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Sometimes our only available transportation is a leap of faith.

I have been slacklining for quite a few years now and have quietly fallen in love with the balance aspect of this sport. Working on my drishti, focus and core can be beneficial to pretty much anything else we do in life. The heightened sense of balance opens a new door to the way we perceive the world one might say. Then again it may just be the old adrenalin doing its usual crazy job. Be that as it may, there is always another level, each activity has it and it’s the pursuit of the next level, version 2.0 that makes us human in so many ways. For slacklining the next level is highlining or slacking on steroids. Once you get pretty comfy on your average slackline you keep increasing the length to make it harder but eventually the urge to take the slackline to a new level aka high up into the air becomes overwhelming. I was pretty confident that I would do well, not crossing a highline all the way of course but at least do reasonably well.

So Friday afternoon Leo and I left Sydney early and headed up to the Blueys. Although we were in autumn the hot summer conditions prevailed and we were heading for a hot bluebird day. Our goal was the 2016 Highline festival at Corroboree Walls – the Mecca of Australian highlining. These gatherings are hard to hear about since they are solely organised on Facebook and one has to become part of the community first.

But there was still time to squeeze in a little multi-pitch climb that would bring us right to the edge of darkness before settling for a meal at the Gardener’s Inn. Past the grand Hydro Majestic we turned off Great Western Highway to the Medlow Bath cliffs and raced through the bush to the drop down Reservoir Dogs Wall. The orange sun was just beginning to tease the horizon and the warm rays felt soothing on our backs. We dropped the sixty meter rope and it came two meter short of the ledge below. Perfect with the stretch of our bodyweight. Dropping over the edge the Megalong valley magnificently and serenely spread out below us. As breathless tiny spider hanging in the evening ski our weekly gym climbing session did not compare favourably and the body vaguely recalls the sensation of gravity on the vertical dimensions. Two pitches of impeccable orange sandstone were waiting for us. It took a couple of moves to shake of the cobwebs but the body is amazing in remembering when you place it right onto the edge. The sky was crepuscular by the time we reached the valley rim. Was there time for one more? Karaoke night at the Gardener’s in provided the perfect answer.

Soggy Biscuit from Right side	Dive Bomb 30 Meters	Dive Bomb Walker
Soggy Biscuit from left side (24 meters)	Send n Spew 42meters	Kanimbla Valley Views

The distance between dream and reality is called action.

We woke early on Saturday morning and highlining was on my mind straight away. This was the day, the moment and the right time. My bucket list was waiting for another tick mark. But not before we fuelled up on enough coffee to make a pacemaker envious. The Wattle café in Blackheath was an old trusted supplier and by 8:30 we were on our way to Mount Victoria. The cars were already lining up around the festival ground but it was still early and the sun had not yet reached its full potential. We headed straight out to the buttresses and were not disappointed: there were highlines everywhere from the short ones to the ridiculous. Groups of people were perched in between the buttresses connecting the various spider-webs but nobody was rushing. There was an eerie morning silence and the lines glinted in the sun-light, gently moving in the breeze, ready for anyone who wanted to step onto them. I did not yet know why there was not rush. It was more about watching at this stage...

Once we reached the perimeter of the cliffs the altitude took our breath away. This was no tree-line it was a threat connecting empty space high up. Really high up and the only safety was a line tethered to your harness. I lined up immediately and there were two guys in front of me – they ask me gently if I wanted to go first but when I told them that this was my first highline they just nodded to each other. Jamie stepped on the line, slid out a few meters away from the cliff-face and stood up perfectly in one smooth motion: the line took his weight send a wave through it that rebounded at the other and came straight back at him. He was ready for it, waiting, anticipating the movement. Two more steps and he was off, plunging head first down into space, caught by the rope attached to his harness he bounced straight up again catching the line in one smooth motion. He rolled back onto the line, once again effortlessly. Two more massive falls and he finally found his karma. The rest was easy and he danced the 30 meters to the other side – flawlessly. I was hooked…

I looked around for the next guy and he had disappeared? It was my turn and I instinctively reached for my chalkbag. It wasn’t there? My hands were bathed in sweat but I remembered this wasn’t climbing. The thought of waiting a little longer entered my mind for a split second but I dismissed it angrily. I had come a long way for this. I tied into the line and Jamie gracefully talked me through the basics: breath, enjoy the moment and let go. I stepped out over the void and slid out on the line. The tautness gave me a shock and the sharp edge bit into my thigh. I suddenly realised that I was completely on edge my heart was racing and I could not stabilise the line below me. I was bouncing hard and the void sucked on my feet. I was very surprised I thought I had covered this ground a long time ago.

So I started to focus, breath and try to find my balance. I had practised the move to get up onto the line from a seating position before: it was hard but not impossible. The Chongo-Mount manoeuvre was my preferred method for getting up but every time I tried I lacked commitment. I feel several times back onto the line before finally falling below it. The manoeuvre to get up from below the line was different again and I had really never practised it sufficiently. This is where I fell apart I could not get back on top of the line and had to jug along it back to the cliff were I calmed my raw nerves and let the next guy have a go. I mustered the strength for a second attempt a little later but it ended like the first one with bad technique and unable to pull off the basics. It was a hard lesson to take but the experience was worth a thousand dreams. The line was called Dive Bomb and it was thirty infinite meters short.

You may prefer to stop reading here and get straight to the business end. Put year earphones in, crank up the volume in a comfy chair and take a look at this:

https://www.facebook.com/MEDIAIDEM/videos/844106555716770/

Leo was keen for some climbing and to get out of the full blast of the sun so we headed down the cliff to below the highlines were the routes were waiting for us. We found a nice wall in the shade: Fashion Wall and methodically worked our way from the left to right on shiny new ring bolts reminiscent of Mt.York’s Baren’s Lookout. After half a dozen warm ups we found our mojo and jumped on the imposing and aptly named Queen Bitch (21***) a committing arête to a book corner and a final technical crux section to the anchors. While climbing the sounds of the drones were with us filming the highliners taking huge wingers high above us. It was time for today’s project: the five-star Fashion 23 or maybe 24 who knows. We were starting to find our groove and Fashion was done and dusted with some effort. There was still time for a few more easier climbs before the pump started to set in for good and the coarse limestone took its toll on our fingers. It had been too long again… Corroboree Cave Leo on Queen Bitch 21 *** Soggy Biscuit from below Leo possibly on Uncontrollable Urge 23 * Leo on Fashion 23 ***** Leo on Lets Get a Taco (18 ** two pitches) Multipitching Queen Bitch Crux 21 *** Leo on Glabrate (17***) Louise was waiting at Will’s house where Uts arrived for a short visit from Switzerland. I would be a good night. Kanimbla valley views from Corroboree Walls - Fashion Parade Wall Resource Guide: 1. Australian Highline Register (Ask Chris Wallace for access) 2. Corroboree Climbing Guide Roman 6 March 2016

Copyright 2005 Dr.Roman Rosenbaum. All Rights Reserved.