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Tightroping it - slowly...
by matthew wittmer

Last updated July 13, 2010



Practicing at dusk. June 22, 2010.




Content links for this page:

Walk photos:............................................................................Photos of a few walks.
Videos of rope walking.........................................Embedded videos on this webpage.
How I set up a tightrope:..............................................Photos and brief instructions.
Using balance poles..............................................................................A few photos.
Making tightrope simulators.......................................Some photos and descriptions.
The Griphoist T-35..Photos of the tensioning come-along device Philippe Petit used.
References...Resources I've consulted and links to all my videos posted on youtube.




The documentary MAN ON WIRE about Philippe Petit's high wire walk between the World Trade Center towers on a 3/4 inch diameter cable in 1974 inspired me to begin learning more about the art of tight rope walking. Learning how to tight rope walk has taken me into the world of knots, ropes, cable, tensioning, rigging, balance, and the rather cloistered history of high wire walking.







Some tightrope walk photos




Walking at 7' 2" high.  June 14, 2010.










At 6' 11" high. March 2010.










Taking photos of my shadow while walking.
February 2010.










View from a walk when I took photos
on a rope that was 7' 2" high.
April 2010.







Walking my steel cable. July 12, 2010.







With high wire artist Philippe Petit on June 29, 2010
at the Hammer Museum at UCLA. Philippe happily answered
some of my questions about types of materials and tools for
high wire work. Photo by Bernard Rodriguez.





Videos of rope walking
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Below are some embedded videos of my tightrope walks I post on youtube. I try to keep a variety of videos embedded on this site that evidence different camera vantage points, duration of walks, and different riggings.  Links to all my videos are included in the references section of this page.








June 22, 2010
Click above to see a walk at sunset.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video
for higher resolution and watching full screen)
Music by m.wittmer.









June 6, 2010
Click above to see an opposite side view from where I normally video.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video
for higher resolution and watching full screen)
Music by m.wittmer.










May 1, 2010
Click above to see my first sit & stand on the rope at 7' 2" high.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video
for higher resolution and watching full screen)
Music by m.wittmer.








April 24, 2010
Click above to see my first 7' 2" high walk - lots of dogs and onlookers.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video
for higher resolution and watching full screen)
Music by m.wittmer.









April 16, 2010
Click above to see a closer shot of a 6' 11" high walk.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video
for higher resolution and watching full screen)
Music by m.wittmer.










How I set up a tightrope w/o a hoist
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The following photos have been pieced together below from various sessions to illustrate the general process I used between September 2009 and June 2010 to set up the rope I walk on. This has now changed as of July 2010, as I've moved to stronger multiline rope and steel cable that I use a Tifor T-35 hoist to tension.  Below is the first process and as I develop with the newer materials, you'll see more photos of that process.


First, I pad the trees with towels that I've sewn doubled over twice to protect the
rope and the trees.  Next, I string static climbing rope through the steel thimbled end of
the 3/4" diameter manila rope, that is tied off with three steel cable clips.



Here you can see the cable clips, the steel thimble inside the rope, the
towel padding, and the 10mm diameter static climbing rope.  January 2010.




I use a flemish bend to secure the ends of the
static climbing rope that circles the tree 3 times.
February 2010.




Next, I extend the walking rope between the two anchor trees.  The walk rope has a thimble eye on each end and is slightly shorter than the distance between the trees.  I use static climbing rope to zig zag through four carabiners to then pull the rope as tight as I can manage.





As picured above, a 62-foot climbing rope has passed through
three of the four carabiners used to remove slack.  June 2010.








Here you can see the tied portion of the rope used for tensioning. Two of the carabiners
are clipped to the rope circling the tree and two are clipped through the thimbled end of the
walk rope. You can see one of the three wire clips just past the thimble on the right.  
April 2010.









Next, a set of bolted 2 x 4s as pictured above (anchored at the
base with wire), will be raised to hoist the rope up about ten
to twenty feet from each anchor tree, further tensioning the
rope for tightness.  January 2010.









Pushing up one set of wooden supports (with a towel in the crevice)
to gain height and further tension.  On harder ground, I stake behind
the wood to prevent the boards from scooting.  June 2010.









I now am using a Griphoist to tighten my walk ropes.  For this, I
use 5000lb chain around the trees (I'm prepping for steel cable)
then can slowly tighten and raise the supports at the same time.
July 2010.






Here's the final rope tension.  I'm now using multiline rope and steel cable
which suits my 3.5 ton capacity hoist.  Will post pics when I have time.
July 2010.







Here's a set up with both wooden supports raised.  
This is a 7' 2" high, 60' long set up.  April 2010.










March 8, 2010
Click above to see scanning profile shots of two set ups rigged
simultaneously, each about 60' in length, one 4' 5" high, the other 6' 8" high.
(I recommend clicking the "480p" button beneath the video for higher resolution)
Music by m.wittmer












A 58-foot, 6.11-foot high, 28-foot midspan setup.  March 2010.








 A 7' 2" high set up.  April 2010.








Rope view from 6.5-feet high.  February 2010.









Close up of the top point with new dowels to secure the
balance bar for placement during walks.  June 2010.





My first steel cable, freshly degreased. July 2010.


Using balancing poles
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My balance bar consists of PVC, conduit, and an inner center
steel tube.  March 2010.






My balance bar construction.  March 2010.





End of the bar where you can see the conduit interior.  March 2010.




One of two joints in the PVC secured by white duct tape.  March 2010.







Walking with the bar in May 2010.






Making tightrope simulators
(for indoor practice)
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In October 2009 I mounted a pipe on top of a wooden
platform for simulated rope walking. The pipe is 11/16" in
diameter. This simulator enables instantaneous
practice for balance and helps condition the
soles of my feet.








Walking on the practice pipe. This
contraption saves me time from setting
up a rope outside and provides more
instantaneous practice for the rope sessions.
October 2009.










I also created a smaller tight rope simulator that disassembles
as pictured above for easy transport.  November 2009.





The smaller tight rope simulator assembled. Its base board
is narrower than my large one but the pipe is the same diameter.
November 2009.










The Griphoist T-35
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This is my Griphoist T-35!  It is the same model Philippe
Petit used to tension his cable for his World Trace Center
and Sydney Harbor Bridge crossings.

While this model is obsolete, I found a used one in
December 2009.  A special cable for the hoist is cranked 
through the unit by levering the large handle back and forth.

This model can apply 3 tons of tension to a walk cable!






This is the front, where the special cable, made
for the unit, enters the housing.
 
Cable exits out the reverse side, just under the
heavy bolt used to secure the unit.






The cable specially made for use in the Griphoist.
It has to withstand the clenching force of the hoist
that is equal to the amount of resistance
being pulled.







Using the hoist to tighten rope.  July 2010.




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