By Robi
900 feet of nothingness below me and the only thing separating me from the sharp talus below, is a slackline. This is my first highline and I’ve never been more terrified in my life. The sun’s setting over the central valley and it calms the wind stilling the air. For a moment time stands still as I stand up and begin walking, not knowing how far I would get. Suddenly I feel the pull of gravity on my left side and start to lose my balance. I desperately try to regain my center but only get further away as I dive into space praying that I catch the line. The Rostrum is located in the lower canyon tucked between Elephant Rock and Pulpit Rock on the south side. Peregrine Falcons nest there for most of the year and its closed to climbing and slacklining, but it opens in the fall which is the best time to be there. National Park Service has guidelines for highlines so check the Camp 4 information board first. The summit can be reached by parking in the dirt turnout after the long rock wall ends while driving south on Hwy 41. After hiking down the dirt trail, turn right and traverse the cliff. Climbing skills are required to rig the longer lines but the shortest line is accessible on both sides. All of the anchors are fixed but a backup is wise. The ease of the summit access combined with the amazing exposure makes this location a popular spot for first time highliners. I’ve witnessed many “first steps” at the Rostrum, mine included and I’m sure there’ll be many more to come
Lost Arrow spire, located just right of upper Yosemite Falls, is 2,800 feet off the valley floor. The exposure is so intense you almost get dizzy when you first approach the edge. The rigging process includes a 275 foot rappel and three pitches of A2. There’s a campsite near the spire and Yosemite creek flows almost year round. Bears are prominent in the area so get some bear canisters and your backcountry Permits at the Wilderness Center.
Approaching from the valley is four miles uphill. From porcupine flat on Hwy.120 its six but almost all downhill. This is one of my favorite places in Yosemite and it will continue to cast a shadow over the valley tempting every generation of slackliners. It was August ‘05 marking the twentieth anniversary of the first slackline crossing of Lost Arrow. I hiked down from Porcupine Flat trail and brought my girlfriend and eight month old daughter. We met up with a few friends at the camp including Scott Balcom, Corbin and Clay, and Ric Phiegh who were responsible for rigging the line.
I had been in contact with Scott for the past few months and I learned that he was the first person to ever cross the lost arrow gap via slackline. I bought his book and experienced his amazing story of his struggle with fear and moment of glory. Studying every word and picture as if it were my own imagining myself making the crossing.
The spire came into view churning my stomach as I hiked along the granite trail. The enormous haul bag on my back pulled on my shoulders urging me to stop for a moment to take everything in. I could see the valley below and all the familiar places but from an airplane’s view. The feeling I had was different than any other. Probably the way an astronaut feels when he looks at earth from space. We had decided earlier that Damian (who I had just met) and I would climb the spire on the first day and he would lead. My goal for the trip was to camp one night, walk the spire on the second day and hike down the trail to the valley by the second night. On top of that, cinematographer Cyrus Sutton was planning to meet me to film my first walk and needed to leave at the same time as us. If the spire didn’t get rigged on the second day, everyone would be forced to stay.
We took our time climbing the spire because my leader only had a little aid climbing experience. I had just met my new climbing partner and had no idea what to expect. Every piece he placed got thoroughly bounce tested making every move twice as long. In the middle of the second pitch the sun sank behind the mountains and it quickly became dark. We had one headlamp between us and a long way to go either way. We fixed our high point and rapped into the notch in total darkness.
It was now time to jug out of the notch and return to camp. I had lost contact with my girlfriend on the radio hours ago and wonderer what time it was. We both clipped our ascenders into the fixed line and checked each other for any mistakes. I went first since I was faster and didn’t have the headlamp. Once I reached the top, I ran back to camp to find everyone in their tents asleep.
I awoke before sunrise and walked out to Yosemite point to watch the golden light pour into the valley. I was refreshing and gave me a lift after the epic day I had climbing the spire. Everyone slept in and had a big breakfast not yet knowing of my time constraints. Corbin and Clay summited the spire around noon and hot the first line between the flake and the spire. After a few minor complications, the slackline was pulled tight and ready to walk.
I rappelled down to the flake which is located about a quarter of the way down to the notch and felt incredibly relaxed and calm as I dangled my legs thousands of feet above the ground. Everything was ready but the real challenge was yet to come. The line looked shorter than the line I had been practicing on but definitely higher. Corbin and Clay soon joined me and got ready to walk. Corbin wanted to walk first and was going for and onsite send. He walked out to the spire onsite and celebrated by walking back without falling as well. Next it was my turn. I could see Cyrus in position on the rim with multiple cameras pointing towards the spire. The sky was beginning to turn orange and I could tell that time was running out. Clay checked me as I tied into the leash that connected me to the slackline incase I fell and didn’t catch the line. I sat there thinking as quickly as possible bouncing the line under my foot trying to feel its tension. After a short goodbye to my girlfriend and daughter on the radio, I was ready.
Time stood still as I’ve learned it always does while taking the first steps of any highline, and all my thoughts quieted as I stepped off the flake. It takes me a moment to center my balance but I quickly find myself locked into the line and taking step after step. About midway across my thoughts catch up with me and I get a shiver as I become aware. Everything up until that moment was training for the focus I needed for those final steps to get me across this highline.
Everything seemed good and my concentration strong as I took my last steps. The moment my feet touched the granite my body was flooded with adrenalin and joy. All my preparation had been worth the struggle and now I had my moment with the spire. After another walk with Cyrus out on the flake, we scrambled to pack up and start hiking down the trail and catch up with my family who had left to get a head start.
Cyrus and I set off around five-o-clock running across the granite slabs and crossing the bridge at Yosemite Creek. We had to catch up with my girls by dark because I had both of our headlamps in the haul bag. The switch backs were treacherously slick from the mist of Yosemite Falls and the darkness quickly intruded. With both of our headlamps lit, we entered the flat section of trail below the Forbidden Wall half way down the trail and we were joined by Corbin and Clay who were also returning to the valley. I ran as fast as physically possible to catch up with Blair and Makaya while trying to reach them on the radio. I found them resting on a rock on the side of the trail in total darkness bundled in blankets and hats without a care and in perfect heath.
The rest of the hike was seemingly endless in the dark and we made it to Camp 4 around midnight. I didn’t know it at the time but Blair had contacted our landlord by cell phone and he was on his way to pick us up. I was grateful as Sam was kind enough to drive us back up to our cars at Porcupine Flat so everyone could get where they needed to be the next day. The trip was a success and wouldn’t have been possible without anyone I mentioned. All that for 43 steps on a slackline.
There’s a strong slackline presence in the valley year round which fuels the highline progression in the summer months. You can usually find a slackline somewhere but most likely you’ll find four or five if you know where to look. The valley lines helped me become the slackliner I am today by offering me the hardest and most diverse scenarios all mixed in with the famous bouldering circuit of Yosemite. Consecutive days of intense slacklining and hard climbing will prepare anyone for the balance and focus needed for highlining. When a highline is up, everyone knows. It doesn’t take long to find out when there’s a highline because it draws a lot of interest through being so visible from the valley. Once you’ve spotted a line, the next step is to find out who’s it is via the Cafeteria or Camp 4. Someone is always present in one of these places who knows what’s going on. Certain people have very protective attitudes about their highlines and who walks them, so always be respectful and don’t walk a line if you don’t know who’s it is.The webbing cuts into my naked arm pit and arrests my fall swinging me side to side against my will 900 feet above the river. My heart pounds so loud I can hear it in my temples throbbing with blood. I’m shaken but not beaten. I‘ll try at least ten more times before I can really say I cant do it. It takes a lot to get comfortable enough up there to actually walk across a line and I know its possible, but just not yet. I can walk lines longer that this in Camp 4 but for some reason its different. The only way to prepare for a highline is to walk other highlines and after today, I’m on a mission to defeat the fears that limit me and cross the Rostrum. "
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