Estonian slackliner crosses 500m at 200m high in windy 50°C weather
With the backdrop of the picturesque landscapes of Kazakstan, Estonian Jaan Roose became the first person to cross the iconic “fangs” on a slackline, limestone pillars that make up the Bozzhyra tract, also known as the ‘Sugar Castles’ and were crafted by the ancient Tethys Ocean, millions of years ago.
Roose took up slacklining 12 years ago and is well known for being the first and only athlete to do a double backflip (legs) while, in 2019, he won the World Slackline Masters in Munich, Germany.
The three-time world champion, who has also worked as a stuntman in Hollywood movies like Assassin’s Creed and taken part in a concert tour with Madonna, is a world-record holder in many unusual locations.
Slacklining – a sport that’s truly come into its own in the last decade – combines all kinds of challenges: organisation, planning, vision and effort. Half of the sport might just be getting the slackline set up and in a place like this you can’t just go throwing a rope up anywhere you want. You’ve got to consider an adventurer’s primary rule: leave no trace.
After navigating a 28m line between Sarajevo skyscrapers last year, Roose headed next to Kazakhstan where he made a difficult 500m crossing at a height of 200 metres in 50°C with a strong wind.
The 30-year-old revealed: “Bozzhyra is a challenge and is one of the most difficult, but at the same time, beautiful projects I have ever undertaken. When I saw photos of Bozzhyra I was impressed, but when I got here, I was blown away by the unearthly beauty of the place. The fact there used to be an ocean here really fuels the imagination.”
Many years ago, the Great Silk Road used to cross the Mangistau desert region and one of the ledges, which resembles a fortress, is even depicted on Kazakhstan’s 1,000 tenge banknote.
Roose added: “It’s just a fantastic place. I’m glad I visited it and saw this unique location with my own eyes and was also able to combine physical ability with the beauty of nature.”
One of the group’s main goals was to treat the unique nature of the area with care, making sure they observed all ecological requirements in the real historical location as the camera team spent five days in Mangistau Region at the site to film their piece and open this unique location.
“We chose the most eco-friendly approach, so as not to disturb Bozzhyra’s unique beauty,” mountain climber and safety expert Kirill Belotserkovskiy noted. “We fixed the line on one side on the pedestrian rock, put down nets stuffed with rocks and attached ourselves to them. We wrapped a rope around the top of the other ‘fang’ and attached ourselves to it. We made sure the construction was simple and eco-friendly. None of the rocks suffered during the project.”
Talgat Amanbayev, Board Chairman of NC Kazakh Tourism JSC, said: “Today, Mangistau Region is a priority tourist destination in Kazakhstan and one of the top five in terms of overseas visitors for the year. Mangistau is capable of becoming a real film-tourism centre, and as such, we are always ready to support initiatives that give exposure to its phenomenal beauty. At the same time, we will make sure it is treated with the care and attention it deserves to help preserve it.” (Red Bull Content Pool)