Estonian slackliner crosses Warsaw skyline on 2cm rope

Estonian slackliner Jaan Roose has completed a daring 500-meter crossing on a 2-centimeter-wide tightrope suspended 180 meters above Warsaw. The feat connected the iconic Palace of Culture and Science with the Varso Tower, Europe's second-tallest building.

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I was afraid of weather changes. Reaching the finish line, I thought I didn't have much time left. I had to lengthen my stride.

Roose navigated the challenging span in approximately 30 minutes, battling windy conditions that tested his balance and resolve. "I was afraid of weather changes. Reaching the finish line, I thought I didn't have much time left. I had to lengthen my stride," Roose recounted after the event.

The high-altitude performance demanded intense mental fortitude. "Sometimes at this height, I couldn't breathe," he admitted, explaining the need to consciously calm his body. "Now the emotions are subsiding. I feel great, standing on two feet again, not on a rope suspended over the city."

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Sometimes at this height, I couldn't breathe. I had to remind myself to calm my body.

Preparation for such extreme challenges involves a constant, cool calculation of risk. "Thanks to the fact that I feel fear, I immediately calculate how to do it safely, how to attach myself properly and secure myself so that nothing falls," Roose explained. "Then the brain starts working at full speed. There's no thinking like: 'Okay, let's go, it'll be fine.' It's constant, cool risk calculation. This allows us to act fully professionally."

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Thanks to the fact that I feel fear, I immediately calculate how to do it safely, how to attach myself properly and secure myself so that nothing falls. Then the brain starts working at full speed.

Maintaining balance requires unwavering focus on the horizon, often looking 50 to 100 meters ahead or even at the rope's end to gauge wind effects. While looking down is possible, Roose compares it to observing the ground while cycling. He stressed the importance of not letting city noises or other distractions break his concentration during the high-wire act.

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The best way to maintain balance is to look constantly at the horizon. Usually, I observe the rope 50-100 meters ahead of me, and sometimes even its end.