By Scott Rogers

If any of my adventures on this site have the properties befitting of the word "wild", this trip was probably one of the most apropos. Leaving Boulder last Friday (March 21st) and returning Wednesday (March 26th), we were in Moab for quite some time. The trip was prepared meticulously, making certain that everyone who was going had accurate directions to the obscure destination, and that all the requisite gear would be there at the start of the trip. Mary and I drove out to Moab, meeting Joe, Dave, Josh, Jesse, Lindon, Nathan, Dylan, Greg, Josh, Kale, Deon, Terry, Larry, Chris, and a few others at the designated pulloff. Thats right, we had more than 16 people all setting up and crushing highlines at different times during the weekend/week.

Check out the first full length slackline and highline documentary! For more information on the film, and to purchase a DVD check out http://www.elements-film.de/

On July 13, 1985, Scott Balcom became the first man in the world to walk across the Lost Arrow Spire Highline. A towering 2890 feet (880 meters), above the valley floor. 22 years and 3 days later, Libby Sauter became the first woman to cross the lost arrow spire highline. This has become the most coveted highline in the world. Congratulations to Libby! 

Click here to read more and see photos in our community slackline forum!

By Robin Avery

In early November the Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC) at the University of British Columbia, where I attend, organizes a climbing trip to Smith Rock in Oregon. Smith Rock is one of those epic places you have to visit at least once in a lifetime. It's a sport climbing Mecca of sorts, a place where sport climbing was popularized in North America. The park is pretty accessible for the day traveler so it sees a lot of tourist traffic. For the life of me I don't know why Smith Rock isn't a National Park. It's a pretty small place considering the amount of bolted sport climbs it hosts.

Day 1: After the obligatory phaffing around, time wasting, etc... We started driving from Vancouver, B.C. around 3 pm. Arrive at the US border. We stop to use the washroom, and the Canadian Border Guards swarm in. Perhaps we got profiled? I guess an Insane amount of miscommunication lead to our friend getting detained, long story short, we have to leave him behind...in the end the Royal Canadian Mounted Police showed up, and they let him go. We never did figure out what happened in the first place.  Worst of all he had to take the bus back to Vancouver from the border.
One man down...

HugoBr writes

"Gavea Stone is a rock in Rio de Janeiro have 800mts high! Hi my names is Hugo i'm from Brazil. The Lost Arrow Spire is a dream for me, but I live I'm Brazil and lost arrow is in United States, Yosemite Valley......Very long distance from my Home....... What too doo??? b nuts? kill my self of work for by a ticket for USA?!?!?! NOOOO FIND MY ON LOST ARROW AND THAT WHAT I DID....!!!!! GAVEA STONE HIGHLINE 25 METERS LONG 800 METERS HIGH I'N MIDDLE OF RIO DE JANEIRO This is my gift for the world community of Slackliners....!!! WANT TO see the photos send me a e-mail i will send you back hugoclimb .at. gmail com" Hugo...

auntieslackline writes...

The 12th annual Ouray Ice Festival was a feast for the senses!

The boys laid it all out on the line yet again setting up a 67 foot long and, 150+/- high Highline at the Ouray Ice festival.

It was hard and cold! Larry and Dylan rigged for a day, and then at sun down on saturday Damian and Dylan fought hard for it. Taming this super tight( tightened 17% according to Dylan) double, theaded with a rope beast.

"This is hard" the boys kept saying. The weather conditions made it specially challenging. Snow falling in your face, frozen feet, stepping off and then hearing the river below and getting even more distracted! The beautiful blue ice cascade sculptures frozen in time provided a magical back drop for this team's efforts. Led by Larry Harpe, the goal was acomplished! To share the love and craft of slackline.

The Cali contingent had a good showing with Auntie, DamianC showing strong skills and mastery and, Todd and the boys from Rockreation.

Colorado well represented with slackinjacklyn, Masonjar and Brian Gallant who continue to up the ante and stepped off into the frozen void too. Good effort!

And we made new friends. BIG slacker Love props to Eric and Hanna from Durango and all the go for it! folks that came to the festival and participated.

See you at the lines!

He showed that his resolve and his heart are just as big and sent 30 ' , Aron's Gap Highline at Stoney Point today, 3/16/07. BIG LOVE BIG GUY! CONGRATULATIONS!

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

Maria and I just returned from a week at The Lost Arrow Spire. Or as everyone I know calls it simply the Spire!

The Lost Arrow Spire is a long digit of solid granite that breaks away from the main cliff at Yosemite Point two hundred and fifty feet below, at the notch. Everything else is thousands of feet of vertical granite!

It is extremely hard to describe what its like to be at this magical place, or for that matter what it has become to me personally! Although I have never walked across the highline there, I feel a special affinity for this place. This was my eighth year in a row to make the pilgrimage.

My first trip was the July 4th weekend in 1998 with Darrin Carter, it was the el nino year that brought a huge February snow. With no map or compass. We got lost at the first creek crossing. We managed to get to the Spire after two, four hour, postholing, bushwacking, absolutely grueling cross country sessions. And an absolutely miserable mosquito infested, down hill sloping bive in between. I learned from that first trip that the Spire was not an easy place to get to! And once you're there, its tough to keep yourself fat, warm, and happy.

Some how, all that just added to the appeal of the place for me! After following Darrin and Shawn for years and last year just running up by my self with no slacking going on just to keep my streak alive, I knew I had to get involved. I also knew that Scott wanted to make the trip for his twentieth anniversary of his first walk. So we got together on it.

Scott and his son Adom, Damian and his wife Jeffie, Robi, Blair, and their baby daughter Makaya, Corbin and Clay, And Dylan, Maria and I, all met at the trail head on Sunday morning, for the seven mile trek to Yosemite Creek where we would all set up camp.

It was mid afternoon by the time we had all reached the spire, I turned around and went back to the car for another load. Damian and Robi started climbing the Spire.

When I returned about dusk, completely exhausted, Damian, Robi, Clay and Corbin were still out on the Spire. I guess Damian was half way through the second pitch when it got dark. They had to rap back to the notch, leaving rope and gear on the Spire, then had to jug the two hundred and fifty feet back up to the anchor tree!

They managed two drag themselves into camp about eleven o'clock that night.

In the morning Clay and Corbin finished it off, and started rigging. But It was about four o'clock in the afternoon by the time the walking started.

Clay, Corbin, Robi and Blair with the baby all had to be out that night, to make other obligations.