Accompanied by a professional wildlife photographer Thomas Senf and the guides of Altezza Travel, Stephan Siegrist from Switzerland became the first person in the world to perform a successful highlining in the summit area of Mount Kilimanjaro, setting the new world record!
This expedition was planned at the end of 2015. While Thomas and Stephan were preparing for this unprecedented act of sportsmanship, Altezza Travel was responsible for getting all necessary permissions from the Kilimanjaro National Park administration, and appointing the most accomplished Kilimanjaro climbing professionals to assist the two adventurers. On June 15 we transported the crew to Shira 2 Camp (3,700 m), from where Stephan and Thomas, accompanied by the 3 guides, camp manager, cook and 12 porters started their mountaineering adventures. At Arrow Glacier point (4,600 m), the team made a base camp.
On the next day, Thomas and Stephan resumed their ascent. This time they were accompanied by the most experienced guides only, because climbing on Western Breach Route is fraught with rockfalls and other natural dangers.
Although Stephan and Thomas found a suitable place rather quickly, the team, nevertheless, faced some difficulties. The battery of one of the drills (which was necessary to make holes for fixing the ropes) failed to function. The team had no other options, but to send one of the porters down in order to get a replacement. In addition to that, Stephan later told that anchoring the highline in the volcanic rock was really challenging. A single mistake could have declared end of the project. Fortunately, the team faced no other difficulties and all other project parts were realized successfully.
On June 20, after midday, everything was ready for the climax point of the expedition. Step by step the Swiss professional walked across the African sky, becoming the first person to perform a highline balancing act on such altitude ever and opening a new chapter in the book of adventurism!
And, surely, the video of this project:
Altezza team members, who participated in the project, included professional Mt Kilimanjaro guides Albert Mbwambo, Vitalis Mahonge and Stanford Maleko.
Altezza Travel will be happy to help you in realizing the most amazing wildlife projects in Tanzania, like we did for Valerii Rozov
Photo credits: Thomas Sens, Stephan Siegrist