canyon rock formation to another (Full commentary below).



Status:
True, although the stunt is probably less dangerous than it appears.

Example:(Submitted, January 2007)


Commentary:
The photographs that travel with this email forward depict a photographer making an apparently death-defying leap from one rocky Grand Canyon outcrop to another. The outcrops soar thousands of feet above the floor of the Canyon, and, from the viewpoint of the photographs, it seems apparent that any slip would be fatal. The leaping man shown in the photos is carrying his photographic equipment and wearing only thong sandals on his feet, making the stunt seem even more foolhardy.

The photographs are genuine and were indeed taken by Dutch photographer Hans van de Vorst. However, the photographs do not tell the whole story. The two outcrops are actually joined by a rock ledge that cannot be seen in the photographs. If the leaper had slipped, he would have probably landed, relatively unscathed, or at least alive, on this ledge rather than plummeted thousands of feet to the canyon floor. Another photograph of the same outcrops taken from a different angle clearly shows the connecting ledge.

Moreover, others have also taken the leap. Another photographer, Dana Watson, captured a shot of Ron Toms performing the same stunt. An FAQ about Ron's leap includes more photographs showing the rock ledge.

Regardless of the hidden rock ledge, the photographs are truly spectacular. Even with a ledge, these leaps are certainly not for the faint of heart and could still be very dangerous.

References:
flickr: Cliffhanger
About _Hans van de Vorst
flickr photo: Grand Canyon 101
Ron at the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon Leap of Death FAQ

Last updated: 17th January 2007
First published: 17th January 2007

Write-up by Brett M.Christensen