It’s one thing plucking up the courage to do your first bungee jump, but once you’re over that fear, what about the coming back up again? How they get you back up after a bungee jump is actually pretty simple. But did you know, you can also be lowered down too? Here’s what both coming back methods involve…
How do you get back up after bungee jumping? How you get back up (or down to the ground) after bungee jumping will depend on the bungee jump mechanism and location. Some bungee operators will pull you back up to the platform using pulleys and ropes, whereas others will gently lower you to the ground.
Different ways you can get off a bungee jump
There are two different ways in which bungee jumps will work.
- Some will lower you down to the ground gently after a jump.
- Others will pull you back up to the jumping platform.
For example, if you’re bungee jumping off a bridge over water, a lot of the time you will brought back up to the bridge platform if there’s no boat. If you’re bungee jumping from a crane, they will most likely lower you down gently onto an inflatable mat.
Here’s some more detail on each method used for getting you back up or down after a bungee jump, with a video of each one showing you how people get off.
How do you come back up after bungee jumping?
How they get you back up after a bungee jump will depend on the bungee operator’s set-up. It will either be a manual return method, or an automated pulley system.
Manual return method
In some places in Thailand I’ve seen it work like this:
- Person bungee jumps off a bridge.
- After a few bounces, the jump is completed.
- Rope is then lowered down to the person.
- Person then clips the rope to the bungee harness with a carabiner.
- Team of operators then pull the person back up to the bridge or platform.
Automated return method
In the United States I’ve seen more complex mechanisms where it’s an automated system for getting you back up after the bungee jump.
- Person bungee jumps off the platform.
- After a few bounces, the jump is completed.
- A ring with a rope attached to it comes down the bungee cord.
- The rope connects to the bungee cord and locks using the ring mechanism.
- The automated pulley system is activated, pulling the person back up.
Watch an example of the automated rope and pulley return method
In the video below you can see an example of the Nevis Bungy in Queenstown, New Zealand (see website). At 134 meters, it’s the highest in New Zealand, and the third highest in the world.
Watch from about 4 minutes and 15 seconds in and you will see the girl being pulled back up to the jumping platform with a rope and pulley mechanism.
How do you get down to the ground after a bungee jump?
So that’s how to get back up from bungee jumping, but what about jumps where you need to get back down to the ground afterwards?
It’s pretty simple and works like this:
- Person bungee jumps off the platform.
- After a few bounces, the jump is completed.
- The operators then extend the bungee cord to gently lower the person to the ground.
The bungee cord is attached to a rope which is run through a series of pulleys to make it safe. There is a rope brake which will help to slow the lowering to the ground, where an operator will meet you to remove the harness and bungee cord.
This method can either be manual or automated using machinery. I know which I would rather rely on!
Watch an example of the lowering do the ground method
In this video you can see a bungee jump from a 200-foot crane platform. If you watch the video from around 1 minute 30 seconds you will see the person being lowered back to the ground after the jump has finished.
How do you get off a bungee jump?
How you get off a bungee jump after you’ve been pulled back up or lowered to the ground is also very simple.
The operators on the jumping platform or on the inflatable mat on the ground will disconnect the safety harnesses, which can be around your feet or whole body.
How many people die from bungee jumping?
You might be very apprehensive about your first bungee jump. It’s not at all surprising and you wouldn’t be human if you weren’t. Everyone is scared about their first jump.
But let me put you mind at ease. Bungee jumping is statistically very safe, particularly when compared to other extreme sports. I did some research to see how many recorded deaths I can find, and it’s not actually that many. You can see what I found out bungee death statistics in this other blog post.
Conclusion
Ever heard the expression “what goes up must come down”? I am sure you have, but what about when it’s reversed? With many bungee jumps, what goes down will also come back up!
But, like I’ve said, it’s all to do with the particular bungee jumping set-up you’re taking part in. With some it’s not possible to pull you back up, cranes and some bridges over water being classic examples.
With others, it’s just a case of gently lowering you to the ground.
Me personally? I hate heights, so don’t really want to get pulled back up, I’d rather just lowered back to the ground as soon as possible!
