NIK WALLENDA has completed two death-defying high-wire walks between skyscrapers at an intense incline, and then with a blindfold on a cable suspended more than 152 meters over the Chicago River.

    The footage, aired live on the Discovery Channel, ran on a 10-second delay so producers could cut away if he fell to his death. He had neither a net nor a harness as he completed the feat — and had said his only backup plan was to attempt to kneel and cling to the wire with his feet.

    He finished the first portion of the stunt in six minutes, 52 seconds, and made the second, blindfolded walk in just one minute, 17 seconds.

    The first wire was suspended more than 152 meters above the Chicago River at a 19-degree incline.

    The Windy City earned its name, with gusts of around 39 kmph during the attempt, and temperatures as low as 4 degrees Celsius with wind chill.

    After his success he said there was “no time for fear to enter into your mind” during the walks. He broke two Guinness world records in the process — for the highest inclined tightrope walk, and the highest blindfolded walk.

    Wallenda, a member of the Flying Wallenda tightrope-walking family, has success in his blood — but also failure. His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda fell to his death in a tightrope-walking stunt in Puerto Rico, aged 73.

    Wallenda spoke of his concerns over walking blindfolded — a new twist for him in an already-perilous challenge.

    He said: “The blindfold is a whole other dilemma. It is taking away the most important sense a wire-walker could have. It’s losing that sense and still carrying on with what I’ve done for my entire life.”

    (SD-Agencies)