 Even though Slater only had 15 minutes of slacklining practice at the ground level, he was the first in the group to attempt to walk the line.Slater excelled at all types of climbing, having ascended the 3000' ice route "Slipstream" in the Canadian Rockies as well as K2 without bottled oxygen.Slater perished in a storm on the descent from K2 along with 5 other climbers, including his team member, noted English climber Alison Hargreaves.