Two of the men who participated in an extreme sport known as highlining over Ortega Falls in the mountains above Lake Elsinore recently may have worried National Forest officials, but they defended the activity and said the concern was unnecessary.

“I would say it’s probably the least dangerous extreme sport and it looks far more dangerous than it actually is,” said Chris Hutchinson, 29, of Marina Del Rey. “There are several backup precautions that are put in place and everyone is conscious that there are several little details that need to be checked.”

On Sunday, he was among a group of highliners who strung thin, springy bands up to 220 feet long between some of the rocks above the falls and, balancing carefully and attached to a safety harness just in case, walked through the air about 65 feet above the ground.

Several people involved posted photos and videos on social media. The next day, when the images were brought to the attention of a spokeswoman for the Cleveland National Forest, which encompasses the waterfall, she called the activity unsafe and the roping system illegal.

But after discussions with a highlining group Tuesday, spokewoman Olivia Walker said forest officials are now open to the possibility of allowing people to highline in the forest if they are permit-approved.

“We’ll hopefully find a way to do this going forward where everyone can be happy,” she said.

Another of Sunday’s highliners, Jon Lindquist, 31, of Lake Forest, said that what surprised him was the Cleveland National Forest officials’ initial negative reaction.

Lindquist said he has been going to Ortega Falls area to highline for years, and in general, the rangers have been aware of it and OK with it.

“I don’t understand why now, after me going there for the last seven years and doing this, that it’s drawn so much tension and painted us in such a terrible light,” he said.

Lindquist said that on Sunday, he was even greeted by two rangers who took no issue with what he and his friends were doing.

Walker said the issue doesn’t lie so much with the sport itself, but with the fact that the highlining wasn’t properly vetted.

She said the highliners should have applied for a special-use permit so the park could have verified a variety of criteria, such as whether the hikers were insured, whether the activity was taking place in a safe area and whether it could negatively affect the recreational activity of others.

As for Lindquist’s claim that rangers were aware of the activity, Walker demured.

“I can’t speak to how they did this before but I will say that there is a way to do things and it wasn’t being done the correct way,” she said.

Other parks like Joshua Tree National Park are very familiar with the sport and allow it.

“It is something that is permitted in the park,” spokesman George Land said. “It’s usually only engaged in by people who are highly technical and very good at what they do. I’ve watched these guys go back and forth 70 feet in the air and there wasn’t a single slip by any of them.”

Hutchinson noted that if someone were to fall, the safety harness attached to a strong and well-supported line would ultimately keep the person safe.

“You do get a little bit of a whip from the non-stretchy leash but it’s really a pretty minimal jolt to the body,” he said.

In Joshua Tree, Land said, permits aren’t required but certain rules need to be followed. People can only establish lines between rock structures, not the park’s signature trees or any type of infrastructure. They can use established bolts but can’t put new ones into rocks.

But most of all, park officials try to impress a similar to message to all visitors engaging in strenuous activities, from hiking to rock climbing to highlining, Land said.

“Know your limitations, be safe, and enjoy your visit,” he said.