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kr0g3r
Mar 15, 2007, 10:32 PM
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I put up my slackline today, and raised it up to like eh... 15 feet, not really high-line i guess but for me it was. I even put on a leash. Normally when I know i'm safe i can do just about anything but today I just froze, couldnt stand up on it at all. I probably spent more time sitting on it when it was raised than when i had it closer to the ground and walking it. Anybody got a similar experience or tips on how to get over it?
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healyje
Mar 16, 2007, 2:04 AM
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When I first wanted to start moving mine higher I tried doing it in small increments, but discovered pretty quick that up until about 7-8 feet your mind want's to keep jumping off when you get in trouble. But the falls in the 5-8 foot height range have some real potential for breaking your neck given the rotation you can get going and not having the time to be able to compensate for it.
Then there is sort of an interesting magic point in the 8-9 foot range where your mind does a big about face and starts working the other way - it now wants to stay on the line when you get in trouble -and also starts stoking the fear factor in general as it [suddenly] recognizes consequences of coming off. The odd thing is at around the 9-10 range you have more time/control over the dismount than in the 5-8 foot range (I probably have prefaced these remarks saying I walk cranked down 11mm rope - the mental phenom are the same, the dismounts are of a somewhat different character than webbing).
Jacking it up even high to 15 feet and beyond and your mind is full cognizant of the risks and pretty much imbuded with the full force of anxiety you'll experience out on a line. Much higher lines increase the anxiety effects not so much for the actual walking so much as the anxiety really spreads and kicks in way before you ever step out due to the knowledge you're even going to attempt it so you can be anxious the night before, the drive there, setting up, etc.
But there is a case to be made that at 15 feet, even with a leash, your mind isn't convinced you aren't going to splatter - you might try 25-35 feet up and see if your mind doesn't have a bit more confidence in the leash.
All interesting stuff anyway...
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sactownclimber
Mar 16, 2007, 2:15 AM
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healyje wrote: The odd thing is at around the 9-10 range you have more time/control over the dismount than in the 5-8 foot range . . .
Why is that odd? Since your distance from the ground is greater, it's not so hard to believe that it would take you longer to get back to terra firma when you fell.
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healyje
Mar 16, 2007, 3:29 AM
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sactownclimber wrote: healyje wrote: The odd thing is at around the 9-10 range you have more time/control over the dismount than in the 5-8 foot range . . . Why is that odd? Since your distance from the ground is greater, it's not so hard to believe that it would take you longer to get back to terra firma when you fell.
The 'odd' part is the fact that, on the surface and until you go through the experience, you aren't really aware that your mind is going through these machinations and also most folks don't immediately recognize just how perilous the 6-8 foot range of falls can be.
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fearlessclimber
Mar 16, 2007, 4:06 AM
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just wondering, could a new slackline that is properly rigged break in the event of a whipper, because of its tension.
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kr0g3r
Mar 16, 2007, 5:13 AM
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healyje wrote: But there is a case to be made that at 15 feet, even with a leash, your mind isn't convinced you aren't going to splatter - you might try 25-35 feet up and see if your mind doesn't have a bit more confidence in the leash. All interesting stuff anyway...
eh. i dont have a spot around that i can think of that i can go that high... thanks for the info, i had been working it up slowly i just today got the nerve to put it up where i did.
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coldclimb
Mar 18, 2007, 3:22 PM
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Fearlessclimber: In case you missed it, Joshy is being sarcastic. Yes, a single strand slackline, properly rigged in every way does have a chance of breaking under the force of a leash fall. It's not LIKELY mind you, but it's very much possible. That's why highlines are doubled, tripled, even quadrupled, for redundancy and strength.
My advice if you're getting into highlining is to find someone who knows what they're doing to show you how they rig it properly. Highlining WILL kill you if you do anything wrong. Heck, I know of one person breaking their back doing everything RIGHT. Nobody has died yet though, and we like to keep it that way.
Another note to address is the safety of midlines. Even with a leash, at fifteen feet you can still deck or hit the ground. It's best to be either high or low, or very very careful.  Those mid-range lines are the most dangerous kind.
If you want to find someone to rig a serious highline with, check out www.slackline.com and post up in the forums. It's also the best place in the world to get any questions answered about highlining or slackline in general. A bunch of great people and a whole lot of good experience.
As for highlining being scary, you're darn right it is.  The fear doesn't really ever go away either. Every time I step up to a highline it takes a conquering of my mind and all things logical before I can take the first step. It's amazing though, when you finally send your first one way up there. There's not much like it.
Good luck!
(This post was edited by coldclimb on Mar 18, 2007, 3:22 PM)
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kr0g3r
Mar 18, 2007, 5:29 PM
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Another thing, i have a full strength haul loop on my harness. Is it better for me to connect my leash to my belay loop or haul loop?
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slacker_jon
Mar 18, 2007, 9:42 PM
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Always tie in at the front. Imagine being suspended face down in the void, winded and unable to regain your leash. a little bit of tape can be used to hold it to a gear loop or the haul loop to stop it from going between your legs as you are walking.
Coldclimbs advice is good, I have asked it many times. I'd get in touch directly with him if I were you, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction. He's right that it is best to be shown by someone with experience and that mid-lines are most dangerous!
I don't rig between 9-30' - there's too high a possibility of of taking a fully inverted whipper and having your head spin into the gound. My guess is that you wouldn't get up straight away from this...
Good highliners catch the line anyway. Practicing on an 8' high line might be the best way to prepare mentally, while you make friends with some highliners, who will help you to understand the rigging and safety. With this is out of your mind you can then be more confident when you embrace the horror.
Have fun and play safe!
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kr0g3r
Mar 19, 2007, 12:08 AM
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thanks jon, i hadn't thought of not being able to get back up with it behind me. i was just worried about destroying the family jewels taking a fall with it between my legs and infront. i'll use some masking tape or something to keep it along my side and to the back.
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coldclimb
Mar 19, 2007, 2:52 AM
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kr0g3r wrote: thanks jon, i hadn't thought of not being able to get back up with it behind me. i was just worried about destroying the family jewels taking a fall with it between my legs and infront. i'll use some masking tape or something to keep it along my side and to the back.
Yeah that's exactly the best way to go about it. A small piece of climbing tape, or whatever works, to hold the leash lightly to one side, and then just be careful about where it is. I've still fallen with my legs tangled up a lot of times, but never taken a leash fall, so that hasn't hurt me yet. I've seen it work people though, causing all sorts of weird flips and twists before they finally hit the end. 
I use a piece of velcro Slackinghigh gave me to hold my leash. I attach it around the leash and a gear loop so the ends are pointing the same way, so it will rip apart easily if it needs to, and tape it to my harness so it won't fall into the void. Reusable forever. 
And seriously, don't be afraid of slackline.com. On the forums there you'll find someone who knows the answer to any slacklining question you have, and with the experience to back their answers.
(This post was edited by coldclimb on Mar 19, 2007, 2:55 AM)
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slacker_jon
Mar 19, 2007, 10:35 PM
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kr0g3r wrote: Normally when I know i'm safe i can do just about anything but today I just froze, couldnt stand up on it at all.
I think everyone who walks highline has had this feeling.
Here are some video's of first time highliners...
Sorry about the quality of the first one, it was made with some footage off a camera phone a couple of weeks ago - I walk first then 3 friends made their highline debut afterwards. The second video is quite interesting because the guy rigs it on the spur of the moment and doesn't do too bad a job, but there are few improvements that could be made. And the third is what I understand to be the realisation of a long held dream - check out the control on the send, his arms don't go beyond 3 and 9!
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2-KG2Ovqs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CAhQHTZe9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irUPiYYt9Ok
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. 
