Free Falling

Denver BASE jumper Danny Weiland confronts the emotional toll of his friends' deaths by gearing up to reclaim the World Record for most human-powered BASE jumps in a 24 hour period. Unassisted by machines or vehicles, Danny will attempt to jump off of the Perrine Bridge in Idaho over 60 times and then climb the 486 feet back out of the canyon all on his own, including over near-vertical sections of cliff where a wrong move could be fatal. The sheer number of jumps needed to break the record means that he must climb more vertical feet than the summit of Mount Everest – from sea level – all in a single day. While it's a brutal test of skill, commitment and mental fortitude, Danny also sees the challenge as a way to overcome his crippling grief in the wake of his friends' deaths. He says that for him, the way out of that darkness was to set a goal that demanded his entire being. As Danny completes his final preparations before heading out for the most grueling 24 hours of his life, he says, "I will be a different person when this is over. It's like a snake shedding its skin, and that's what's exciting."