Crossing A Frozen Waterfall on a Slackline In Your Socks

In a display of skill and balance, Estonian athlete Jaan Roose, who nabbed a world record by crossing the world’s longest single building highline in Qatar last year, achieved another remarkable unique feat, rigging a highline across the Valaste waterfall, Estonia’s tallest cascade, before sliding, in his socks, across the frozen falls.

This undertaking marked a first-of-its-kind endeavour, accomplished amid the stark and freezing conditions of Estonia’s winter landscape.

The Valaste waterfall is situated in the village of the same name within Toila municipality in Ida-Viru county. It boasts a drop of approximately 30 meters, making it the tallest waterfall in the Baltic region. Roose’s route took him along a highline set at a height of 50 metres above the ground, with Roose reaching speeds up to 22 km/h.

The highline was set at 50 meters above the ground, where Roose reached speeds of up to 22 km/h. Roose had prepared for the cold by putting on five layers of socks, anticipating the wear from each slide. The conditions Roose faced were extraordinary: a sharp 13-degree angle of the line, slippery surfaces, and chilling temperatures.

“It’s not just walking slowly on a slackline, but instead sliding, where the force of friction also plays a role. You must slide well there, because if I get stuck, I fall and slide against the post,” said Roose.

The feat is the latest in Roose’s series of record-breaking slackline achievements, including  traversing a 500-metre highline in Kazakhstan, set 200 metres above ground in challenging weather conditions. That same year saw him balance across the Maas river in Rotterdam on a line merely two centimetres wide and make a 625-meter traverse between buildings, completed in 49 minutes.  Adding to his list of records, last year Roose set the African record for the longest slackline, completing a 580-meter stretch between two rock formations.