Highline record at 17,000ft
A balancing act between hot air balloons 15,400 ft above ground.
November 22, 2025, somewhere above Catalonia. Two hot air balloons, one slackline – and a day that already feels different from any other on the ground.
My name is Alexander Schulz. I am a slackliner and highline athlete. This morning, we want to set a new world record: the highest slackline above ground ever walked – stretched between two hot air balloons at 5000 meters above sea level.
The ascent
We climb. 1000 meters. 2000 meters. 3000 meters.
The beeping of the altimeter sounds like a strange pulse in the background. A few small clouds deep below me, the sea glistening in the distance – above us, the ever-deepening blue of the Catalan sky.
I take a breath from the oxygen mask. I feel cold air filling my lungs. The ride lasts fifty minutes before I can attempt the world altitude record on the slackline. I already realize that up here, every breath and every movement counts.
4700 meters or 15,400 feet above ground
When the instrument shows 5100 meters above sea level, it becomes quiet. The two hot air balloons hang like two tiny islands in the sky, 4700 meters above the Catalan ground. Below us: nothing that resembles “ground.” Only depth and the vastness of the sky.
I take off the oxygen mask. The air feels thin. My heart immediately starts beating faster. Up onto the line.
At that moment, I feel how different everything is. The turning of the balloons around each other confuses my visual balance; the parachute on my back pulls me down; the baskets are already wobbling as I only sit on the line. I put my foot on the 2.5-centimeter-wide band and stand up with tense muscles. Immediately, the slackline begins to swing more strongly. After only two wobbly steps, I lose my balance. A second attempt ends similarly. I feel the lack of oxygen and my leg muscles burn with tension. There is not much time left because it is exhausting for the pilots to maintain their altitude for over an hour already. I start to doubt whether I will be able to walk this highline. I breathe in and out deeply with my eyes closed, trying to let go of all unnecessary tension, not only muscular, but also all distracting thoughts and fears. Finally, I accept the possibility that I might not make it this time...
The last attempt
The balloons are calmer than ever. So am I now. Dan, Niklas, Johannes, and everyone else say nothing; I realize they believe in me.
The first step. A quick and tense balancing movement.
The second step. Already more confident.
The third. My breath remains short, my muscles tense, but I realize that I am “in the zone.”
All that exists is my consciousness in the here and now, my breath, and this narrow bridge between the balloons.
Step by step, meter by meter. The end is within reach. I see the basket, see Niklas and Johannes leaning forward. One last step. I grab the edge. Two hands pull me in.
What remains of a world record at an altitude of 17,000 feet?
Niklas and Johannes hug me, just as relieved and joyful as I am. We know that the world's highest slackline between two hot air balloons was a team success. The tension of the past months—training, planning, waiting for the right weather—falls away in an instant. This moment belongs to us together.
Then three people jump out of the basket at the same time: Dan and Javi as a tandem and Niklas films the whole thing while floating next to them in free fall.
On the peaceful descent, I feel a mixture of euphoria and gratitude and reflect on this challenging, intense and, in retrospect, surreal run.
The slackline is truly a mirror of ourselves and of life. No matter where in life we lose our inner balance, it often helps immensely to accept our experienced reality and feelings as they are in order to let go of associated fears and other stress factors and to be able to move forward more fearlessly and freely. I am extremely happy that I am increasingly able to do this in everyday situations and grateful to have gained the inspiration for it from our One Inch Dream projects.
Enjoy a small verse written by me (without help of AI!):
Balance takes practice & focus,
but to regain it,
you also gotta let go.
Acknowledgements
This record is part of Dan Rahim’s “7 Wonders” series for Artlist, and the episode about this stunt will soon go live on his YouTube channel.
Once again, we could rely on the experienced balloon pilots Angel and Miguel from Globus Kontiki.
Thank you, Johannes and Niklas, for believing and placing your trust in me.
Last but not least, I’d like to pay tribute to the “Flying Frenchies” who have inspired the world with the first ever slackline walk between hot air balloons. Rest in peace, Tancrete Melet.
Line Facts:
Length: 15 meters
Height above ground: 4700 meters / 15,400 ft (record height)
Sea level: 5105 meters / 17,000ft
Date of walk: November 22, 2025
Athlete: Alexander Schulz
Safety: Tethered, monkey fist knot & parachute (the latter as a backup of last resort in case of a balloon crash)
