You have to be a true adrenaline junky to consider taking a flying leap into thin air, free falling for a while and dangling about 17 storeys between two cliffs... without a more life-threatening situation looming behind you.

But for a bunch of four old mates it was the best way to celebrate a friend’s birthday yesterday and they happily took it in turns to hurl themselves into the void above a valley, without a moment of hesitation.

They are the first to bring what is known as rope jumping – a twist on the bungee version – to Malta.

Rope jumping was popular in Russia, said Matthew Camilleri of the sport that is just another “hobby” for them and a variation on abseiling and other cliff-hanging activities they seek out.

As opposed to a more vertical drop, rope jumping ends in a swing that softens the fall. Then, once you have had enough of hanging high and dry, your friends use a pulley system to rope you back in.

The four mates set up camp at Għar Lapsi and spent Wednesday rigging up and testing their equipment with a 70kg dummy, ensuring safety before taking the plunge themselves.

They jumped off the cliff around five times each and three times in a row because it keeps the adrenaline pumping and means there is no holding back before jumping off again.

The adrenaline rush is even more heightened than sky diving, according to Mr Camilleri, who said the exciting feeling of fear turns into relief once the rope tenses and falls into a swing.

The fact that the cliffs were not vertical made the adventure all the more challenging in that they needed to secure a good jump out into nothingness.