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Nik Wallenda will be performing his most daunting stunt yet as the daredevil high-wire artist plans to walk on a one-inch thick steel cable over an active volcano during tonight’s Volcano Live! With Nik Wallenda special on ABC. The volcano walk will be the highest and longest stunt Wallenda has ever attempted in his career, as he walks 2,000 feet up and 1,800 feet across the active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
The ABC description of the special event reads, “Watch Volcano Live! with Nik Wallenda TONIGHT 8/7c on ABC! Chris Harrison, host of ABC’s hit The Bachelor franchise will trade roses for adrenaline as the official host of Volcano Live! with Nik Wallenda, along with television personality and ESPN anchor Sage Steele, who will serve as co-host. The pair will hit the Pacific Ring of Fire live from the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua as Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to embark on a 1,800-foot-long highwire walk over the famed volcano … This will mark Nik’s longest and highest highwire walk ever attempted.”
Continue reading for details on Wallenda’s daring volcanic stunt, which airs tonight, March 4, 2020 at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST:
Wallenda Trained With an Additional 13-Pound Oxygen Mask to Prepare for the Noxious Gases Released by the Volcano
To prepare himself for the noxious gases released by Masaya’s volcanic depths, Wallenda trained with an oxygen mask, which required the funambulist to carry an additional 13 pounds of equipment on top of the 40-pound balancing pole he already carries, according to USA Today.
“It’s a big deal because it adds more bulk,” said Wallenda. “Actually, my back has been in more pain than it’s ever been before, because it’s pulling me back. So I’ve added more stress and more bulk, meaning that if there are any winds, I’m less aerodynamic.”
Wallenda has a second filter mask he can use during the walk, depending on the type of gases released from the volcano at the time of his stunt. He will also wear goggles to protect his eyes from the sulfurous volcanic mists, USA Today reports.
He Practiced on a Vaseline-Slicked Cable in His Backyard to Prepare
The 41-year-old daredevil told USA Today that the volcano was emitting some sort of gas that was causing the wire to become slick with a black substance, so Wallenda had to take extra precautions in order to train himself properly for the walk.
“We’ve had issues with some chemical that was appearing on the wire that appeared to be greasy or oily,” Wallenda told the publication. “My dad called me the day he got there and said the rigging team put a metal clip out over the middle of the volcano with a rope, and when they pulled it in, it had some sort of strange substance on it, it’s slick.”
The high-wire artist practiced on a Vaseline-coated cable in his backyard to prepare himself for the slippery conditions caused by the volcano. Wallenda added, “It was uneasy, but I could do it,” he said. “I thought, well, if I could walk on Vaseline, I’m sure I can walk on what I’m gonna face there.”
Tune in Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST to catch Volcano Live! With Nik Wallenda on ABC. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out this author’s profile for all of your reality TV coverage and entertainment news!
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