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This summer has included several short trips mostly to Switzerland, several to the mountains and included my first highline shows. I have seen regression and progression, felt pressure and found relaxation, always learning, always growing (not in height), new experiences, new friends and immense amounts of fun. Here are some pictures and experiences.

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Summer 2016

Head in the Clouds

Switzerland Trip #1

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Sam invited me to join in the project to re-rig the 540m Churfirsten line that was cut down by lightning last year. I was dissaponted that I wouldn't have the time, but once an idea is in my head its hard to get it out - maybe I can make the time. A long weekend trip should be good enough to get there and have a couple of days trying the line. I really wanted to experience being on a line that long to feel what it's like. In the end the project was cancelled due to bad conditions (snow in May??) and other organisation problems. Well now I was going for the trip anyway and Sam had organised some other plans. It was a great three days heading to the mountains in search of a line that could be seen from the road, hiking up in the snow with heavy bags and finally arriving at the gap the second day. The best line ~200m was too exposed in the wind to rig that day, so we attempted a shorter one but the connection was two dangerous to make by abseiling and we settled for a shorter 70m line. N0t the most highlining in a trip but lots of adventure all the same and to top it of I lost my passport on the hill and had an onteresting time trying to get a new passport and get home as quick as possible!

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Switzerland Trip #2 Pilatus Highline

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Back home to some intense work then back to Switzerland! Thanks to the organisation of Sam and Slacktivity we got to stay at the top of the Mount Pilatus above Lucerne and highline for almost a week in the clouds with tourist watching us. I knew there would be long lines there and wanted to give them a good shot but when I arrived I was not in highline form at all. However through some intense night, sunrise and cloud sessions I regained a good feeling on the lines. Not quite the feeling of summer, at 2,128m height we were almost constantly in the clouds, getting damp and cold. Luckily this is what I'm used to and walking completely in cloud only seeing a few meters in front was a really interesting experience, I liked the enclosed feeling letting me easily ignore the length of the line and only needing to focus on the next few meters. 

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Switzerland Trip #3 Züri Fäscht and MHP

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Back home to some more intense work then back to Switzerland again! This time not to the mountains but to an urban highline for some highline shows above the Limmat during Züri Fäscht (Zurich Festival). My first proper experience of giving shows and I was pretty happy with how it went. The intense focus during those 15minutes was enjoyable and it was great to see the reactions of the people watching. Thanks again to Sam for the invite!

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After leaving Zürich I headed to France (France Trip #1) first for a relaxing few days around lake Annecy with my family then back to the mountains! To MHP highline festival in lans-en-vercors where I got to have my first french highline festival experience. With lots of lines, really good organisation and of course a great group of people it was nice to enjoy a variety of lines in the french sun. Finishing with a beautiful morning session before heading home.

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France Trip #2 

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Not much time for more holiday but a long weekend doesn't count, right? Back to the beautiful mountains of the Vercors for highlining and also the chance to do a 180m rope jump. Rigged by LINKrope it was cool to see what a real fall feels like. It was fun but highlining is still the better kick for me at the moment.

Enjoying the 120m highline (Left), just before I jumped (below). Photos:  Steffi Wulf

Switzerland Trip #4 Moléson  

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Finally back to Moléson mountain, the place to push your limits. Since last year walking the 120m RedTube I see progression, but how much I'm not sure. This year long lines were the challenge and I was excited to see how I would do. I want to get inside the head of a highliner who sends long lines, they seem so calm, but are they really? This feeling still seems distant to me but I'm sure I'll find it eventually. My first try on the 580m line was intense and perfect. I was at the end of the queue and it was starting to look like the sun was setting, someone returned and it was one more person before me - would I get a chance to try before dark? Then they choose not to go - I jumped at the chance, not much time to think just prepare as usual. I stood up on the steep thin line in front of me as the sun melted into the lake, framing the mountain and the line ahead. The beauty was almost distracting but I needed to focus on the steep incline, moving slowly not to slip. I knew I would be able to walk on the line but I had nerves and stayed very tense even as the line started to level out. So intensely I tried to not focus on the walking, a thousand crazy thoughts going round my head, trying to keep focusing on my music, now and again looking up at the sun, feeling awestruck by love and beauty. This was the perfect moment to be on this line, a perfect balance between ease and difficulty. The intensity of extreme focus but the ease of the line meaning I could stay balanced. Eventually my stiffness and tense body sucked too much energy away and I fell. Continuing to walk the line the light began to fade but I could keep walking, a spot light came on behind me and as it got dark this small light on the line helped, but as I walked further this could not show me the way anymore. I had drained a lot of energy at the start but was still walking big sections with some falls. After almost crossing the line I decided to slide the last 100m and save my energy for seeing the sunrise the next day. I have not often experienced this sensation on a highline needing to find the precarious position between too much and too little focus - too intense and all the energy is sapped away, too calm and a mistake could be made. This is flow and I want to find that feeling again.

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This mountain created constant beauty, I couldn't help but wake up and highline at sunrise for two of the days. Thanks again to Sam, Slacktivity and Une-Bonne-Idee.ch for organising the event!

Long highlines; 300m and 477m (Above), 580m (Right).

Photos: Sarah Gmeiner

Photo: Sarah Gmeiner
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