Mission Project

For anchors we used two sets of four, 3 foot long steel stakes which we drove into the ground. (It hadn't rained for at least 3 weeks and the ground was of a solid consistency.) We used two lengths of 9mm static rope to equalize the tension across the stakes. Once the anchors were setup we began to ready our pulleys to tighten the line.

The three of us began to tighten the pulleys. We knew the brake on the smallest block in our pulley system was rated at 2100lbs....to our astonishment, in between pulls, the brake snapped clear off! The block, which was apparently under 2100lbs of tension, whizzed right past my elbow. Wow! With our pulley system down we had to improvise with carabineers. Eventually we got the line tight enough. Our line consisted of a single piece of 1 inch tubular nylon webbing backed up with an additional strand of hand tightened webbing tapped to the bottom of the taut line. We know the line is much stronger than the pulley system.

It was now time to put on my harness and walk! I tied two aluminum carabineers to end of a 1.2meter dynamic rope we'd be using for our leash. It attaches to the line and we drag it behind us as we walk. By now the sun had began to drop low on the horizon and the wind picked up. My Mountain Hardwear Alchemy Softshell Jacket kept me nice and warm while I stretched my body and readied my mind for my walk across this little valley. And boy was I thankful for the windstopper fleece. As the wind picked up the line began to oscillate and vibrate just adding to my apprehension.

The time was upon us! I stepped up first, made it about 1/4 way across and fell. I missed catching the line, the leash caught me and whipped me around hard! I crawled back along the line and returned to solid earth. My friend Javier made it all the way across. Now for my second try. I stepped back up and could feel the wind bucking me around on the line. "No!" I said to myself, "don't let the wind f**k with you like that, this is yours to bag!" I almost fell a second time but I kept saying to myself, "You've walked lines over 200 feet, this is simple!" I made it across...safe and sound! The whole experience opened a new door. I finished my first highline!