An Oxford man who was once jailed for climbing The Shard has scaled the world's tallest freestanding climbing wall.
George King, 24, teamed up with Gary Connery, 55, to take on the 37 metre wall, named Excalibur.
The pair travelled to Groningen, in the Netherlands, to conquer the wall, and at 5am on July 16, they reached the top without any safety gear.
George King and Gary Connery scaled the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world before BASE jumping off (Image: SWNS)
After reaching the peak, they BASE jumped off the edge - immediately deploying their parachutes.
BASE stands for building, antenna, span and earth - the four categories of objects from which participants jump.
The freefall, despite the wall's intimidating height, was thought to be too low for a successful base jump, leading to concerns about their safety.
Despite these worries, the pair jumped as planned, but Mr King hit a fence and Mr Connery landed in a tree. However, both escaped without any injuries.
The climb and jump marked six years since Mr King captured attention by free soloing the same wall on August 2, 2018.
He said: "Back in 2018, free soloing this wall was my first major project.
George King and Gary Connery scaled the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world before BASE jumping off (Image: SWNS)
"If someone had told me then that six years later I'd be climbing it again and BASE jumping off it, I wouldn't have believed them.
"Not because I lacked the dream, but because 37 meters seemed too low for such a feat."
He added: "Yes 37 meters is tall for a climbing wall. But very low for a BASE jump. Yet, here I am. Life is full of surprises.”
Mr King made headlines in 2019 for scaling The Shard in London, at the age of 19. He was jailed for six months and served his time at HMP Pentonville.
Shortly after being released from custody, he climbed the 23-storey Unex Tower in Stratford, east London, without ropes.
George King and Gary Connery scaled the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world before BASE jumping off (Image: SWNS)
Meanwhile, Mr Connery jumped into the Olympic Stadium dressed as the Queen during the London Olympic Ceremony in 2012.
He is also the first person to land a wingsuit without a parachute.
Looking back at his recent stunt he added: "I cannot deny that there was great fear and trepidation involved in this.
"It was without doubt a funky climb, something I have never done before and a very low BASE jump with many obstacles.
"But, with the support of such a great team member with commitment and belief in not only myself but our project, it is wonderful to know even at 55-years-old I can still push these limits and overcome fears and show such great mental strength.”
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