Top UK slackliner John Ritson launched the 2008 Fort William Mountain Festival progreamme in style by slackliner across the roaring Water of Nevis at the Lower Falls, Glen Nevis today, Dec 4th 2007. Slacklining is similiar to tightrope walking but the rope is dynamic or slack, not taut. This makes balancing much harder but because there is bounce in the rope means all kinds of hair raising tricks can be done. Watch the video to get some idea of who skilful it really is. It was a pretty driech December day up here too - pretty windy and rainy but this didn't put John off.

The 2008 Festival looks to be as dramatic as John's tricks today - with a great line up of lectures, workshops and exhibitions taking place from the 15-23 Feb 2008. Top climber Dave MacLeod will be leading the final evening on the 23 Feb 08: an evening debating the ethics of mountaineering on Everest. He will be joined by Kenton Cool (who has summited Everest more than anyone else in the UK) , and Matt Dickinson a mountaineer and filmaker who was on Everest during the fateful 1996 season. For more info on the festival go to http://www.mountainfestival.co.uk/ or to the Outdoor Capital website news sections

posted by ocuk @ 1:56 PM