For the first time in the world, Estonian slackliner Jaan Roose managed to cross the sling between two peaks of the famous Boszhyra tract. At a height of more than 200 meters, the athlete covered a half kilometer long stretch in extreme conditions. The dazzling snow-white cliffs on the Mangyshlak Peninsula have become a perfect place for the extreme journey. In order to create video content that shows the location in a new way, the crew spent five days in the tract.
The greatest creation of the Ustyurt plateau’s natural forces – the Boszhyra tract – is located in the west of the country in the Mangystau region. Each year, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the place, which absolutely enchants with its incredible beauty. However, no one in the world has ever dared to conquer the snow-white Boszhyra tract until today.
“We had a look at the place, and it was just cool, everybody’s eyes were all lit up. We were planning and preparing for a long, long time. It’s the first time I’ve seen it’s done this long, it’s hard to set everything there. We had to get straight to the top, the point where people haven’t been millions of years. This is the first time we’ve been up there. It’s a 500-meter highline, a place where people have never stood. There were only marine animals million years ago, their fossils are still visible. You could say we were walking on top, but at the same time it seemed like the bottom of the ancient ocean,” the slackliner shared.
Jaan Roose is a three-time world champion, who has set numerous world records. He has conquered many famous peaks so far. Nevertheless, severe climate of the Mangystau region and challenging conditions the athletes had to face tested the strength, endurance and patience of the whole team.
“From the very beginning, not everything was going the way we planned. In fact, each movement took much more time and attempts. To install the sling, we had flashlights at night, seeing nothing. There was a strong wind, all these moments were tough, we didn’t know until the end, if we could set it. I’m glad I crossed all those 500 meters and everything remained in the same way as it was before we came here,” Roose added.
The team took an eco-friendly approach to equipment placement. They attached the sling on one side of the tract using nets full of stones. The top of the other peak was wrapped with a rope so that they could attach the sling to it. The filming took place in 50-degree scorching heat and strongest winds.
“The reason why the video was shot in June and released only now is another story. It shows the film process with a slogan: “No stones were harmed during the filming”. We liked it very much and I think all people in Kazakhstan would love it. It’s like a reference showing how carefully you need to treat nature,” said Talgat Amanbayev, Chairperson of the ‘Kazakh Tourism’ National Company.
The Boszhyra tract is one of the most visited places in the Mangystau region. And the region itself is ranked among the TOP-10 promising tourist zones of Kazakhstan. Over the past two years, more than half a million people have visited the region.
