Wingsuit flier completes descent from Rob Roy

Mr Walden takes off. Photos by Rodolphe Cassan/Milo Gilmour.
Mr Walden takes off. Photos by Rodolphe Cassan/Milo Gilmour.
David Walden  flies low over the Rob Roy Glacier, chasing his shadow.
David Walden flies low over the Rob Roy Glacier, chasing his shadow.

Lake Hawea wingsuit flier David Walden has pulled off another series of three base jumps that rank among the biggest achieved in New Zealand.

Mr Walden and two French base jumpers leapt from a 280m cliff at the top of the Rob Roy Low Peak (2560m), in Mount Aspiring National Park near Wanaka last month and descended 1800 vertical metres to the valley floor.

Mr Walden told the Otago Daily Times on Wednesday their ''super exciting'' jumps included a low pass over part of the Rob Roy glacier.

''It's nice to fly fast and low over things, but to fly over a glacier like that is kind of mind-blowing.''

In December, Mr Walden (45) completed New Zealand's biggest jump of 1840 vertical metres in a flight of 4km from the north shoulder of Mt Avalanche.

The South African-born man has completed 450 jumps since taking up base jumping six years ago.

He said he had one more ''project'' in mind this summer which involved ''skimming'' above a lake and out over its lake outlet into a valley below.

He declined to say which lake, but ruled out Lake Wanaka.

The Big One from David Walden on Vimeo.

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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