The International Highline Meeting festival seems like one of the most chill festivals we’ve ever heard of, but it also might be one of the most terrifying.
Attendees spend most of their time strung up on tightropes stretched across the Italian Alps in Monte Piana at very high altitudes.
The attendees call themselves “slackers” because of the slacklines they balance themselves on. This extreme sport differs from tightrope walking in that the rope has a slightly flattened shaped and has slack, meaning that it can move side-to-side or bounce.
While some call it a slackline meeting, others consider it a festival since a kitchen, a bar, and musical jam sessions take place.
Reaching the destination can turn out to be part of the adventure. The best way to reach Monte Piana is to fly to Innsbruck, Austria then drive through the scenic mountainous route for about 2.5 hours.
Many attendees carpool and share their tents as well, starting a system of support and encouragement from the get go. After all, what is wrong with hanging out in a hammock mid-air?
Besides the fact that the mountaineering aficionados spend a good part of their days (and nights in sleeping hammocks) on slacklines suspended hundreds of feet above the Italian dolomite Alps offering stunning mountain views, the meeting has all the trappings of a normal f
estival – a kitchen, a bar, and awesome musical jam sessions. The outdoor sport lovers can also attend a Yoga workshop or take tandem paraglider flights.
