Warren’s slacklining adventures are a testament to his love for adventure, and extend to the furthest reaches of South Africa. I admired his project with Lukas Irmler on Table Mountain and loved the energy of the video series.
Read on to learn more about his incredible and inspiring highlining stories.
Where in the world have you slacklined?
Just in South Africa and the USA.
How did you discover slacklining?
Yosemite, 2004
When was your first highline?
In April 2006. With no mentors one has to create rules, for me it was principally important that I step off one cliff edge, and step onto the next. Walk the full line, back yourself not to fall in those first few difficult, and dangerous steps. Then walk back. This business of creeping out to a safe spot to start is not sending a line, even if you give that meek strategy a cool sounding name. Back yourself.
The rigging of that first highline was in no way safe, and in retrospect I would have been lucky to have survived a leash fall on it, so I’m glad I sent.
Editors Note: Are you 100% confident in your rigging? Even if you are, join a party with an experienced rigger in the lead before leading a rig of your own.
Tell us about the slacklining brand you started …
Great question! A little passion project, maybe this question is better answered verbally… remember there was very little going on in the scene at the time – I was the only one highlining for a few years, and no slackline gear available for a long while. I spent quite some time finding usable webbing, and practical rigging ideas for a kit that was convenient and practical.
Do you have a favourite webbing?
Honestly, no, and I’m a little out of date by now anyway. A friend picked up 100m of Type 18 for me, but that was more a function of access than choice. I found it heavy underfoot, but safe, and so a worthy sacrifice.
What was your first piece of slackline gear?
I bought a hideous Petzl tubular webbing at my local climbing shop. It stretched so much that is was only marginally useful up to about 20m. I used that for training, but after trying others I realized just how bad it was, and probability cost me 6-12 months. I am sure it had a permanent impact on my style as jumps were impossible. It was used for my first highline.
Where is your favourite place to set up a slackline?
As a singular line Chapman’s Peak: easy access, easy rig, stunning location and comfortable length.
I used highlines as a creative outlet, and so I was always exploring fun locations. Most of my lines were around Durban, and we would rig lines between objects in both mountain and urban settings.
Ideally I slackline alone, as I enjoy the meditative state of the clear mind, focused only on the task at hand. One can be too distracted with other people around.
Your series with Lukas Irmler is inspiring. How did you meet?
Thank you, it was fun too. He approached me on a Facebook group. Man he’s good! That scene on Table Mountain was always planned as the King Line of that series, but weather was a issue. He was brought out by Adidas for a week long event, and we had the week before it for us. Table Mountain did not offer us usable weather for that week, and so on his departure day we hiked up at 4am for a sunrise line. The other fun line we did was at the left side of Dias Beach, with waves crashing about 10m away, spraying us. Not a highline, but a special location and moment I won’t easily forget.
Visit Lukas’s page about the trip here.
Have you experienced a slackline failure?
Several, mainly anchor failures. One can be dismissive of tree protectors on things like concrete pillars, but those rough undulations on corners, plus a small amount of movement can be devastating to rigging under tension. I have also had a line failure at a climbing gym: overused rig that failed at a difficult to inspect location. Cost me a broken ankle.
I had a 70m line snap at the opposite end to where I was walking, while my feet were 3m off the ground: I genuinely thought I broke my back as I went numb from the middle of my back. After a few (very long) minutes laying face own in the grass the feeling returned. It was training for a commercial I was doing a few days later: I did the shoot and went straight to the physio. That was over 10 years ago and I still suffer from the injury.
Slacklining is a very creative medium to express ourselves, and for me highlines were a big head game to challenge my confidence in my abilities- I have walked this length many times, why should now be different? It is easy to enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the park, but that is picnic: staring off the edge of a cliff, noting the obstacles on either end- where you cannot fall- and remaining composed the entire time you walk between them is a huge mental challenge, and while I have moved on to other challenges my time on the line remains an important part of who I am.
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