On July 24, 2016, Swiss high-altitude mountaineering expert and MAMMUT Pro Team athlete, Stephan Siegrist, performed an exceptional balancing act in the summit region of Mount Kilimanjaro. He successfully walked across a slackline set at an altitude of 5,700 meters, establishing a new world record.
The team supporting Siegrist’s Kilimanjaro highline challenge was extremely “lean,” consisting only of photographer and producer Thomas Senf and a few local porters. It was actually Thomas who discovered the opportunity for a high-altitude slacklining adventure on Mount Kilimanjaro. Prior to Siegrist’s official attempt, figuring out how to secure both ends of the slackline on the volcanic rocks of Kilimanjaro, and assessing rock stability to serve as anchor points, was itself a technically challenging task requiring excellent judgment.
As weather conditions shifted and the schedule grew tighter, pressure mounted for everyone involved — even the slightest safety mistake would have meant starting from scratch. The strong winds at the summit had been anticipated, but unexpected snowfall on Kilimanjaro added further unpredictability, making the conditions far from ideal for the challenge. Yet, in a brief window of sunshine that afternoon, the team pulled together to set a brand-new world record.
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Mammut is one of the most important and successful brands in climbing, mountaineering, trail running, and outdoor gear. Its products have become a benchmark for quality and innovation in the outdoor industry and a trendsetter for development. Mammut represents an exceptional level of safety and has now become a comprehensive equipment provider for nearly all mountaineering activities, including climbing, alpine climbing, freeride skiing, trail running, and hiking. In 2012, Mammut celebrated its remarkable 150th anniversary. In February 2013, Mammut established a wholly-owned subsidiary in China. The company offers a wide range of products, including base layers, mid-layers, outerwear designed to withstand various harsh weather conditions, mountaineering boots, alpine boots compatible with crampons, sleeping bags, backpacks, climbing ropes, carabiners, harnesses, as well as headlamps, avalanche safety gear, and more.