KATHMANDU: A British adventurer, who skied off Mera Peak in 2024 without obtaining a government permit, has returned to make a wingsuit jump from Mt Everest this season.

Joshua Bregmen, 36, who reportedly completed the world's highest altitude ski-BASE jump from Mera Peak on 11 April 2024, is now at Camp II on Mt Everest preparing for a wingsuit jump from around 8,600m, just below the Everest summit.

According to the expedition organiser, Joshua has obtained a ‘wingsuit jump’ permit from the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. “Josh is now at Camp II and preparing for a historic attempt on Mt Everest,” Pravat Adhikari from the base camp said.

Adhikari shared that Josh’s plan is to make the jump from 8,600m on May 27, depending on wind speed on Mt Everest. Josh is planning a record-setting adventure on Mt Everest, as no one has done a wingsuit jump from such a height to date.

Joshua has chosen Mt Everest for his wingsuit jump after another British adventurer, Tim Howell, was supposed to perform a wingsuit BASE jump from around 8,300m on Mt Lhotse this season. However, Tim cancelled his plan on Lhotse after he was bitten by a venomous snake at his home a few months ago. The current BASE jump record is held by Russian Valery Rozov, who achieved the feat from 7,700m on Mt Cho Oyu in 2017.

According to the Guinness World Records, Joshua set the world record by skiing off from 5,716m on Mera Peak and parachuting to the ground. "Joshua's feat surpassed the previous record of 4,359m, held by Matthias Giraud from France since 2019," the GWR said. Ski-BASE jump is a high-altitude sport that merges skiing with BASE jumping.