Climb and Fly Georgia 🇬🇪 By Shard Climber (George King)

Climb and Fly Georgia 🇬🇪

By The Shard Climber (George King)

Georgia got under my skin fast.
Batumi’s neon skyline on the Black Sea, Tbilisi’s Soviet bones and wild nightlife, the mountains, waterfalls and the way Georgians seem to live by a code of respect and raw honesty.

Below are four snapshots from that trip, straight from my journal.
three different jumps. One country that left a mark.

Alphabet Tower

FreeBASE:  Alphabet Tower, Georgia 🇬🇪 Batumi, on the edge of the Black Sea.

The Alphabet Tower had me the moment I arrived in Batumi.

This is not the first time my blood line put in work on the edge of the Black Sea. In 1854 my great (x3) grandfather, Private Peter Huddlestone of the 17th Foot, crossed this sea in a wooden troopship during the Crimean War. He fought in the siege of Sevastopol and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, one below the Victoria Cross, for outstanding bravery.

The records say that on 17 February 1855, in the trenches at close quarters, he was shot in the head: the round tore through his right temple, smashed his skull and took an eye, but somehow missed the vital parts of his brain. He survived, lived to see Sevastopol fall on 8–9 September 1855, and after 14 years and 213 days of service was finally discharged. Victory for the Red Coats 🇬🇧

A few generations on, my chapter on the Black Sea isn’t fought on land but on buildings.

Hello, Tower.

Once I set eyes on it, it follows me everywhere I go. I can’t escape it.
Hello, George. Hello, Tower.

Constant silent conversation between us. I become obsessed with its structure, this ribbon of Georgian letters wrapping around her from bottom to top. A crystal ball sitting on her head. At night she comes alive with colour. Mystical.

For a week I fantasise about her. I long to meet her properly.

The weather gods give me a date and a time: sunrise.

I cascade up this urban helter-skelter taking in some incredible visuals. When I’m on the WEST side of the building I absorb visuals of the city, as I’m on the EAST side I absorb the visuals of the mountains and the NORTH the sea. It’s not common to find a structure where you can climb around it progressively in this way… this is special.

I reach the top. The crystal ball.

I leap and watch the ground rush up to meet me. Features on the ground grow bigger and bigger. I feel everything. I see everything. Seconds stretch into minutes as I get trapped in time.

I land.

I spend the rest of the day at a waterfall outside the city in Mtirala. A beautiful day to be alive.

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Jumping the Tallest Crane in Georgia (228m)

Batumi, a Georgian city sitting on the edge of the Black Sea, doesn’t get much love from most people I know.

It’s a new city. Almost a mini-Dubai. It doesn’t have the authenticity that the capital, Tbilisi, has. But at night, with all the buildings lit up, it feels futuristic. Then underneath that you’ve got this deep-rooted, hardened, Soviet-esque attitude that I love about Georgia.

And the sea. Seeing the horizon every day does something good to the mind.

I became nocturnal. First coffee at 4 p.m. I’d pack my parachute by the water, talk with Georgians, Turks and Kazakhs. Then, at night, I’d become the shadow, dressed in black, moving through the city and carving up the skyline.

This one: the tallest crane in Georgia, 228 metres, automatically went on the list.

I enter the site at night… crawling through a deep dug out I am met by Georgian frogs croaking at me. I don’t like them… I prefer hot-blooded animals like dogs. Through the dirt I found my stairwell and stepped quietly and cautiously as a I heard the echoes of Georgian nighttime workers footsteps echoing across the surrounding walls.

Over looking Tbilisi there is a statue of a woman hold a sword and a bowl of wine. “Kartlis Deda” (Mother of a Georgian)

The metaphor is: the wine comes to greet those who come as friends, in the right hand a sword for those who come as enemies. The Georigans live by this metaphor, they take it seriously! I love it. It’s a great principle to live by. But considering In this circumstance I am the intruding, I do not think the security would offer my wine, I think they would be more inclined to try and smack me in the mouth… which is of course totally fair enough! Fair game. I like it.

So I move with stealth, constantly aware.. senses heightened.

I climb high into the building. High enough that I’m no longer in the main detection zone. Up here I start to hear the constant sound of the waves rolling in and out. The sound becomes its own mantra. A calming melody that enhances everything I’m doing.

I cross from the building onto the crane and set myself up. I take in the view.

The sun starts to rise over the mountains in the distance. Below, I watch all the funny drunken dynamics playing out on the beach, people staggering home, arguing, laughing, collapsing into the sand.

I walk the jib, taking in the whole scene, until I reach the end. Then I jump.

I really enjoy the long flight through the sky, parallel to the Black Sea. No major obstacles to worry about. Just a moment to sit back into the harness and soak up all the information around me.

Consequently, I land next to a Georgian! A man who was watching the sea, meditating on life, either up early or had not slept yet. He spots my franticness in quickly packing my parachute away and automatically goes on stag to watch out for police!

Classic Georgian hospitality here.

They have your back.

Great humans.

A success ✅

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Tbilisi Soviet BASE Jump 🇬🇪

I had a dream to jump off an old and ugly soviet apartment building.  

The Georgians are good at partying, I’ve noticed this in countries/places where there is repression. Give them an opportunity to release… they go wild. Japan is similar. Berlin was born out of it.

Whilst partying in Bassani. I took a breather and started speaking to a Georgian.

I really like  the Georgians.

They are Raw and authentic. Their attitude reminds me a lot of the northern Irish. Built out of hard times.

It doesn’t surprise me that many great warriors come out of Georgia.

I told him about my dream of jumping off an old-soviet building. He said just let me know when and where and  I will help.

Couple days later at  4:30am the Georgian picks me up in his car and we drive around tbsili hunting the perfect soviet building.

It’s a  little bit difficult there…. roof access is sometimes tricky and telephone wires corrupt the landing areas.

At 3pm we  found the perfect building, but with the roof locked.

Over looking Tbilisi there is a statue of a woman hold a sword and a bowl of wine. “Kartlis Deda” (Mother of a Georgian)

The metaphor is: the wine comes to greet those who come as friends, in the right hand a sword for those who come as enemies.

With outmost respect and friendless the Georgian approaches the locked roof door situation by going and speaking with the person who manages the building.

In a friendly and respectful manner he simply tells them exactly what I intend to do and if we could borrow the key.

We were given the key.

I fucking love the Georgians. They embody this whole principle of show respect get respect 10 fold back. Love it.

You try this in the UK and they would cry and call the police.

Next morning.

I stand on the edge.

Arms spread. Absorbing everyone pixel of the city in my vision. Breathing in the city’s soul.

Controlled. Jump. Land.

Madloba!

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