Jumping from the 108th Floor – Las Vegas

Posted on October 10, 2011 by lesleycarter

Have you ever stood in the window of a massively tall building and looked down only to worry about the horrific fall if something were to go wrong? The Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino brings those nightmarish thoughts to reality. Atop the 1,149-foot-tall Stratosphere is a controlled free fall Sky Jump similar to base-jumping. Connected by a cable while wearing my snazzy jumpsuit and harnessed to the edge of the observation tower, I lept, or if you were actually there watching me, I closed my eye tightly and fell, off of the platform and prayed that the guide wire would keep me from slamming into the tower’s cement columns 855 feet below. With a view like no other, I fell from the top of Vegas!

Before the jump, we were prepped and suited up in Stratosphere’s custom jump suits and given a safety lesson. After a short elevator trip to the top of the Stratosphere Tower, we needed to decide who was going to jump first. Since it was my husband’s first “falling” experience, I offered to go before him and take pictures from the landing platform.

I was connected to a high-speed “descender” and led to the edge of the jumping platform.

Standing on a four foot platform 108 floors above Vegas was the most nerve racking experience of my life. The instructor asked me to step toward him and toward what looked like my death. The last step before I plummeted through the sky was the hardest. I needed to shut off my brain and simply listen to the instructions.

As the countdown began, 5-4-3-2-1, my goose bumps had goosebumps, my heart pounded in my chest, and the winds against my face screamed “Don’t do it you idiot!”

$#@%!

Here I go. I gripped my harness and edged my toes off the platform. That was all it took! The wind caught my legs and I was off into the skies.

My eyes were closed for the first 2 seconds then I felt the cable catch and a false sense of security came over me. The cable was my safety and although I was falling at about 40 miles per hour, I was secure.

The wind was rushing in my face and I let out one yell of excitement: YEAH! I was invincible and free!

Safely on the platform, I quickly regained my composure and grabbed the camera to get
photos of Darren’s jump. My hands were shaking so badly that I had to sit on the ground and rest my elbows on my lap to get a steady shot. The adrenaline was pumping so fiercely through my body that I could have been hit my a car and I wouldn’t even have felt it.

I instantly wanted to return to the top of the Stratosphere as I snapped off picture after picture of Darren falling through the sky.

Skyjump is an adrenaline junkies quick fix. For only $100, I was given the ultimate view of Vegas through the highest controlled free fall in the world. All I needed to do was take a leap of faith and open my eyes.

74 thoughts on “Jumping from the 108th Floor – Las Vegas”

Jeff on October 3, 2011 at 7:31 pm said:

Lesley- my palms were sweating as I read this on solid ground!

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- lesleycarter on October 3, 2011 at 10:53 pm said:
  
  It was beautiful! It’s such a different perspective of Vegas from above… and on the way down.
  
  Have you ever been there before? There’s always something new to experience in Vegas.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment; it is appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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Palm Trees & Bare Feet on October 3, 2011 at 8:00 pm said:

Very cool! You are a brave girl!

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- lesleycarter on October 3, 2011 at 10:49 pm said:
  
  It was a liberating experience that changes the way you see things. I love anything that puts me in the sky.
  
  I love the title of your blog; it’s beautiful!
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment; it is appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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Roket Man on October 3, 2011 at 11:50 pm said:

This brings back memories of my first static line jump at Ft. Benning, GA when I was in the USAF…only my Base Pay at the time was a whopping $188 a month. At $100 a pop it would take almost 3 months to complete the 5 jumps needed to get my jump wings.

BTW, my eyes were shut every time I went out the door!

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 12:00 am said:
  
  I vowed that when I went skydiving a few months ago, I would keep my eyes open after this. It was a totally different experience altogether!
  
  Have you jumped completely on your own and opened your own parachute ? I haven’t done that but it would be an unbelievable journey.
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it is appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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  - Roket Man on October 6, 2011 at 1:31 am said:
    
    Yes, Lesley, nearly 100 free fall jumps under my belt during 14 years in the service and I have to admit that’s one aspect of the job I do not miss. I never did learn to enjoy jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, especially with nearly 100 lbs. of gear strapped to my body. Last jump was over 20 years ago and I still dream about it from time to time.
    
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- lesleycarter on October 7, 2011 at 2:02 am said:
  
  I don’t think I’d enjoy 100 lbs. of gear strapped to my body any time; I feel like I’m going on that direction with the pregnancy 😉
  
  Jumping out of a plane like that…. you must have fallen so quickly!
  
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mypixelizedview on October 3, 2011 at 11:53 pm said:

That scares the Bejeezus out of me. You are one brave brave woman.

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 12:02 am said:
  
  It was touch and go when I was standing on the platform; a little bit longer and I may have chickened out.
  
  Your Cemetery Sunset shots are amazing; good job.
  
  Thanks for commenting,
  
  Lesley
  
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mypixelizedview on October 4, 2011 at 12:17 am said:

I’m glad you kept up the courage to do it. Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it, it’s always good to get encouragement when you are doing something you are new to.

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 12:21 am said:
  
  I would have thought you were taking pictures professionally for years. You have many other great posts as well.
  
  Good luck with blogging and photography. 🙂
  
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customtripplanning on October 4, 2011 at 1:11 am said:

OMG!!! You’re a better man than I am Gungadin! LOL Glad you loved it! Great sharing.

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 4:29 am said:
  
  It was a great experience.
  
  Thanks for reading,
  
  Lesley
  
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daisyfae on October 4, 2011 at 2:32 am said:

i’m an adrenaline junkie, but have yet to master my paralyzing fear of heights! i got sweaty pits reading this… but am inspired! rock on, sister!

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 3:53 am said:
  
  Honestly, the best “sky” adventure for people afraid of heights would be tandem skydiving. All you need to do is get into the plane; the instructor does all of the work from there. 🙂
  
  Bungee jumping, base jumping, or similar is a totally different experience. You have to physically and unnaturally move your body to jump/fall from unreal places.
  
  I hope that you give it is a try someday.
  
  Thanks for commenting.
  
  Lesley
  
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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 3:53 am said:
  
  What type of adrenaline activities do you enjoy?
  
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klrs09 on October 4, 2011 at 4:13 am said:

Amazing! Don’t know that I’d have the guts to try it. I have bungy jumped and parachuted, but I was much, much younger when I took those leaps of faith. Not that my faith is shaky — I’m just not that sure about testing its strength. Good for you, though — looks like you both had a blast.

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 4:31 am said:
  
  When you decide to do it, you just have to shut your mind off and do it. I think bungee jumping was actually a lot harder than the sky jump. Good for you for trying some extreme adventures. Did you enjoy it?
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment; it is appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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Jim Brickett on October 4, 2011 at 11:01 am said:

Holy Magnolia!! This is amazing! Cool Photos and description. I would like to try it with several video cameras attached to me. Wonderful adventure!!

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 4:04 pm said:
  
  We have a Go Pro camera and forgot to bring it. Well, we actually didn’t realize that we’d be jumping off of a building that day so didn’t really see the need for it 😉
  
  Your photos are amazing; keep them coming.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment; it is appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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dcarter9 on October 4, 2011 at 2:22 pm said:

I remember very vividly waiting for you to jump and watching you make your way to the edge of that platform. My heart was pounding in every vein in me while I watched you jump off. When you jumped, this feeling came over me like I had 10,000 bricks on my shoulders and I got a bit weak in the knees. The anticipation of jumping is insane, especially when you watch someone else do it right before you. I remember the feeling I had when I leaped from that platform. It was like a million pins and needles were instantly jabbed into every part of me. Incredible. I think I was on a high for days afterwards. Fun day babe 🙂

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- lesleycarter on October 4, 2011 at 3:51 pm said:
  
  I think that we were both so adrenaline filled after the jump that we could have ran the two miles back to the hotel.
  
  I love experiencing new things with you!
  
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- lesleycarter on October 7, 2011 at 2:03 am said:
  
  What’s next? 🙂
  
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  - Charlie2Chutes Countess on September 10, 2014 at 5:38 pm said:
    
    maybe actually base jumping 😛
    
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gelaikuting on October 4, 2011 at 11:15 pm said:

whoaa! this is so cool! i wish i can do this someday! i love your page ❤

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- lesleycarter on October 5, 2011 at 4:09 pm said:
  
  As soon as I reached the ground, I wanted to do it all over again!
  
  🙂
  
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danielfee on October 5, 2011 at 2:08 am said:

Lesley,
Just standing on the glass floor of the Sky Tower in Auckland made me a little jittery and I was completely inside the tower. No way I would step outside and then jump. I will go whitewater rafting, rappelling (but not upside down) with you any time. But no jumping off buildings or bridges for me 🙂

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- lesleycarter on October 6, 2011 at 9:50 pm said:
  
  Of all my extreme experiences, the ones in the sky are my favorite. It’s addictive and it you try it once, you always dream of being back in the sky.
  
  If you find yourself in southern California, send me an email and I’ll gladly take you out on an adventure.
  
  🙂
  
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Gracie on October 6, 2011 at 9:28 pm said:

You are one brave lady! My heart was pounding just from reading your post and looking at those pictures. But you seemed to have enjoyed it so much. Me? I must be the biggest coward as I wont’ even ride a roller coaster! LOL!

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- lesleycarter on October 6, 2011 at 9:32 pm said:
  
  That doesn’t make you a coward; to each his own, right? I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding, white-water rafting, etc. but put me in a room with a spider and I’ll scream like a hungry newborn.
  
  I love your photo in Revisiting Expo ’67, especially since I’m from eastern Canada.
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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Highland Heights Susan Stubbert-Samways on October 7, 2011 at 1:53 am said:

I wish I could have done this with you!

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- lesleycarter on October 7, 2011 at 1:54 am said:
  
  Me too, but I’ll gladly do it with you after the baby is born 🙂
  
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sartenada on October 7, 2011 at 10:53 am said:

I can imagine it, but I would not do it. Congratulations!

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- lesleycarter on October 7, 2011 at 4:05 pm said:
  
  Once you find yourself in the sky, whether it be for skydiving, bungee jumping, etc., you always long to be back. It can be a very addictive experience.
  
  Thanks for reading; keep the comments coming 🙂
  
  Lesley
  
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dafnyv on October 7, 2011 at 10:29 pm said:

How crazy is this! I have real issues with heights. 😦 Great blog! I’m loving reading all about your adventures. And thank you for liking my very first post. I had created the page a year ago, and I finally just posted something on it!
Cheers!
~D

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- lesleycarter on October 8, 2011 at 3:12 am said:
  
  It was quite the experience!
  
  Thanks for the beautiful comment and for taking the time to check out some of my adventures.
  
  Good luck with blogging; I’m sure your love it.
  
  Lesley
  
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mishfish13 on October 8, 2011 at 3:00 am said:

This has definitely been on my bucket list! Could you jump at night? I imagine the lights at night would have made an amazing view as well!

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- lesleycarter on October 8, 2011 at 3:09 am said:
  
  There is a night option for this jump – Attraction: Sun–Thur, 10am–1am | Fri–Sat, 10am–2am
  
  http://www.skyjumplasvegas.com/
  
  I can imagine the night would be amazing!
  
  🙂
  
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where's neeraj now? on October 8, 2011 at 4:38 am said:

Wow! This sound cool. I guess, whenever I am in the States next! And the way you wrote it reminds me of my bungee off Blaukrans Bridge (206 mts/709 feet) in South Africa. Same feeling, same thoughts! “Why are you here? What are you trying to prove?” 😀 and then the jump! Woohoooo! The only difference is, I went twice – back to back. The second time to prove that the first one was not a fluke. (Don’t know if you agree, but I thought sky-diving was a cinch compared to bungee.)

Great stuff. Keep discovering, keep writing Lesley! 🙂

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- lesleycarter on October 8, 2011 at 7:24 pm said:
  
  I wish I could have gone back and done it again instantly.
  
  I think that sky-diving was a lot easier just because I went tandem and I didn’t need to do any of the work. There is something so much scarier about being the one to hurl YOURSELF off of a building or bridge or out of a plane.
  
  Have you done any other extreme adventures?
  
  Now that I’m going to be a mother, I may be a little more cautious of things like this, but I hope it doesn’t deter my adventurous side.
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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  - where's neeraj now? on October 8, 2011 at 8:22 pm said:
    
    All the best with motherhood. A totally different adventure in itself 🙂
    
    I recently jeep’ed along the Himalayas in north-India for a month or so (the pics are there on my blog), which got extreme at times wading through 50 cms high mud covered roads at 3,800 meters 😀
    
    However, I think the highlight of the trip was a 26 km long, level 3, white-water rapid rafting. Now most might not consider that extreme, but considering I can’t swim, I would say, it’s fairly on the edge… Some of the rapids threw up the raft 2-3 metres high. But it was tres cool and I am hooked. Am looking for something at level 4 now.
    
    I have also done midnight dune-bashing. That was very cool. Where you don’t know what’s more than 10 feet ahead of you, a sand hill or a drop, and you have to adjust quickly. That was in Dubai with a friend of mine, who’s a complete dune-head.
    
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    - lesleycarter on October 9, 2011 at 3:26 am said:
      
      White-water rafting can be very extreme. I did the Penobscot River in Maine last year and some of the class V rapids are intense. I’ve been there four times now and I’m addicted.
      
      Dune-bashing sounds like a fun adventure but I’ve yet to do it. Would you recommend it? I’ll obviously have to wait until the baby is born, but maybe I’ll give it a try.
      
      I love your photo in Love is in the Pair; beautiful!
      
      Thanks for taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
      
      Lesley
      
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  - where's neeraj now? on October 9, 2011 at 10:46 am said:
    
    Dune bashing is fun. But it matters who’s driving. Needs to be a pro. If he or she is, then it’s more like roller-coaster ride – especially the night version of dune bashing.
    
    Glad you like the pic. This is all fun stuff on my travels. Have a look at some of my serious travel photography here: http://www.monochromatic.me
    
    Cheers 🙂
    
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    - lesleycarter on October 9, 2011 at 6:37 pm said:
      
      WOW! You’ve certainly traveled!
      
      I love your Cairo photos, especially the different angles you use. Great work!
      
      From your blog, One minute you’re walking down a cobbled street, and suddenly…. is my favorite. It reminds me of Italy and makes me want to travel again immediately.
      
      The gentleman in the water… Oh! And the Taj too. is equally stunning.
      
      🙂
      
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stringsoflife on October 8, 2011 at 2:41 pm said:

Yikes!!! That must have been scary! We have a bungee jumping spot in the gorge of a river – from the bridge, some 160m in height. Haven’t been able to gather the guts yet! haha…

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- lesleycarter on October 8, 2011 at 6:33 pm said:
  
  It was scary, but after the jump I wanted to do it all over again. Once you’ve found a place in the sky, you always long to return. I’d highly recommend giving it a try. I don’t know too many people that regretted it. Have you tried any other extreme experiences?
  
  Your picture in And that was Hong Kong! is amazing!
  
  Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment.
  
  Lesley
  
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Tafarelo on October 10, 2011 at 5:30 pm said:

Hello Lesley! Awesome! You’re really a brave woman! Vegas probably will be the first place of our (me and my wife) round trip in USA and the skyjump is on my “things to do list”! About your reply, of couser, If u can I really appreciate a suggestion of tour at OC! So, I’d like to ask if do u know Mammoth Lakes? I want to go there, but I don’t know what is the best month to visit the mountain to snowboarding. Have you been there? My e-mail [email protected]
Tks! See u!

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- lesleycarter on October 11, 2011 at 3:28 pm said:
  
  The best site to check out Mammoth Lakes is http://www.mammothmountain.com/. The winter season is from November – June, but you could ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon because of the weather difference in the mountains. Mammoth can be expensive to stay near the mountain, but you could always get a hotel near by and drive and it would be half the cost.
  
  If you decide on a date let me know at [email protected] and I will send you more details.
  
  Good luck and stay in touch.
  
  Lesley
  
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jelillie on October 10, 2011 at 10:50 pm said:

Awesome Lesley! Not sure I’d have the guts to try it but I loved reading about it. I’m more of a get lost in the woods guy. 🙂

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- lesleycarter on October 11, 2011 at 2:21 am said:
  
  I noticed on your blog that you loved the woods. You would really enjoy my home community of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. It has some fabulous surroundings and trails.
  
  Have you ever been to Canada?
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to post; it’s appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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Mike Lilly on October 11, 2011 at 2:59 am said:

I got a mini-surge of adrenaline just from reading this, nicely done!

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- lesleycarter on October 11, 2011 at 4:08 am said:
  
  Thank you! it was an extraordinary experience that I’ve love to do again.
  
  Your photos are spectacular; keep them coming.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment,
  
  Lesley
  
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summer picnic on October 12, 2011 at 12:34 am said:

Oh. My. God. Yikes! I hope this baby knows what it’s getting into!

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- lesleycarter on October 12, 2011 at 12:38 am said:
  
  I can only hope that the baby will enjoy adventure as much as her mother and father. If not, we’ll find other things to enjoy together 🙂
  
  I love your photos in Pretzling in the White Mountains; they remind me of home.
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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winairtravel on October 12, 2011 at 2:47 am said:

OMG this was truly an awesome jump! I haven’t tried a free fall in my entire life. The closest I have done was a zipline ride that obviously has no free fall.

Congratulations Lesley!!!!

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- lesleycarter on October 12, 2011 at 3:08 am said:
  
  Ziplining is still a beautiful adventure. I was able to experience The Canopy Tour in Costa Rica and it was amazing. Hopefully you’ll get to experience a free-fall at some point. It is a unique feeling that you will not forget.
  
  Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment; it’s appreciated.
  
  Lesley
  
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A Photographer on October 13, 2011 at 5:41 pm said:

Wow that looks so fun! wish I could do it!
http://www.thecameraangle.wordpress.com

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robpixaday on October 20, 2011 at 3:47 pm said:

Wow!! Absolutely amazing!

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creativeisthmus on October 21, 2011 at 1:12 am said:

Wow! I admire your courage. A good friend of mine says–I’m not afraid of heights, just afraid of falling. That hits me a bit too… The closest I’ve come is repelling into a cave in New Zealand. I am seriously impressed!

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klcompren on October 21, 2011 at 3:17 am said:

Holy Moly!

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- lesleycarter on October 21, 2011 at 2:57 pm said:
  
  That’s exactly how I felt when I was standing on the ledge of a building except maybe there were a few other words added 😉
  
  I love your photos, especially Sailing To Cartagena. . They are stunning!
  
  Thanks for reading,
  
  Lesley
  
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UponAtlas on December 14, 2011 at 3:11 am said:

This is going on my bucket list for sure! 🙂

uponatlas.

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jyunbugspeaks on January 6, 2012 at 10:14 pm said:

Wow that is one amazing experience! I have my mind set on a similar jump but in Macau China this year. Over there, Macau is referred to as the asian Las Vegas and it is similar in design to the Stratosphere Tower. The Macau tower measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point and you can bungee jump, Sky Walk and Sky Jump. The Sky Jump is the one I will try to do : )

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- jyunbugspeaks on May 30, 2012 at 10:10 pm said:
  
  Hey Leslie, I did the jump in Macau! Can I please use your name and experience and link it to my blog about my jump? Once I got your permission I will post my bucket list moment!
  
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phlored on January 14, 2012 at 6:09 pm said:

Your blog is incredible. You’ve lived a life I’ve been too afraid to live.

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TW and Jo on July 29, 2012 at 3:09 pm said:

Woah… this looks crazy! But it’s something I definitely want to do too…. once Jo is able to get her visa into the US.

Love your blog! And congratulations on your baby

To infinity and beyond!

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LuluBell on December 4, 2012 at 10:23 am said:

I’ve always wanted to do this!! Have you ever done/thought about wingsuit flying? And thanks for checking out my blog 🙂

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- lesleycarter on December 4, 2012 at 11:24 am said:
  
  I’m sure wingsuit flying will make its way on the list soon. Have you done it?
  
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  - LuluBell on December 4, 2012 at 2:12 pm said:
    
    No, but it’s on my list 🙂
    
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