No Harness, 300 Feet High: French Tightrope Walker's Jaw-Dropping 400-Metre Crossing (WATCH)

Published : Sep 21, 2026, 09:49 PM ISTUpdated : Sep 21, 2026, 09:56 PM IST

French tightrope walker Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga stunned over 9,000 spectators after crossing a 400-metre wire stretched between two of Europe's tallest slag heaps in France. She walked without a safety harness, around 300 feet above the ground.

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Tightrope walker Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga crosses 300 feet above ground

French tightrope walker Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga left thousands of spectators holding their breath as she walked across a wire more than 300 feet above the ground, without a safety harness.

Bongonga completed the remarkable crossing on September 20 in Loos-en-Gohelle, northern France, drawing more than 9,000 spectators to watch the daring performance.

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400-metre wire links Europe's tallest slag heaps

The tightrope walker crossed a 400-metre-long wire connecting two of Europe’s tallest slag heaps.

The wire was stretched at a height of around 186 metres between the two towering heaps, with the crossing taking place high above the ground.

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Crossed 400-metre-long wire without harness

Bongonga made the entire journey without a harness. She carefully placed one foot in front of the other while maintaining her balance on the narrow wire.

At several points, she also performed acrobatic moves, adding an extra element of drama to an already nerve-racking feat.

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Huge crowd watches daring crossing

More than 9,000 people gathered to watch Bongonga attempt the crossing. Spectators followed her progress as she slowly made her way from one slag heap to the other.

The event was also accompanied by live music. Musicians and a choir performed Pierre Bachelet’s popular song Les Corons as Bongonga crossed the wire.

The song has a strong connection to France’s former mining regions, making it a fitting soundtrack for the spectacle staged among the giant slag heaps.

After reaching the second heap safely, Bongonga was greeted by loud applause from the crowd and presented with a bouquet.

The extraordinary performance turned the historic industrial landscape of Loos-en-Gohelle into the setting for a breathtaking high-wire spectacle.

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Who is Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga?

Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga is a French professional tightrope walker, teacher and co-founder of the contemporary circus company Basinga. Passionate about tightrope walking since childhood, she trained at Montpellier’s Balthazar school and graduated with honours from France's National Centre for Circus Arts (CNAC) in 2007.

She has worked with companies including Les Colporteurs and BurenCirque and won the gold medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in 2012. In 2018, she crossed above Paris from Montmartre towards Sacré-Cœur on a wire 35 metres above the ground.

Her latest feat, walking untethered across a 400-metre-long wire strung between two of Europe’s tallest slag heaps in Loos-en-Gohelle, France, has captured widespread attention.

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