"Highlining"
Tyrolean Traverse at the Quetzal Hero
Slacklining is a practice in balance that typically uses 1 inch nylon webbing tensioned between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut (although it is still under
some tension); it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a
long and narrow trampoline.
The line's tension can be adjusted to suit the user and different types
of webbing can be used to achieve a variety of feats. The line itself
is flat, due to the nature of webbing, thus keeping the slacker's
footing from rolling as would be the case with an ordinary rope.
Highlining is slacklining at large distances above the ground or
water. Many slackliners consider highlining to be the pinnacle of the
sport. Highlines are commonly set up in locations that have been used or
are still used for Tyrolean traverse.
When rigging highlines, experienced slackers take measures to ensure
that solid, redundant and equalized anchors are used to secure the line
into position. Modern highline rigging typically entails a mainline of
webbing, backup webbing, and either climbing rope or amsteel rope for
redundancy. It is also common to pad all areas of the rigging which
might come in contact with abrasive surfaces. To ensure safety, most
highliners wear a climbing harness or swami belt with a leash attached to the slackline itself; however, unleashed walks of highlines are not unheard of.
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Discovering new dimensions of body and mental control by exploring the world of highlining
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