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Slackline walkers cross 2.1km long line to set new record

The U-shaped valley of Lapporten where the world record was set.
The U-shaped valley of Lapporten where the world record was set.

Four German slackline walkers have crossed a 2.1kilometre long (1.3mile) line in Lapporten, a U-shaped valley in Swedish Lapland, at a height of 600 metres, setting a new record that may prove difficult to beat.

The new world record stands at 2,130metres (1.32miles) and was set on Saturday, July 3.

The highliners were wearing watches with GPS trackers to measure and verify the distance walked between the two anchors.

Highlining is a team sport and a world record is shared among those taking part in a particular project - including those rigging the rope.

Quirin Herterich was first out and made it across the line without falling and he was followed by his compatriots Lukas Irmler, Ruben Langer and Friedi Kuehne.

At this time of the year, around midsummer, the sun doesn't set, giving the highliners plenty of time to try for the record.

Others on the team also tried to break the record and failed but others just wanted to test to walk on the line.

It took the team two days of hard work to rig the line - always mindful of the weather.

"This is hard because it's really exposed, it's 600metres high, it's 2,150metres (long) and it's really windy here sometimes. So, and just getting everyone here is really far out to get it all organised has been a major challenge," said project manager David Sjostrom.

They set up camps on the two mountain tops and pulled a line across by walking down from one side and flying down a rope with a drone from the other side because it was too steep to descend by foot.

The ropes were then tied together, tightened and then used to pull the proper highline webbing which is the line they actually walk on.

Lapporten - or The Lapponian Gate - is located just outside Abisko National Park, inside the Arctic Circle and is a popular hiking destination.