Big Alpine Highline is the First in the Bugaboos

On June 7, Drew Leiterman and Travis Foster established a new high line on Crescent Towers in the Bugaboos. “This is the first in the Bugaboos and second alpine highline in Canada,” said Leiterman. There are no power drills allowed in the Bugaboos to install bolts, so Leiterman and Foster relied on advanced rigging techniques to avoid using permanent bolts.

Highlining is slacklining high above the ground or water. Many climbers consider it the pinnacle of the sport. Highlining has been around for a number of years and some would argue that it is a combination of tightrope walking and slacklining. Foster and Leiterman’s Bugaboo highline walk is a big step in Canadian highlining. While Bugaboo Spire has been photographed countless times, this is the first it is the backdrop for a highline photo.

In 2014, SlackLifeBC rigged a highline on Sky Pilot Mountain, which is a 2,031-metre peak on the West Coast. It was the first documented alpine highline in Canada. Watch the walk below.