Thrill seeker Rafael Zugno Bridi stunned onlookers in December by achieving one of the most hair-raising feats that can be attempted inside – or rather outside of – a hot air balloon.
At an altitude of 6131 feet, Bridi walked along the world’s highest ever tightrope and went straight into the record books. At twice the height of the world’s tallest building, this tightrope was suspended between two hot air balloons above Paria Grande in his native Brazil.
The 34-year-old athlete is an experienced tightrope walker, and he explained to supporters that the stunt took years of preparation, as he recruited the best possible team to support the endeavour, using state-of-the-art equipment and the most up-to-date data about how best to execute this feat.
Bridi explained that he is driven by achieving complex and adrenaline-fuelled challenges. Whilst walking barefoot across the line, his focus was so concentrated that he could not recollect what was going through his head as he achieved the seemingly impossible. He attributed his success to this mixture of planning and good luck with the weather and atmospheric conditions.
The thrill seeker attempted this stunt as he wanted to experience the sensation of floating and freedom that walking through the air in this way would afford. To experience the magic of a hot air balloon adventure with feet firmly inside the basket, consider hot air balloon flights in the skies over Bath, Bristol and other parts of the south west.
