Highlining seems pretty similar to tightroping, but there’s one significant difference. Tightroping uses a wire or cable that’s pulled tight and does not stretch. Highlining uses a stretchy, fabric line (usually called a slackline).
The past several decades of highlining have seen the ropes stretch further and further, breaking unimaginable records. In 2024, athlete Jaan Roose worked with Red Bull to set up and cross a 2.2 mile slackline, and these guys just stretched it even longer.
The rope, set up in the desert of Utah, stretched 4 kilometers, or just around 2.5 miles. As an important note, these guys are not walking without a leash. They are tethered to the line so, despite being suspended way above the ground, falls are completely harmless.
For this project, this group was able to get the rope up and cross it twice in a short, 3-and-a-half day weather window. Nobody’s been able to send the entire highline, or cross it without falling, but it’s nonetheless seriously impressive.
