Nik vs. the volcano: How Wallenda is prepping for new stunt
NEW YORK » Intense heat, poisonous gasses, molten lava — the conditions for Nik Wallenda’s latest tightrope walk are downright hellish, and that’s just the way he wants it.
Wallenda will traverse the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua tonight in a stunt that he says will go on, no matter the conditions.
“I’m walking over an active volcano, facing every challenge that Mother Nature can throw at me from the high winds in the area to the heavy gases to, of course, the heat from that volcano, as well as the fact that it is the longest and the highest walk that I’ve ever attempted,” he said.
“Volcano Live with Nik Wallenda” will air as a live two-hour special on ABC beginning at 8 p.m.
Wallenda, whose most recent tightrope walk involved crossing Times Square on a 1,300-foot cable, has long dreamed of crossing an active volcano. Masaya, a caldera with an active lava lake 1,800 feet below where Wallenda will cross, met all his criteria.
During an interview in January, Wallenda described the challenges, or perks, of crossing Masaya.
“Best is not what one would think,” he said. “One would think best for a wire walker has to do with no winds, has to do with no gasses. For me, that all adds drama and excitement. I’m looking for that, but also the right distance. Again, this is the longest and highest I’ve ever done. That’s one of the reasons why I really liked this particular volcano, as well as the fact that it has an active lava lake down below.”
The conditions make it impossible to erect the tightrope in advance.
“The cables can’t go up early because the sulfuric gasses in the air will actually eat through the cable to the point where it will actually crumble,” Wallenda said. “We can’t put it up in advance. It’s got to be put up very short window prior to the actual walk.”