ADRENALINE • MOAB • VR 360

The Fearless Mind

An Immersive 360° BASE Jumping Experience

⚡ The Quick Scoop

The Vibe: Standing on the absolute edge of a Moab cliff with a group of adrenaline-fueled athletes.

Must See: The unbelievable 360° jumper's-eye-view! We strapped a camera to a jumper's helmet so you can safely experience the leap yourself.

The Inspiration: Tapping into the philosophy of The Fearless Mind. Learning to focus your conscious mind on what you desire, rather than what you fear.

Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds - Pure Adrenaline!)

I will be completely honest with you: BASE jumping is definitely not something I would *ever* do myself. I am perfectly happy keeping my feet firmly planted on solid ground! But it is absolutely crazy and deeply fascinating to watch.

My nephew is a BASE jumper, and a few years ago he invited us out to the "Turkey Boogie," an annual gathering of jumpers in Moab that happens the day after Thanksgiving. Watching strangers jump is one thing, but watching your own nephew step off a cliff is another. Right before he jumped, he yelled out, "Love you!" My heart dropped, and I instantly started praying those weren't his last words so I wouldn't have to explain anything to his Dad!

While I was out there hanging with the jumpers—Miles, Aaron, Preston, Colby, and Joe—I was simultaneously reading a book called The Fearless Mind by Craig Manning. Craig is an elite sports psychologist who has coached Olympic Champions and NBA teams. But the brilliance of his book is how he takes this knowledge of the brain and applies it so that anyone—a house wife, a teacher, a business owner—can build a fearless mindset.

My brain loves to connect things together, and standing on that cliff edge, watching these guys battle fear and excitement, the connection between their physical jumps and our everyday mental leaps clicked perfectly.

Chapter I

The Turkey Boogie Vibe

I expected a wild, loud party, but it was surprisingly a really calm, nice bunch of guys. It's basically just a dirt parking lot at the top of a set of crazy switchbacks, but they respect nature—no loud music, just guys hanging out, visiting, and bonding for a few days. They even have funny names for all the different jump spots along the ridge!

🪂 The Packing Mat

While the camp vibe is chill, there is one spot where everything changes: the packing mat. When they gather on the mat to roll up their chutes, it gets deadly quiet. They are super focused, knowing that a single wrong fold is a catastrophic accident waiting to happen.

I listened as they had intense, technical conversations before the jump, and honest, raw debriefs after. Hearing them say things like, "Did anybody feel like that was a close call?" or "If I jumped out again, I would not do what I did again!" gave me a profound respect for their mindset. It's not just blind fearlessness; it's meticulous planning, absolute trust, and learning from every single leap. When you have jumped off a cliff with someone 250 times, that bond must be the closest thing to family that there is.

Chapter II

The Fearless Philosophy

How do you get the courage to step off a cliff? Or, in our daily lives, how do you get the courage to take a new job, start a business, or face a difficult trial? Craig Manning’s The Fearless Mind teaches that it all comes down to where you focus your conscious mind.

🧠 The Power Statement

The absolute key to success is focusing our conscious mind on the things we desire, not the things we fear. Subtractive, negative thoughts give loads of power to your subconscious. They sabotage your efforts and make you fall.

Manning writes, "We cannot have too much confidence. We all need to store as much confidence as possible for those tough moments that we all encounter." When the tough times hit, we must rely on our "Power Statement"—a simple, forceful truth like: "I got this. I can do this."

I believe in this concept so much that as a teacher, I actually have my students chant "I got this, I can do this" three times at the beginning of each class to help them build a Growth Mindset!

"Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger but in seeing and conquering it."

— Gene Paul Richard

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."

— Ambrose Redmond

"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer."

— George S. Patton

Chapter III

The "Birth Canal" Jump

To film this adventure, I used my trusty 360 selfie stick, which is REALLY long, so I was able to capture the jumps while staying plenty safe from the edge. Todd, however? He did a full military belly-crawl right to the edge of the cliff to get an epic shot with his normal camera! I was a little nervous for him, but I think he was more shaken up than I was after seeing how close of a call Aaron had on his solo jump.

⚠️ The Danger Zone

There was one specific jump that had everyone incredibly stressed. It's a notorious exit point known locally as "The Birth Canal." It is terrifying because it is incredibly narrow, tight, and technically complicated. Most people try to go in tandem here to ensure their chutes deploy correctly without twisting into each other, but Aaron wanted to go solo. The fear of having your chute catch the jagged side of the canyon wall, combined with it being a lower jump with less time to react, was palpable.

(This danger is unforgiving. My nephew, who loves this adrenaline rush, has actually hurt himself twice since this video was taken—recently breaking both ankles using his feet to bounce off a cliff wall to avoid a worse crash. The risk is incredibly real.)

When Aaron finally made the leap, the tension broke. He made it through! Later during the debrief, Aaron admitted he definitely had the scariest flight of the day. They debated for a long time whether or not that specific jump was a good idea—in fact, they are still debating it! But as they joked, "If you're gonna suck at it, suck at it symmetrically!"

Chapter IV

Turkey Boogie Field Notes

🗺️ Adventure at a Glance

Location Mineral Bottom, Moab, Utah

Event The Annual "Turkey Boogie"

Timing The day after Thanksgiving

Vibe High Adrenaline, Community, Awe

Tips for Spectating

📍 Where to Go: The primary jumping-off point is from the cliffs near the Mineral Bottom boat ramp area. Getting there requires driving down a thrilling, steep switchback dirt road!
🤫 Be Respectful: Remember that these jumpers are engaged in a high-stakes, life-or-death sport. Give them plenty of space to prepare and pack their chutes. Don't be a distraction, and always follow their guidance near the edge.
🔭 Bring Binoculars: While my extra-long selfie stick gets the VR camera right over the edge, binoculars are the absolute best way for you to see the action falling away from a safe distance!

The Portal is Open

Take the Leap (360° VR)

The absolute best part of this experience? I am not crazy enough to BASE jump, but dang, it is SO fun to do it safely in a VR headset!

🎥 Scoring the Helmet Cam

How did I get the epic jumper's-eye-view footage? I decided to be bold! I wandered through the camp asking a few strangers if they would wear my 360 camera. Most of them were like, "Nah." But then I met Miles! He was super cool and told me he already had a 360 camera attached to his helmet and was happy to share his footage with me. SCORE!

🔎 The VR Scavenger Hunt 🌟

While you're watching, see if you can spot these details:

The Jumper's-Eye-View: Experience the incredible footage from Miles's helmet cam! While you are "falling," look back up at the cliff—can you spot me filming from the edge?
The Birth Canal: Listen closely for the part of the video where the jumpers are discussing the tricky clearance of the "Birth Canal" exit point.
Packing the Chute: Look for the meticulous, careful process of the jumpers packing their parachutes on the ground.
The Papi Chula Countdown: Listen for the hilarious "Three, two, one, Papi Chula!" countdown right before they leap!

Interactive Magic

✨ Ask the Jump Master

Need a tip on building a "Power Statement"? Curious about the mental focus required to overcome fear? Ask our AI Guide!

Build Your Confidence

As we look at these huge, daunting cliffs in Southern Utah, we are often tempted to make goals in our own lives that are too big or too hard. Just make small goals that challenge yourself! Look at the progress you are making. Hold strong to your confidence, and make constant use of your power statement: "I got this, I can do this." Focus on what you desire, not what you fear.

Sending Love, Courage, and Positive Vibes,
Shauna @ VRGetaway