GIhG - FAQ
What is The GIHG?
The Great Indian Highline Gathering is a not-for-profit, highline and outdoor gathering organised by volunteers and slackliners from the Slackline India Association, Shivdurga Mitra Lonavala and a group of professional athletes from the International highline communities in Europe and Asia. The GIHG is also a build up to our teams attempt at breaking the Asian Highline Distance Record.
Who is going to be at the GIHG?
We are excited to be hosting a bunch of athletes and world record holders from across the globe like Friedi Kuhne, Lukas Irmler and many more. Besides them you will bump shoulders with the usual suspects from the slackline, highline and flow arts community in India. Stay tuned to our social media for more on this.
How much is the fee to access the highlines?
Although The GIHG is a not-for-profit gathering, there are basic expenses that we need to cover in order to make this event possible. You will be helping us raise funds for this by paying a compulsory fee which gives you access to the highlines on all days. Link: https://www.thegihg.com/gathering
Can anyone try the highlines after paying the access fee?
Due to safety and practical reasons you will only be given access to the highlines that match your skill level. In order to get onto your first highline you must first learn some of the basic highline skills from one of our volunteers on a slackline set over the ground at the camp site.
Is camping free?
YES, this is public land. You are free to camp within the designated camping areas and must follow all of the camping rules outlined by the organisers.
What are the camping rules?
LEAVE NO TRACE.
Feel free to cook at the campsite! There will be designated areas for dumping organic waste but all of your inorganic waste must be stored by you and taken back to the city for appropriate disposal. There will be no toilets, but general areas where you can attend to nature's call, be responsible and clean up after yourself.
Drinking alcohol and smoking is strictly prohibited. The crew may ask you to leave if you are found flouting any of the general rules mentioned above. Thank you for your cooperation.
How do I get to the GIHG Campsite?
The campsite is located near Dukes Nose, Lonavala, Maharashtra, India.
BY FLIGHT
Closest Airports are Pune and Mumbai. From the airport, get to Dukes Nose using a cab, train, or bus and follow the instructions below.
BY TRAIN
It is relatively easy and cheap to book a train ticket from Mumbai or Pune to Lonavala Station. Once you exit the station take a rickshaw to Kurvande Gaon (Kurvande Village) and get off at the start of the walking trail to the campsite here- (https://goo.gl/maps/GSCyR5anyW7cKCj18). Nearby landmarks are “Elegance Hill Resort” and “Bote’s Chai Shop”.
BY BUS
Buses are available from Pune, Mumbai and other major nearby cities. From the bus drop off at Lonavala take a rickshaw to Kurvande Gaon (Kurvande Village) and get off at the start of the walking trail to the campsite here- (https://goo.gl/maps/GSCyR5anyW7cKCj18). Nearby landmarks are “Elegance Hill Resort” and “Bote’s Chai Shop”.
BY CAR/MOTOR BIKE
Start of trail: https://goo.gl/maps/GSCyR5anyW7cKCj18
Get to this location in Lonavala first (https://maps.app.goo.gl/H6p1H6fbG8D4W4917). Then follow on to Kurvande village (https://goo.gl/maps/GSCyR5anyW7cKCj18) by car. Ask around for directions to Kurvande Gaon (village) to confirm your on the right road. Nearby landmarks are “Elegance Hill Resort” and “Bote’s Chai Shop”.
Get off/ask around where to park and start walking towards the camp site (the campsite is near Dukes Nose and NOT ON Dukes Nose), look for trail markers and ask for help if you think you are lost. Motorbikes can use the off-road to get to the campsite.
What should I bring?
Bring all camping essentials such as tent, sleeping bag, torch, eating/drinking utensils, re-usable water bottles, mosquito repellents, basic first aid, toilet paper, poop shovel, warm clothes (about 10*c at night), rain jacket (in the unlikely event of rain), mosquito repellent, cooking gear if you plan to cook and hi-energy snacks. Please don't forget to bring CASH to the campsite to pay for food and water.
How do I get food and water to the campsite?
One of our volunteers will be taking orders for cooked vegetarian food and water and arranging for someone to bring it up everyday from the village, all at a fixed fee. Alternatively you are free to cook for yourself at the campsite or visit the village to bring the supplies up yourself. The village vendors may or may not be able to meet your dietary restrictions such as gluten free/nut free, etc. Please don't forget to bring CASH to the campsite to pay for food and water.
INR 650 for daily food i.e 3 Vegetarian Meals and Evening Tea.
INR 150 for 5 litres of R.O Filtered Water.
Can I set up my own slackline at GIHG?
This is a community run gathering, we encourage you to bring your lines and your madness! Like all things in life, it must be safe, not interfere with anyone else's lines and within the rules of the gathering.
Will there be any workshops at The GIHG?
There are a bunch of workshops planned for al the participants, including highline basics, mouth harp workshops and many more. The schedule will be published on our social media soon.
What is the crowdfunding about?
As you can imagine, organising a gathering and record attempt is not cheap. Currently, all of the expenses are being taken up at an individual level by the organisers and athletes and the crowdfunding initiative is an effort to try and raise money to help cover these expenses.
Click here - to learn more and support our efforts in making this a massive success.
Are there any SNAKES that I need to be aware of?
100% YES! Dukes Nose is home to many venomous snakes. Our groups have had multiple sightings but zero snake bite events in the past. As long as you stay on the trail with your eyes wide open and torch on full brightness at night you should be perfectly fine.
What's happening after the 12th of January?
From the 12th to the 16th of January, the athletes scout for more lines in the area for rigging and sending the asia highline record. This time is dedicated to the record attempt and bolting new lines for future use, we encourage anyone to join us during this time as well but you must have some prior slacklining experience or be accompanied by a "fellow slackliner" and have paid the INR 2,000/- contribution.
What is the Asian Highline Record Attempt?
A slackline greater than 1km has been rigged less than 10 times in the world and the last time it was rigged this long was in Russia (as per ISA Records). We are attempting to break this record and set the new Asia highline Record which will be submitted to ISA for official confirmation.
The location of the exact spot of 1.3km is dependent on a number of factors, a lot of which are out of our control. The location may change based on further reccee and conditions on the ground but is likely to be in the general Lonavla Area.