Having a battle jumper myself at one point (Duskblade/Monk/Dragon Disciple), this is what I did:

Cast Jump on himself before battle for a +10 bonus
Cast Swift Expeditious Retreat for a +12 movement bonus.
Max, boosted strength and maxed Jump skill for another +17 bonus

So at level 9 I could reliably gain a 5 foot vertical advantage on a medium sized foe several times a day.

Then, after the MIC came out, I noticed the Boots of Swift Passage that let you teleport 20 ft. in any direction (including 5' above a foe) 5/day as a move action. And then I was sad at all the wasted effort.

In short, get the boots.