One thing I will fight tooth and nail on is that a fear of heights isn’t really a phobia, at least in that it’s not an irrational fear. It’s 100% rational.
Maybe that’s just because it’s one that I feel in my bones, but I’m confident that I’m totally justified when I refuse to climb a ladder onto my roof.
Nuts to that.
Also, you’d have to be nuts to try a stunt like this, in my books.
Spencer Sherbrooke is clearly not afraid of heights, even though it would be completely sensible if he were.
While many of us spend our time outdoors doing rational, sane things like walking in a park or maybe riding a bike, he’s climbing mountains and walking along slacklines strung between them.
You could say that he seeks balance in life in a very different way than Thanos.
Too soon?
Sorry. But I regret nothing.
Spencer is also a world record holder when it comes to slacklining.
How does one end up setting a world record like this? By doing something ridiculously dangerous, of course.
Born in the small city of Peterborough, Ontario, Spencer was always into the more extreme sports.
Skateboarding, snowboarding, paintball, and even bridge jumping, Spencer was into it.
Eventually, he moved to Vancouver, BC, where he discovered a love of rock climbing.
But it was a trip to the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival that changed his life.
It was there that he first saw the documentary Sketchy Andy , which followed Andy Lewis as he broke the current free solo world record.
It inspired Spencer to do the same.
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A slackline is basically like a tightrope, but without the stability. Which is saying something.
For his world record, Spencer headed to Squamish, BC and ran a line more than 200 feet long between two points almost 1,000 feet above the valley floor below. No safety gear, no harness, no net below, nothing like that — just Spencer’s sense of balance and a line.
He began training with a line strung low across a park.
And as he gained balance, skill, and confidence, he slowly raised the height of the line. Eventually, he was ready to try for a record.
Of course, with any world record attempt, there was going to be a recording as well.
And Spencer had a friend there with a drone, providing a fascinating yet terrifying view of the whole ordeal. And it was a good thing, because there were definitely some absolutely petrifying moments.
It doesn’t take that long for things to look bad for Spencer.
He’s hardly even away from the start before he has some trouble with his balance. If that doesn’t make your palms sweat, I don’t know what will.
It got bad enough that Spencer did indeed lose his footing — but not his grip, thankfully.
Even after that near-miss, Spencer managed to regain his focus, stand up again and carry on with his attempt.
Looking like he’s floating on air, Spencer continues across the chasm, with its strangely beautiful background.
Whatever internal discussion Spencer must have had after that first wobble and trip around the rope must have worked, because he makes it look pretty easy after that first hiccup.
Spencer absolutely demolishes that whole 200+ feet
And before you know it, he’s all the way across and he’s set the world record. Wow. All the credit to Spencer for his literally towering achievement.
Watch the whole, insane trip below!