October 14, 2025, 4:43 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Since the James Bond blockbuster “GoldenEye” in 1995, the bungee jump from the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland has become world-famous. Our author Woon-Mo Sung bravely took the plunge and shares his experience here.
The loosely translated Olympic motto is: “Higher, faster, further.” But in my case, you could add “deeper.” Four years after my first bungee jump, I suddenly felt the urge again to leap from a dizzying height, tethered only by a rope. My first jump was 96 meters from the Jauntal Bridge in Austria, but I wanted to surpass that. It had to be “triple-digit high.” The iconic bungee jump at the Verzasca Dam was quickly found and booked. The jump height? 220 meters–a record in Europe!
Why the Bungee Jump at the Verzasca Dam Is So Famous
There are many opportunities for terrifying jumps around the world. But nowhere else has James Bond taken the plunge. Specifically, in the opening sequence of the 17th Bond film “GoldenEye” with Pierce Brosnan.
Stuntman Wayne Michael had the honor of jumping in the fight against evil. According to “The Hollywood Reporter,” the moment is considered one of the best stunts in film history and has been commercially available only since then. Currently, the team from 007Bungy.ch is responsible for it.
My Bungee Jump from the Verzasca Dam
This is where I come into play. In an impulsive night action, I booked my jump easily on the provider’s website, only arranging flight and hotel afterward. The jump costs 255 Swiss francs (about 270 euros) for an adult over 20 years old.
In the days leading up to the big event, I spent time in beautiful Locarno on Lake Maggiore, but much like before an important exam, the upcoming bungee jump from the Verzasca Dam weighed heavily on my mind. A latent fear spread, and I couldn’t fully enjoy the beautiful lake and the mountains of Switzerland.
A part of my mind kept repeating the same questions: “Why are you doing this? What were you thinking?” Once again, I wanted to prove something to myself and others (and besides, such a jump is the ultimate bragging opportunity, I admit).
The Day of the Jump
On the day of the jump, I arrive at the dam an hour early due to local bus and train connections, in about 100-degree heat. Shade? Yes, there’s a small corner, but otherwise, the concrete and my skin are sizzling away. The first look at the high walls of the immense structure already sends my pulse racing–oh my God, is that where I’m going to jump? It’s especially nerve-wracking to look down directly from the fence and absorb the height with increasingly shaky knees.
Despite the intense heart palpitations, backing out is completely out of the question. I’m ready and determined. One of the staff members notices this as he gives me and other daredevils a briefing.
The cheerful professional glances around and comments that some of us look quite scared: “You look nervous,” he says, “but not you,” he adds, pointing at me. “I came all the way from Berlin, spent a lot of money on flights and hotel. I can’t back out!” I explain.
Thankfully Not the First
Then it gets serious. After putting on a harness, I quickly hand my smartphone to a Swiss couple I had just spoken to. Although I also booked a GoPro video, an alternative angle is always good. Luckily, I’m not the first jumper–a Brazilian woman goes first and almost backs out several times before finally taking the plunge. And survives.
Yes, that may sound a bit cynical, but during her jump, my heart skipped a beat, and I worried for a second whether the rope would hold. It did, and now I was confident that everything would be fine. “Who’s next?” they asked the group.
“Me!” Then the rope is quickly tied around me, and I’m brought to the edge of the jump platform without much ado. According to the terms and conditions, you have a maximum of three minutes after the jump clearance, otherwise, the jump authorization and refund claim are forfeited. “Pah, I don’t need that time,” I think. I quickly confirm if I’m being filmed and ask for a countdown.
A Surreal Moment
“Ok, 3, 2, 1, go!” It’s something I noticed during my first jump. As soon as the countdown starts, a switch flips inside me. Every tiny spark of fear vanishes. I fix my gaze straight ahead, bend my knees slightly–and then push off the ground with force, falling into the depths.
“Let’s go!” I shout at that moment. And for a brief moment, the world feels weightless and timeless. I gasp for air in the sky and feel nothing, neither the blazing sun nor the music playing in the background, the chatter of people, myself, or my body. Everything is light and otherworldly.
Below me, I see the valley and its bushes, trees, and rocks approaching, but in the very first second, as I jump and just before gravity truly takes hold and pulls me down, I paradoxically distance myself from the world. I wish I could hold onto that second forever. A moment of pure peace and bliss.
7 Seconds of Free Fall
Then the adrenaline kicks in, my eyes widen, and my body becomes aware of the crazy situation it’s in. For seven seconds, I race toward the ground, seven seconds like an eternity, during which I briefly wonder when the rope’s resistance will kick in and slow me down.
Then I feel a gentle pressure on my legs. I’ve reached my low point (in the jump, not in life) and am immediately catapulted halfway back up. I start spinning, and I get slightly dizzy, but I don’t care. Relieved and full of excitement, I shout some phrases to the sky like “F*** yeah!” accompanied by the obligatory “Woohoo!” before slowly coming to rest upside down. Meanwhile, my completely excited body sweats profusely, giving me the impression that I’ve jumped into a pool–of sweat.
After the Jump Comes the Hanging Around
And as if that wasn’t enough, the thrill of the bungee jump from the Verzasca Dam is immediately followed by the next one. Now I’m hanging there at an enormous height, just dangling from this rope–all alone. I quickly pull myself up on part of the rope and fix myself in a semi-seated position. Then I wait for a second rope to be lowered to me from above.
Because with this jump in Switzerland, you have to ensure that you get pulled back up. And while I wait for the second rope, I enjoy the beautiful view while simultaneously getting scared again. The point was to overcome the height, not to linger there. Just hanging from a rope, somewhere between 100 and 200 meters (roughly estimated), directly causes the next bout of butterflies, and although I should be relaxing, I still cling tightly to the rope.
“It Was Awesome”
Then the relief: The second rope reaches me. Unfortunately, we’re both dangling in opposite directions, and I have my hands full trying to grab it. But then I can clip it into my harness and get pulled up. From the jump to returning to the platform, only three minutes have passed, but the time felt much longer. And for once, that was a good thing.
Once back on top, the staff congratulates me, but my adrenaline-soaked brain hasn’t quite processed what just happened, and my speech center can only manage an exhausted “it was awesome.”
Slowly, it all comes together again, and I begin to understand what I just did. I completed a bungee jump from the Verzasca Dam like James Bond once did. And it only takes a moment before I think: “I definitely have to do that again!”