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Adventures Collection /advancedadventures
Reduced to the essentials when doing vol-biv. Sleeping in a rolled up paraglider.
Get inspired
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Get inspired
/advancedadventures
We are very pleased to send you the second /advancedadventures collection. Thanks to the support of adventurous pilots and athletes we have once again been able to put together an exciting mix of flying adventure stories from around the globe. In a fast-moving era, where information is almost exclusively consumed digitally and the experience shared mainly by means of ephemeral social media channels, there’s a need, more than ever, for interesting stories with beautiful pictures to be recorded and read in a high quality magazine. Response from the first edition has been exceptional, and has revealed that the ‘easy’ adventures of recreational pilots have attracted just as much interest as those of extreme projects. We wanted to take this into account, and have raised the proportion of these ‘everyman’ stories accordingly. The best adventures sometimes begin at your own front door. It is again our hope that the enthralling and unique /advancedadventures stories in this magazine will provide inspiration and encouragement for your own projects and micro-adventures. Don’t forget to record and share these personal experiences with #advancedadventures. The next issue will appear as soon as we have put together another collection of versatile exploits. Will your own story be included? It could be.
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Adventures around the World 7
Dance on the volcano First ever flight from Nevado del Ruiz
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Vol-biv with the wind
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Contents
Setting off from the front door – just on foot with glider
19
From the top of the Alps
63
Mont Blanc – the highest takeoff
25
Flat Challenge A perfect day in Poland
28 Westwards The Journey is the Adventure
35
In Alpinists‘ Heaven Vol-biv loop through the heart of the Karakoram
43
Road trip to Mongolia On and above the road through central Asia
49
Himalayan Tandem Adventure is sometimes different
57 Magikistan Vol-biv voyage through Tajikistan
60
Fly a Bike An adventurous stunt
63
Flying the midnight sun A sub-polar survival trip through Alaska
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28 10
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Contents
19 60
25 57 43
35 49
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Dance on the volcano
Key Visual mit Weite. Wirkt das auch im Hochformat gut?
This mountaineering principle is essential for hike and fly in high mountains: The chance of success is greatest when you make an early start.
#hikeandfly #volcano #colombia
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Dance on the volcano
Dance on the volcano First ever flight from Nevado del Ruiz
A 5,300m volcano in the middle of Colombia, alert level yellow, and three pilots who were attracted to this inaccessible place. Michael Witschi, Tobias Dimmler and Ivan Ripoll made the flight from Nevado del Ruiz. But the journey to the successful landing had been a long one. And the Park Rangers mustn‘t to know about it. Michael Witschi reports ...
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Dance on the volcano 8
The furrowed flanks of the Nevado del Ruiz are reminiscent of the moon’s surface.
After my two 2017 hike and fly adventures on Farallones de Cali and Citlaltépetl I fancied some more flying in Colombia. The possibilities looked good at first because there were eight mountains over 5,000 metres waiting in this country. Tobias and Ivan also wanted to come along, but the obstacles turned out to be as large as the choice. One by one the flying options vanished into thin air. For some the locals would have none of it, at others there might be strong volcanic activity, and everywhere else the authorities banned it. Eventually one option remained: the Nevado del Ruiz at 5,200m. It’s a volcano at the yellow ‘fairly imminent’ danger level.
Alert State YELLOW All other plans frustrated we decided, logically, to try the Nevado del Ruiz. We booked a hotel in Termales del Ruiz at 3,500m, and soon the project started. I met Tobi and Ivan at La Nubia airport, Manizales a place exactly between Medellín, Bogotá and Cali. A short rental car drive brought us to the hotel and we then made our way to the national park. There the park rangers told
us about the park and how we should conduct ourselves when in it. We should only travel in convoy so that a possible evacuation could be carried out quickly. Unfortunately we were given some extra restrictions. The volcano can be dangerous at any time. Certainly we were free to move around, but only up to 4,000m height. We left the park disappointed.
Like a moonscape The road led north, over the flanks and through the valleys of the volcano, each very different in character – the first lavishly green, the second like a moonscape, smelling unpleasantly of sulphur. We stopped and played with our gliders in the wind. After that we returned to the hotel, did some research on what ‘yellow alert‘ actually meant and concluded that the risk to us was relatively small. So we decided to climb the Nevado del Ruiz from the north – the next day.
Unexpected obstacles We set off at 7.30 am. We were especially observant, because we didn’t want to encounter a park ranger. The view was breathtaking. We climbed up to the first
snow at 4,950m, but there we got our first reality check. It was not possible to glide down from here with our light 16 sq. metre gliders because the air density is too low and the crosswind was too strong. So we turned round and went back. A bit later we found ourselves completely in cloud. In zero visibility we trudged through this lunar desert of lava, dust and sand. There was one good thing: we could see every footprint and so had a reference of our own track direction. Our decision: we would try it again tomorrow – two hours earlier.
Thunder rumbles in the distance We set off at 5 am next morning. We could hear thunder rolling in the distance and see the lightning, while a full moon shone overhead. Today the wind came from the west; we could see this from the steam streaming from the volcano. We decided on the north flank and climbed up the same route as yesterday only this time we continued higher, as far as an ice wall on the glacier under the crater rim. At 5,120m above sea level we unpacked our gliders. Now there was the takeoff to negotiate: unfortunately the wind
was coming down the hill. The combination of thin air, small wings and wind down the slope is not a good thing. We looked for the steepest fall-line without the larger blocks of stone. I had the heaviest wing loading and tried first. Like Usain Bolt going for the hundred-metre record I set off downhill and soon felt the glider above me, but it did not carry me as much as I had hoped for. Eventually I had to lift my legs – the speed was just too much – and hoped – prayed – that my dismal glide ratio would be better than the volcano slope.
Early thermals already
Dance on the volcano
Lookout posts everywhere: The stone blocks at the foot of the volcano would make every boulderer’s heart beat faster.
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It went like this. At high speed I scythed over the mountain sides and soon slid out directly into the early thermals. In fact at 8 am there were already big climbs available, so that even my 16m2 wing went up. Behind me I could see Tobi and Ivan, both safely in the air. After some time I set about my landing. At 4 000 metres, in the first cow pastures, I landed gently after a couple of thermal bumps – and could not suppress my whoop of joy. Incredible! It worked! We were the first people to have flown from the north face of the Nevado del Ruiz; the volcano had accepted us, and no ranger appeared. It couldn’t have gone better.
Will the 16 square metre wing glide as far as the valley?
Equipment
PI 2
STRAPLESS
About Tobias D immler works as a professional tandem pilot and photographer. Michael Witschi used to be a compe tition pilot, and is often in South America
We’ll try again tomorrow. Michael Witschi
as a businessman. Ivan Ripoll works as a professional tandem pilot and flying instructor.
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Vol-biv with the wind
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Vol-biv with the wind
#volbiv #hikeandfly #fromathome
Setting off from the front door – just on foot with glider
Sister and brother Melanie and Christian Weber set off together with photographer Adi Geisegger direct from their house on a Vol-biv. They slept rolled up in their paragliders wherever the thermals had set them down, discovered new things close to home, and were amazed how quickly the worries of everyday life disappeared.
Vol-biv with the wind 11 As the pilots neared the Zugspitze, the valley systems became more complex and the flying more demanding
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Vol-biv with the wind 12
Early morning is a thing of gold. What could be nicer than climbing up in the soft light of morning – numerous takeoff areas in view
Vol-biv with the wind 13
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Vol-biv with the wind 14
Despite lighter and more compact equipment it all adds up as weight for a vol-biv. A comfortable rucksack is essential.
To reduce life to its essentials and trust in yourself is, today, an invaluable experience. Melanie Weber
“The paraglider is the simplest flying device that I know”, says Adi Geisegger. Sort out the lines, check the airspace and we’re off. Adi Geisegger and siblings Melanie and Christian Weber celebrate this simplicity. They were not looking for records in the Himalayas, but an adventure for everyday pilots, that began at their own doorstep in the Allgäu, Germany. “We simply flew in a different direction from usual”, is how Adi describes the chosen route.
The weather dictates the route The flight was like the first crossing of a journey of exploration. “The beauty of our flying area is that it doesn’t have a big valley wind system, so you can land anywhere”, explains Adi about flying in the Allgäu. You don’t often reach your flying limits here, “although the landscape has a few challenges to offer.” The Allgäu suits the less experienced pilot. From the beginning the weather was not especially favourable for the trio. Originally they wanted to set off from their ‘Mittag’ home hill near Immenstadt towards the Lake Constance, but there was too much west wind. “So we improvised and just made
the best of it”, said Adi. Instead of annoying the weather gods, they would change course at short notice. Downwind, towards the east, was the answer.
Free flying But conditions still left something to be desired. After making the first big crossing to the Spieser by Bad Hindelang on the first day the adventurers were again on the ground. Next day the clouds grew faster than a pilot would like, but, even so, they climbed to base and flew towards Reutte with a tailwind. The big bowl presented a decision for them: left via Plansee or right to the Heiterwangertal? As the most experienced member of the team Adi made the decision: the Heiterwangertal looked more promising. But the valley and the general wind conspired against them, and their feet reached the ground at the Heiterwangersee. “Failed decisions are a part of flying”, says Adi and laughs. “That is the reason why I still fly after 23 years”. The same place can be different every flight. Wind direction, time of year, solar heating, temperature gradient: there are
Vol-biv with the wind 15
A perfect takeoff place with perfect wind is no guarantee of a long flight, but does that matter? What counts is the experience, and that begins at liftoff.
countless variables that affect whether a route will work or not. But this is also part of bivouac flying: a spontaneous attitude, always look for the positive. So the luckless flyers were soon enjoying the hospitality of a Heiterwangersee pub, and recouping their forces for the 1,200 metre climb to the Kohlbergspitze next day.
Bivouac and camp fire The team spent the evening and night wrapped in their paragliders by the camp fire. Again the thermals didn’t want to play ball next day so the flyers simply changed their plan and spent a wonderful day on the Hebeltaljoch. A break from everyday life is so easy to arrange – completely free time and the quiet of the mountains.
Old snowfields, screes and fixed rope sections: the climb up to the Zugspitze is no walk in the park
Highlight above the Zugspitze On the last day of this journey the weather was considerate, at last: great conditions were forecast. “We wanted to finish with a highlight”, declared Adi. He had in mind the takeoff from the Zugspitze. To achieve this, Melanie, Christian and Adi took off early from the Hebeltaljoch and landed on the Tirol side at the foot of
We improvised and just made the best of it. Christian Weber
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Vol-biv with the wind 16
The advantages of a vol-biv adventure close to civilization: you can spend the evening round the fire with a glass of wine bought from a nearby guesthouse
About Adi Geisegger Adi has been flying hang gliders and paragliders since the early 1990s. In recent years the photographer and filmmaker can often be found with a paramotor. Melanie Weber Melanie discovered paragliding six years ago and as an enthusiastic hike and fly pilot was well prepared for her first vol-biv tour. Christian Weber Christian has flown Enjoying the stillness, completely in the here and now, thinking of nothing: meditation is easier than many might think.
for eight years. On cross-country flying he likes the concentration required when circling, and the feeling of limitless free-
Equipment
dom that awaits at cloudbase.
Film XI
LIGHTNESS 2
LIGHTPACK 2
SQR LIGHT
youtu.be/okigCECh6rU
Vol-biv with the wind 17
It is these moments with the incomparable light conditions and the stars overhead that make a bivouac unforgettable. The cold and wet are quickly forgotten.
Germany’s highest mountain. Time was pressing, and the wind was expected to increase after midday. This could prevent takeoff. After the stillness of the long 2,000m climb the beer-tent buzz on both cable car stations and the nearby summit came as a shock. Even so the trio relished the last metres to the takeoff a little below the summit. Here, between glacier, ladders and ropes, calm again prevailed. Strong thermal gusts made for a difficult takeoff, but all three got safely into the air. The feeling of soaring above the mighty rock faces of the Zugspitze cannot be described, and made up for the hard climb up, explains Adi.
The best thing about flying is that you never stop learning. Adi Geisegger
Flying means Discovery “Actually it’s the same – whether you fly 20 kilometres or 200”, summarises Adi. “What is important is that you discover places and details that you have never seen before, and land where you have never landed before”. The small flying team achieved this goal on their journey of discovery from home – without doubt.
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From the top of the Alps 18
Fred has ascended Mont Blanc‘s snowy slopes many times, but the wonder never diminishes.
#hikeandfly #climbandfly #allmountain
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From the top of the Alps
From the top of the Alps Mont Blanc – the highest takeoff
It is every paraglider pilot’s dream to fly from Mont Blanc. Fred Souchon has done it many times. The highest peak in the Alps is his local hill, but it’s the virtually endless contourchasing along rugged ridges and splitting glaciers that makes this a special experience for this mountain rescue expert – every time.
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From the top of the Alps 20
Fred is not alone on the climb up to the highest peak in the Alps. On the way down – yes.
When I see this, I am reminded every time how tiny and fragile we are, in this ocean of snow and rock. That makes this flight magical. Fred Souchon
It is a picture postcard scene. The sun hangs in the east like a gleaming silver disc, its rim radiating silver needles into a vivid blue sky. Fred Souchon has enjoyed this sight many times because, as a mountain rescuer on Mont Blanc, he’s out and about on the highest mountain in the Alps on a daily basis. And yet this moment is always a special experience even for him. It’s that instant in which the decision is made whether the flight is going to work – or not. “Right up to the last moment, you can’t tell whether this takeoff will be successful”, explains Souchon. “This feeling, when your feet actually leave the summit of the Alps, is therefore incredible!” he describes, and continues that he then always feels impelled to summon up a shout of delight.
One view follows the next There’s not much time to waste enjoying the view from the takeoff, other breathtaking sights await. Immediately after takeoff you fly over rocky ridges and glaciers with gaping crevasses. In addition you can watch, from above, the mountaineers on the rocks. “When I see this, I am reminded every time how tiny and fragile we are, in this ocean of snow and rock. That makes this flight magical”, explains Souchon, beaming.
4,000 metre climb – at night This magical experience is a long one. Souchon’s flight begins the day before with the climb to the summit. It is no surprise that the experienced rescuer does this without the help of the cable car. “I
climb from Chamonix to the summit during the night. That is almost 4,000 metres, but I think it’s a really special way to get to the summit. Walking in the night, seeing the sunrise on the summit and then lifting off – there’s nothing more beautiful.” The Mont Blanc peak has the advantage that you can take off in a variety of directions. There’s the north takeoff on the French side, and also the south direction, towards Italy. After takeoff you can fly around to either side without a problem. Flying is forbidden on both French and Italian sides from July 1st until August 31st (France) or 12th October (Italy). “Basically, you can also take off towards the west, but it is not so easy”, explains Souchon. “And if there’s too much wind on the top, then there’s the possibility
From the top of the Alps 21
Takeoff conditions at 4,810m: Joe Average soon gasps for breath here, but it’s a breeze for well-acclimatised regulars like Fred.
of launching from the Dôme du Goûter (4,304m) or from the Tacul (4,238m).”
Tricky launch As simple as flying from Mont Blanc seems when Souchon tells it, he does point out that one should not take on this climb flippantly or casually. It is important to be fit, and also have the right equipment. This still applies even if you elect to make the ‘climb’ in the cable car. Souchon therefore advises the help of a mountain guide. “The takeoff here is never to be underestimated. The snow and especially the altitude make taking off much more difficult than the same thing would be at 1,000 or 2,000 metres”, warns Souchon. Anyone who flies here, over the Bossons glacier, is guaranteed to have a big smile!
Wingovers in front of the glacier Immediately after his takeoff Fred Souchon turns towards the valley. He flies over Maudit, Mont Blanc du Tacul and then glides towards the Aiguille du Midi and the ‘Mer de Glace’ (Sea of Ice). The special fun of this flying encourages him to follow the contours as close a possible, alongside rugged rocky ridges and over the gently-sloping glacier. The high speed advance.ch /advancedadventures
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The takeoff here is never to be underestimated. The snow and especially the altitude make taking off much more difficult than the same thing at 1,000 or 2,000 metres.
A long glide to the valley After about 40 minutes of flight his feet touch the valley floor at the Bois du Bouchet landing area. As the wing sinks to the ground behind Fred Souchon, his gaze returns towards the summit. It soars majestically above, and so high into the sky, vividly white against its blue backdrop. And although Fred Souchon enjoys this view almost daily, he still needs some time to work through the thoughts and emotions of the last three quarters of an hour.
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From the top of the Alps
Fred Souchon
of his small light glider intensifies the experience. As soon as the glacier steepens and the ice breaks into gigantic, towering seracs, Fred adjusts to the terrain with a few wingovers above the end of the glacier, so as to maintain his proximity to the landscape. During his many flights on Mont Blanc he has ventured ever closer as part of this game, all the while seeking that approach to perfection.
Enormous hanging glaciers, steep ice gulleys, jagged granite ridges: a bird’s-eye-view immediately shows why Chamonix is the mountaineer’s Alpine Mecca.
From the top of the Alps 23
First the climb up, then comes the fun part: almost 3,800m of glide to the green Chamonix valley.
Equipment
PI 2
STRAPLESS
PIPACK
About Fred Souchon is an avid mountaineer and paraglider pilot. The qualified mountain guide works for Chamonix Mountain Rescue. Year round you’ll find the pilot with his paraglider, or with crampons, climbing ropes and ice axe around Chamonix – or the rest of the world’s mountains
In this terrain it’s important to be absolutely personally and technically fit, and have the right equipment. Fred Souchon
Film youtu.be/uS8XYQwF9tM
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Flat Challenge 24
Perfect flying conditions: one cloud street after another.
Winch launches make record flights possible in the flatlands.
#xcflying #flatlands #winch
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Flat Challenge
Flat Challenge A perfect day in Poland
After just four years flying, Lukasz Prokop had already broken the Polish XC record twice. On July 4th 2018 he surpassed the national record again for the third time – with a flight over 343km where almost everything worked out. This flying adventure right across Poland started the previous evening for Lukasz.
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Why would you do such a thing? For a nine-hour flight, of course. For 343 kilometres’ free distance. For the Polish record. These are all good answers, but Lukasz Prokop the love of flying is even more important. “I am addicted to paragliding”, he often says. At the beginning of his flying career Lukasz often stayed behind on the takeoff, even though conditions were flyable – There’s no stopping Lukasz Prokop when because they were not suitable for big flights. “And quite often the winch driva fantastic day is on the cards; everyone who knows him knows that. If weather, er was only working for me and my flyairspace, work and home life allow he ing-mad friend!” He smiled as he remembered his first flights. spares no effort. That’s how it was on this latest record day. The evening before, he got on the bus at 9 at night, and set off Without support nothing works for the perfect takeoff place – 500 kilo- Without support from his surroundings metres away. At 4 next morning he left record flights would not happen, says Lukasz. “I have a super boss”, he says. the bus at Borowa near Wrocław, and walked the last 2km. The winch driver ar- “He knows straight away what’s happenrived at 10:00, so he was able to grab a ing if I keep looking outside.” On days with record potential Lukasz can take few hours’ sleep before the great flight.
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Flat Challenge
I am addicted to paragliding
Control zones and military areas dominate the airspace in southern Poland.
High cloudbase, flat cumulus, beautiful view – how it has to be.
time off for flying. Anyway, his head would not be on the job if he had to be at work, is the boss’s view. His personal life also has to be based on the life of the clouds. When he got married in 2016, the honeymoon seemed – very much to his wife Aneta’s disappointment and no doubt concern – rather unconventional. “We were married on the Sunday; the forecast for the next Tuesday was promising”, he remembers. So he left his wife forthwith, two days after the wedding, for a takeoff spot 200km away. And even so: after his ‘329-kilometre-wedding flight’ broke the Polish record for the second time his wife picked him up after his landing. This support is indispensable.
Everything has to be right Lukasz Prokop comes from Świdnik, a small town in the south east of the Polish flatlands, where a long flight doesn’t exactly drop into your lap. If you want to fly far here you have to do more than a pilot in the Alps. This is not just because of the topography; you have to contact the airspace people straight away: as well as the civil airways the XC route often crosses temporary military prohibited zones. For a perfect Polish day you don’t just need the weather gods’ help, but the military people have to play along as well.
Polish Air Navigation Services Agency | www.amc.pansa.pl
For the love of flying
Best retrieve ever.
Flat Challenge
My wife is an incredibly important support for me during flights
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Lukasz Prokop
The perfect day in Poland Even if the wind was weak for his record flight, and the takeoff sluggish, Lukasz was not discouraged. After circling for an hour and a half under the first cumulus cloud he reached cloudbase at last. “Cloudbase at 2,600m in the Polish flatlands is unbelievable – it doesn’t happen,” he says.
SMS from Aneta. “Hey Honey, I see you”, she sent. When she saw that he was flying south east she decided to pick her husband up. “Aneta was there two minutes after I landed”, remembers Lukasz. “I was the happiest man in the world.” After the longest flight, the shortest retrieve: it doesn’t get better than that!
And now? 400 kilometres. But he was not thinking about a record. “Early in my paragliding career I realised The plan was just to stay in the air as long that I have a good touch for cross counas possible. Lukasz wa not paying much try”, commented Lukasz on his third reattention to the kilometres. When his GPS cord, modestly. But it’s not just the sucshowed 200km he started to pay atten- cess that motivates him. It’s more the tion to the route. But even at this stage a notion that the goal is always on the horecord still didn’t necessarily look realis- rizon – even when it looks unreachable. While he was packing his wing Lukasz tic. “Only when I’d caught the last thermal of the day did I know that it was enough”, was already deciding: “400 kilometres in Lukasz admits. His record flight was ac- Poland, that’s the next big flight.” tually not only the greatest distance, but at nine hours also the longest endurance flight in Poland. During the flight Lukasz found the time to send the occasional message to his wife Aneta: “Now and again I sent her my current position and planned route.” On his final glide Lukasz suddenly received an
About Aneta and Lukasz Prokop have been married since 2016 and live in south east Poland. For each of Lukasz’ three Polish XC records, 2015, 2016 and 2018, Aneta has provided ground support and picked him up from his landing site. Lukasz is an engineer and has flown mainly in Poland since 2012, but has already been to Brazil twice chasing kilometres. His next target is the Polish 400.
Equipment
IOTA 2
LIGHTNESS 2
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Westwards
#volbiv #hikeandfly #crosscountry
Westwards The Journey is the Adventure
One wet winter’s day Olga von Plate decided, at last, to make a long cherished dream a reality: bivouac with a friend. Three weeks through the Austrian Alps to get to know people and places – but especially herself (better): how far she would get was not important. This was an experiment, and something more: an adventure. Olga explains ...
Westwards 29 Roosting spot with natural bath provided. Unfortunately the weather’s too cold for a dip – better not to mention the water temperature!
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Westwards 30
No wind, weak thermals: patience is called for. Will the day agree with the forecast?
In my diary I wrote: “I want to set off. Go, just leave. Put one foot in front of the other for its own sake – I need to think about the essential things in life, for me. What to eat? Where to sleep? What’s the weather going to do? Not tomorrow – this is about today; the here and now.”
If I crash and hurt my back I can’t order a new one on the internet. Olga von Plate
Long walks clear the mind. These days everything can be copied, repeated. Backward-looking, so that everything can be reread on the internet. It’s everywhere, but not here; it’s something I want to escape from. So much has become digital: friendships, learning, remembering. It sounds strange, but I long for absolutes. To be vulnerable. To things that only occur once in the world. If the rain makes me wet I cannot press ‘cmd+Z’. If I get sunburnt there’s no replay button. And that makes it beautiful, so unique.
item, be however so small, was weighed again, questioned, sworn at. Ultra light trek-fanatics have a golden rule “Lighten each piece of equipment by a third.” Everything – really. So the mountain boots become running shoes, a toothbrush becomes just the brush part, a sleeping mat half a sleeping mat. An ultralight tent becomes just the tarp, instead of the tarp we got a lightweight tarp, and finally I got to myself. Down to my own requirements; exactly. I didn’t want to compromise too much on safety, and settled for a 900g light reserve and the EASINESS 2 with its reasonable airbag. Preparations take a lot of time. I spent the evenings committing satellite pictures and topo charts to memory, studying thermal maps and valley wind systems, researching mountain huts.
Planning
The start
Every adventure begins in the head, and this journey had already begun in spring. I wrote various packing lists, reviewed the experiences of past bivouac teams, trained for steep climbs and long hikes, trimmed the equipment. Each
On August 7th we’re off. A quick and last choci-croissant from the baker’s, then my friend Moni and I step out eagerly to the Königssee. We want to catch the first boat. On the climb up to the Steinernen Meer (Sea of Rock) there’s a last look
Westwards 31
Walking – flying – walking – walking: after a few days Olga’s going with the flow, the head pleasantly emptied.
back to Berchtesgaden. With all the preparations of the last several months and the good luck wishes of our friends now behind us the first metres upwards feel pretty damn good. We find a place to sleep near the Schmittenhöhe, on a flat area in a woodland clearing. After about 40km and more than 2,000m climbing we are tired, but as happy as can be. What a terrific first day! Next day strong south föhn prevents a flying start for the Pinzgau - Zillertal cross-country. We walk the 30km to the Bürgl hut where Moni lets me know that she’s quitting. At first I’m mightily disappointed, then decide that I’ll go it alone.
Continuing solo
Stubaital and along the Stubai main ridge as far as the Ötztal. The days flow past, passing neither slowly nor fast. Time is no longer significant. Instead of contemplating life’s greater questions, as expected, my head has simply become empty. Despite my intensive preparations the long distances and steep climbs leave their marks: a blister inflames the sole of a foot, ligaments and tendons show signs of overstress. An undesired landing on a steep rock-strewn slope in the Tuxer Alps tears two tendons in the left foot: but I continue to walk and fly.
I covered every ground metre on foot. Cable cars, buses, trains and cars are taboo for three weeks. Olga von Plate
I do not regret it for a second. Whenever possible I sleep in the open; when there’s a storm or wind I sleep in huts, or sometimes a guesthouse. To save weight I miss out on breakfast and eat lunch in the mountain pastures. With replenished energy reserves it’s then into the air or further on the ground: over the Gerloss pass into the Zillertal. Continue in the Valser Tal to the Brenner. Via Gschnitztal, advance.ch /advancedadventures
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Westwards 32
Animal spectators: on some days, like here in the Stubai alps, Olga met more animals than humans (Wildspitze in the background).
In full flow Now, after two weeks, I am exactly in time with the daylight; I usually creep into my ‘bivouac nest’ around half past eight and wake before sunrise. The first steps often hurt, but as soon as you’re walking in the first of the sunlight it couldn’t be nicer. Sometimes the midday heat drives me into the shadows, sometimes below zero temperatures and snowflakes encourage me to go a bit faster. In time, ambitions dwindle, thoughts slow. You only see and experience what is ahead of you. After three weeks my time is up. Reluctantly I hitchhike towards Berchtes gaden. The first days at home I’m repeatedly aware of the feeling that something’s missing: the rucksack on my back. It had become a piece of home that I’d carried every step of the way.
Many a keen cross country-pilot would certainly have flown on more days – but I have to stay realistic and weigh up safety with making fast progress. Olga von Plate
Westwards 33
“The first steps often hurt, but as soon as you’re walking in the first of the sunlight it couldn’t be nicer.”
About Olga von Plate is a passionate mountain climber and paraglider pilot. The German camerawoman and photographer has been active in mountain rescue for ten years.
Luxury bed on the straw – guaranteed condensation-free: equipment doesn’t need drying in the morning.
Equipment
In life you face so many questions. For me when bivouac flying there’s only one answer: ever westwards! Olga von Plate PI 2
EASINESS 2
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven 34
From a bird’s perspective Damien and Antoine have many of the Karakoram’s total of eight 8,000s and sixty-three 7,000s in view.
#volbiv #paraalpinism #karakoram
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven
In Alpinists‘ Heaven Vol-biv loop through the heart of the Karakoram
During their six-week expedition to Pakistan, Damien Lacaze and Antoine Girard flew 1,500 kilometres of distance, achieved paragliding’s second ever highest flight, bivouacked at over 6,000 metres and attempted the ascent of the 7,000 metre high Spantik. This was adventure at the human limit.
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven 36
Damien Lacaze flies in front of the huge, unclimbed granite walls of the Karakoram – a mountaineer’s paradise
In Alpinists‘ Heaven 37
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven 38
Others have to toil for days to reach the top of their expedition mountain. Antoine and Damien fly up.
A few lines, a scrap of material, and a couple of circles in a thermal and you reach places that alpinists dream about for their whole lives. Antoine Girard
The expedition at Skardu in the north of Pakistan was exactly what French paraglider adventurers Damien Lacaze and Antoine Girard like to do. Conditions were very good. “We had to remind ourselves not to climb higher than 6,800 metres”, said Damien, “otherwise we could not rely on our acclimatisation to this extreme altitude.”
much for his ankles and he was badly injured. “If it had been me I would have called off the expedition”, said Damien. “I told Antoine that he did not have to continue just because of me”. But Antoine Girard would not be Antoine Girard if he had given up at the first setback. The alpinist and paraglider altitude record-holder decided to carry on.
A setback at the beginning
It has to be flying
The first flight was almost perfect. Then Antoine could not hike, so the two pilots came the first landing. The landing site adopted a new strategy. “We would alwas actually relatively straightforward; a ways have to land somewhere high, on gentle slope with individual stone blocks. the west side of a pass, for example“, exBoth pilots carried 35 kilograms of provi- plains Damien. The evening landing place sions, water and assorted equipment in would then be close to the takeoff next their harnesses. This took them to 15 ki- morning – often only a few metres away. los over the max. certified weight for their Their bivouacs were often at 5,000m algliders, and they would be landing at titude so for long distances they did not 4,000 metres. Low air density with high see a single human soul. wing loading made their gliders fast. “Like half my landings in Pakistan I chose the “We were often looking for a landing backside landing technique”, admitted place at four in the afternoon”, describes Damien. When the touchdown speed is Lacaze about the tactics. By landing ear50kph normal running is not an option. ly they could avoid landing in valleys, and the long walks up the following morning to a takeoff. But early landing also meant Antoine landed not far away, but he tried to do it standing up. The loading was too landing early with active high mountain
In Alpinists‘ Heaven 39
Landing at over 6,000m on Spantik. The pair continued towards the summit on foot the next day
thermals, Lacaze adds: “If eight m/s thermals pick you up on the side of a ridge you almost always have to fly in the lee on the shadow side to get down.” The greatest concentration and full-on glider control are required. Once, these tactics didn’t work for Damien and he had to land far below in the valley, near a small settlement that he had hardly noticed from the air. Immediately he was surrounded by the villagers, suitably excited because they had never seen a paraglider before. Everyone wanted to feel his floppy fold-up flying machine. After Lacaze had packed up he wanted to set off upwards to find Antoine (who had landed high on the hillside). The locals picked up his bag and insisted on accompanying him up to the mountain ridge. “I wasn’t allowed to carry my rucksack a single metre,” Damien remembers, and laughs.
The retreat from Spantik In Karimabad the adventurers were greeted by bad weather. Time and again the departure for Spantik (the Golden Peak) had to be postponed. At last a weather window opened up after a week’s wait. The cloudbase was too low at 6,200 metres to be able to land on Spantik plateau. Damien and Antoine tried it anyway. The flight from Karimabad to Spantik is 40km, but instead of their reclining harnesses they dangled in delicate, almost non-existent string versions. “In the thermals, which can get as strong as 13m/s, this was something of an alarming experience,” commented Damien. At the foot of Spantik the pair battled for altitude. Only a few metres more, and they would be
If it had been me I have called off the expedition. Damien Lacaze
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hour, during which they covered 35km. Mountaineers take a week for the same journey.
But the weather got worse earlier than forecast. Even during the advance to the summit the next day the wind picked up; it began to snow, and their shortage of acclimatisation made itself increasingly evident. They were making hardly any progress and both decided to abandon the attempt. A paraglider takeoff was out of the question.
In alpinists‘ heaven
Antoine was suffering from suspected cerebral oedema (brain tissue swelling which causes a terrible headache caused by the altitude). He had to go down, come what may. They decided to take off as soon as possible – despite the heavy snow and thick fog – and prepared their gliders for the blind flight. As soon as the wind briefly reached the right direction they took off, and were in luck: the cloud layer was only 600 metres thick. Soon Antoine called on the radio: he was feeling better, thanks to the denser air.
And that’s exactly the fascination of paragliding in high mountains, enthused Antoine: “A few lines, a scrap of material, and with a couple of thermal circles you can reach places that alpinists have dreamed about for a lifetime.”
About Antoine Girard is a mountain climber, adventurer and paraglider pilot. Among
A week later Antoine and Damien made their way from Karimabad back to Skardu. They flew over the Baltoro glacier, past the Trango Towers, soared at Broad Peak (8,050m) and waved at the rope teams below.
other things he made the news in 2016 by flying over Broad Peak (8051m). Alongside this paraglider world altitude record he holds the record for the longest flight in Pakistan. He came third in the 2013 X-Alps, and fourth in 2015. Damien Lacaze is a mountaineer, competition, cross-country and tandem pilot. In the 2017 X-Alps he was Benoît Outters‘ supporter. He also won first place in the Bornes to Fly the same year. His ambition is to take part as an athlete in the X-Alps himself – once anyway.
The flying descent by paraglider took an
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven
able to land on the one possible place on the 6,200m plateau. Finally they succeeded, and set down softly in the deep snow.
Icy, uncomfortable, lonely: the Karakoram means mountain-climbing and flying in its most extreme form
Map Data @ 2019 Google
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In Alpinists‘ Heaven
The tent provides protection from strong winds and some comfort in the inhospitable environment. But it’s still cold.
What looks like the map of a day’s trip is, in reality, 1,500km through the highest mountains of the world.
Equipment
Like half my landings in Pakistan I chose the backside landing technique. Damien Lacaze OMEGA XALPS 2 (Damien)
SQR LIGHT
Film youtu.be/G8gvWsQ-p48
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Road trip to Mongolia 42
A picture speaks more than a thousand words: Alain and Nathalie found the paragliding infrastructure excellent. This is Aralan in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.
#roadtrip #culture #landscape
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Road trip to Mongolia
Road trip to Mongolia On and above the road through central Asia
Five months on the road – from Monaco to Mongolia. Somewhere in the fully packed land cruiser a compact rucksack of lightweight paragliding cross-country gear. When Alain and Nathalie Antognelli set out on one of their adventure trips one thing is clear: boredom won’t be an issue!
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When paragliding you have to consider everything. A healthy respect and sharpened senses are essential. Alain Antognelli
For Nathalie and Alain Antognelli life means adventure – whether with a kayak in Greenland, hang glider in South Africa or paraglider above the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. For years the Monegasque photographer pair have been travelling the world and documenting their adventures in travel publications. In the summer of 2016 they were riding their bikes in Iran when Alain’s knee suddenly gave up the struggle and failed, so they had to abandon their original project – to kayak from Monaco to Greece, then bicycle to Mongolia.
But would there be room in the full-up Land Cruiser for a hefty dayglo paraglider bag? Nathalie said yes: times have changed “Today’s fully-functioning cross-country package weighing eight kilos was something Alain simply could not refuse”, she remembered with a smile.
Respect for new flying places As a flying warm-up Alain flew his new wing in familiar places like Italy and Greece. It was in Turkey that he experienced his first reminder of problems that might occur when you fly on your own in an unfamiliar place. With Nathalie he went to an isolated mountain. Conditions at the top were perfect, and Alain was quickly ready for takeoff; then, suddenly, the wind picked up so quickly that within half a minute flying was out of the question. Alain was just about able to grapple the wing into a bundle with Nathalie’s help. Alain realised: “With paragliding you have to take everything into account and keep an eye on your surroundings – constantly.
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Road trip to Mongolia
Next attempt, different transport “Just giving up would not have been our style”, explains Alain, so they kept an open mind about the new situation and set off again two years later. The goal was the same, but by a different route and, above all, a different vehicle! This was their old Toyota Land Cruiser, brought specially out of retirement, and, as a paraglider pilot from the original days, Alain immediately saw the potential of this change of travel plans. Even after a long flying pause (and he’s now 59) he had lost none of his enthusiasm for flying. Why not
take a paraglider along and enjoy a bird’seye view of the route? Nathalie could follow him on the road.
Landing on the green Steppe at about 3,000 metres on the shore of Son-Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan. Picture book cumulus in the sky.
First big stage of Europe completed: welcome to Turkey, Alain and Nathalie!
Road trip to Mongolia
A healthy respect and sharpened senses are essential.”
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Iranian flying paradise It was really exciting in Iran. This huge country has a very well organised flying scene, and foreign pilots are warmly welcomed. “The hospitality and friendliness of the locals is incredible”, recalls Alain. “And there are plenty of flying possibilities: there’s hike and fly in the green vegetation at the Caspian Sea up to long cross countries at heights up to 6,000 metres in the desert-like land at Kermanshah. It was there that Alain had another memorable flying experience. He set out for a cross country with a group of Iranian enthusiasts. Thermal conditions were strong and progress was rapid. After about 50 km Alain suddenly suffered a big collapse which reopened quickly, with a bang. His XI flew on, but Alain had no feeling from his right brake: the handle in his hand was connected to nothing! What to do now, in the roughest of desert thermals under a cloud street at 3,500m? Alain decided to manage his right wing with the rear riser, and glided down to land, where Nathalie found him thanks to satellite tracking. After landing Alain had a look at the brake line and concluded that it must have been cut by a sharp stone at takeoff, and had failed with the re-opening shock. His companions flew 200 kilometres that day.
Magnificent mood lighting, but Alain and Nathalie also found a lot of wind in Turkey in May.
What can be nicer after a good day’s flying than to land at the takeoff? Here in Aralan, Iran.
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Road trip to Mongolia 46
It is the endless vastness that especially fascinates Alain and Nathalie, here in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.
Film youtu.be/JCbcncryyA8
A dry spell in Central Asia After the journey from Iran, wind and strong thunderstorms in Central Asia prevented Alain from flying. He next got into the air with some local pilots near Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan. Another flight worked at the lonely Son-Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan. Here, on the lakeshore, Alain and Nathalie were subsequently invited by the locals into a yurt. This was another memorable experience for both, and an example of the immense hospitality they repeatedly enjoyed. Near Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan, Alain found wonderful cross-country conditions even in late autumn. The pair reached Mongolia as winter set in. During the five-month journey through ten countries they had crossed the most diverse of landscapes
Nowhere do you strike up a conversation faster than on a foreign takeoff, here with pilot Fatemeh Eftekhari.
Road trip to Mongolia 47
Iran – giant country, countless facets: Alain above the woods by the Caspian Sea.
and left endless expanses of nothingness behind them. As “lovers of open spaces” Nathalie and Alain certainly got their money’s worth on their tour. The many encounters with the people were what most appealed to the couple. Above all it was the local pilots’ hospitality and willingness to help that impressed them, again and again. About
The show must go on Monegasque photographer couple N athalie and Alain Antognelli have been travelling the far-flung parts of the world for 30 years. Their special area: nature photography documentaries.
To best get to know Mongolian culture and be able to use the good flying conditions in spring they decided to spend the winter in this country: in a Mongolian yurt; together with the locals.
e.g. about the life of a Greenlander family. Alain has been a paraglider pilot since the early days.
Equipment
Just giving up would not have been our style. Alain Antognelli XI
LIGHTNESS 2
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Himalayan Tandem 48
After takeoff at around five-and-a-half thousand metres Aaron circles up to 6,200 metres with photographer Alessandro d‘Emilia.
#hikeandfly #explore #himalaya
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Himalayan Tandem
Himalayan Tandem Adventure is sometimes different
Adventures generally begin where the comfort zone ends. For top sportsmen, like Paragliding World Cup Champion Aaron Durogati or K2 conqueress Tamara Lunger, to leave their comfort zones they usually have to take on extreme projects. Adventure can also happen when you haven’t planned much, and are open to something new.
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Himalayan Tandem 50
To be able to compare notes directly in flight was a new experience for Aaron.
Himalayan Tandem 51
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Himalayan Tandem
Flight over a lonely mountain village together with Tamara.
Aaron Durogati and Tamara Lunger’s experience in India makes for an adventure that is even more extreme than the previous one. For autumn 2017 Aaron had originally planned something outside his extensive flying comfort zone in Nepal. But a knee injury, incurred in the X-Alps, forced the ADVANCE X-Alps team pilot to retire. Tamara also had to cut short her expedition to Kangchenjunga in spring 2017 on health grounds. So why not go to India together, make a relaxed climb up a Himalyan peak or two and fly down with the tandem? The idea was quickly put into practice. The team was joined by photographer and filmmaker Alessandro d‘ Emilia, and in October the three friends set off for the departure point: Bir in Himachal Pradesh, northern India.
car, two tents (one as a valley base, one as high camp, if required) and PI BI light tandem. They planned to stay a month, three weeks of it without internet and weather information.
Old new experiences
Each day the big-mountain lady and the paragliding professional climbed a different mountain of up to 5,700m. From the valley they would look for a possible line and follow it. They would circle up to more than 6,200m and then would often With Himalayan foothills and wide plains fly two or three hours cross country, covto the south, India’s most popular flying area is reminiscent of Bassano in Italy: ering as much as 90 kilometres. “Once I only everything is a whole order bigger. decided, on top of a mountain, that we At the back the peaks go up 6,000 me- would not take off”, describes Aaron. tres into the sky. And that’s exactly where “I cannot remember the last time this happened to me.” Aaron and Tamara wanted to go: with a
Himalayan Tandem 53 Aaron, Tamara and Alessandro were always completely alone in the mountains. “We came across not a single human being.”
On this day Aaron said that he had a gut feeling that the situation was dangerous, “even though it looked stable and harmless!” His feelings turned out to be correct. At 1pm a sudden storm broke. You couldn’t see anything, because we were totally in cloud, remembers Aaron.
Adventure back to the roots
Sometimes I felt 17 again, as if I’d just started paragliding. Aaron Durogati
After years of training, and the paraglider professional’s experience in flying extreme wings in extreme conditions – so deeply anchored in Aaron’s subconscious – the 31-year-old doesn’t have to think much about how he does it, as a rule. In India it was often different. Flying in an unknown, very demanding meteorological advance.ch /advancedadventures
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Himalayan Tandem 54
Landing at the foot of a mountain village. Tamara, Aaron and Alessandro discovered new places again and again on their travels.
Usually, Aaron and Tanamara climbed up to around 5,600m to 5,700m height. Initially, Aaron struggled with the lack of oxygen.
With the tandem the experiences are doubled because you can communicate them directly. Aaron Durogati
About Aaron Durogati has been a professional sportsman since 2009 and is recognised as one of the world’s foremost
and geographical region without weather forecasts, having to decide every day afresh where the limits of the possible lay, took Aaron partly back to his time as a beginner. Here were places where he had to observe, scrutinise, assess all the evidence before takeoff as well as in the air, and attempt to find the right answer. Things which later would be obvious to an experienced pilot, with good weather forecasting.
paraglider pilots. The South Tyrolian can
Tamara Lunger started as a ski mountaineer in 2002 and in 2010 became the youngest woman to summit Lhotse, her first 8000m peak. K2 was next in 2014. Alessandro d’Emilia is a ski and telemark instructor, enthusiastic climber and
Unforgettable experiences
Himalayan Tandem
er, on skis in the winter.
“It’s great that you can communicate everything in the air on a tandem flight”, explained Aaron. “This was totally new for me. Normally the first chance to talk about a flight is on the landing field, and even with commercial tandems it’s not the same thing.” Cross countries with the tandem were something new.
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often be encountered under a speedrid-
highliner. Two years ago the professional photographer and filmmaker caught the paragliding bug.
Film youtu.be/iByBNlojrQk Equipment
PI BI
PIPACK 2
As well as the interaction he especially liked the shared experiences. Once they flew in the company of twelve eagles. “Tamara was entranced! We circled together in the same thermal up to cloudbase, just like a competition gaggle”, he described. Only one of them insisted on circling the wrong way. In one core the eagle missed our canopy by about half a metre. “These tandem experiences, and those that made me feel like a beginner again, are what will stay with me from India.”
STRAPLESS & STRAPLESS BI
SQR 220 TANDEM
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Magikistan 56
Exploring remote valleys with the paraglider: here at 2,500 metres near Garm
#volbiv #crosscountry #tajikistan
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Magikistan
Magikistan Vol-biv voyage through Tajikistan
Christina Kolb and her partner Alain Lehoux took on a vol-biv voyage of discovery through Tajikistan. They discovered their limitations, both as a travelling and flying team, but they were entranced by the great flying potential of this country and its people – as well as the appeal of the unknown. Despite the hardships of the land of the Tajiks they will be back. Christina tells her story.
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Magikistan 58
Paraglider ground-handling at 3,000 metres at Navobod; Alain has fun in the evening breeze.
“I’d long dreamt of travelling in unknown faraway countries with my paraglider. Our choice finally fell on Tajikistan; above all because 90% of the land is mountainous, but also because the Garm valley, which crosses the whole country from east to west, looks great for flying.
up by leg power. An exhausting trial of strength.
New perspectives
Once in the air this hard work paid off. Our first Tajikistan thermal took us quickly to 3,500m and then we had to decide: should we go straight into the Garm valMy partner Alain and I made some plans. ley – over the rough rocky passes – or Alain took something of a spontaneous take the safer south variant, above gentapproach to the job, but I took over a ly rolling green hills? My decision was the year finding out about the country and its safer route, which Alain was not totally residents. I also wanted to make sure that happy about and – as we were to find out we would have something to live on oth- – would cost us two potential flying days. er than just fermented horses’ milk and However, Alain and I had already decided lamb or mutton. we would stay together for the whole adventure so we set off for the nice hills.
A lot of luggage
It is incredible how a good flight can alter your perspective. Christina Kolb
Trekking food for two weeks, clothes, hiking poles, solar panels, cameras, telephones, chargers, batteries, a selection of cables and, of course, our new Omega XAlps 2: altogether we had 26kg of baggage each. With such heavy packs it quickly became clear that our trip would be no picnic. To get into our harnesses we had to get down on all fours, then push ourselves
The unexpected often happens Tajikistan already had a few surprises waiting for us. It was not unusual for what looked like an easy two-hour hike to turn into a wearisome all-day mission, thanks to deep ravines and extensive hills. And, despite the circling birds, the thermals were often too weak for climbing. Landings in valleys were more frequent than we had hoped.
Also the local meteorology gave us problems. For example, instead of thermals going up on the south side in front of our takeoff site, we might have puny rotor clouds above us, while on the opposite north-facing side were nice cumulus versions. We never worked out what was going on here.
Dream thermals and rain
We’ll be back Despite – and because of – all the surprises, Tajikistan already appealed to us, we will return. The hospitality and openness of the people was just too nice, the scenery too perfect – and the flying, when it worked.
It was clear that we would not fly as far as we originally calculated. After our weeklong bad weather camping holiday we lacked the energy and courage for a daring flight into the Pamirs. If you fly there you have to take off early in the morning and stay in the air until dusk – the wind is too strong for landing in between.
Magikistan
Instead, next day we woke in the middle of a storm system that kept us almost a week in our bivouac at the next takeoff. This did not do our morale much good – but we toughed it out. And, actually on the day we decided we would have to walk down, the weather changed at last.
Thermaling above the endless ridges of the Hissar mountains near the capital Dushanbe.
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There were also positive surprises. When, two days after our first big flight, we at last took off in the right place at the right time, we could climb straight to 4,200m and head east along the Garm valley. There we had unbelievably smooth thermals: I was surprised at the 6 or 7 m/s showing on my vario. If only this had continued!
About Christina Kolb is well known on the paraglider scene, mainly as women’s Acro World Champion in 2016. She is an instructor, tandem pilot and one of the few lady athletes to include the infinity tumbling in her acro routine. Alain Lehoux has been paragliding since 1995 and has managed the Gypaètes school since 2000. As a flying instructor he organises flying trips, SIV and beginner courses.
Film youtu.be/RjAu76WAzBc Equipment
Rainy weather not only creates green landscapes, but a wonderful lighting effect here at Karakul lake.
OMEGA X ALPS 2
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Unidentified flying object sighted at La Clusaz, France! It’s not often one meets a tandem passenger on a bike.
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Fly a Bike
#action #stunt #flyingbike
Fly a Bike An adventurous stunt
Eliot Nochez has made a spectacular video with The Stunt is Bike. In the three-minuter mountain biker Kilian Bron comes along as tandem passenger. After a short while Eliot sets him down, whereupon an exciting race between paraglider and mountain bike ensues. We asked Eliot about the idea, and the difficulties of the shooting.
Eliot, how much time did you need to prepare for the The stunt is Bike shooting? I’d had the idea for a long time. I kept on considering whether it was possible, and what would have to be done. When the shooting arrangements firmed up we had three days to practise the first jump, and later, the Kilian pickup. As well as that we had one day to check out the shooting location in some detail and then two days shooting. Cutting and editing the video then needed a week. Where did you do the shooting? That was in La Clusaz in France, a ski area in the Aravis mountains in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
What was the biggest challenge for the stunt? The biggest challenge was not to break any necks in the process (laughter). Seriously: in the scene where I pick Kilian up again I had to fly incredibly accurately. It was about me catching him safely, and then flying away with him. Everything to be done in flight, while he pedalled along. I didn’t want to fake anything. But it was also difficult to release him correctly at the beginning. He was supposed to land on his wheels and ride away smoothly. This scene was very dangerous actually, because the height had to be exactly perfect. These were the two big challenges.
Did anything go wrong during all the shootings? Go wrong? No. But I’m very perfectionistic and kept all our possible options in mind, as a priority. The weather and timing generally did us no favours, but we are very happy with the final result.
Fly a Bike
How did you come up with the idea of carrying a mountain bike and its rider under a paraglider? This came from last winter. I did the first stunt with skier Pierre Guyot. In the video Pierre was my tandem passenger and I launched him over the ski piste. Then I met Kilian at the ‘Montagne en Scène’ festival, where he showed a film. Afterwards he asked me whether it was also possible for me to take him up and unclip him. So we tried it. It was far from easy, but it did work. From there the idea became the film.
The most dangerous part of the stunt was releasing at the right time, and setting the enduro biker down exactly.
About Eliot Nochez has been flying para gliders for about 15 years, and has been
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How big was the crew you needed? Very small. There was Kilian and myself, two cameramen, a drone pilot and one transport man. That was it.
an ADVANCE Acro Team pilot since
What was the most difficult thing about the stunt for you as the paraglider pilot, from the flying point of view? That would certainly be the right coordination. We are mixing two types of sport here. You have to know exactly how the other one works, have to match speeds with each other and, above all, have a hundred percent confidence. For example, had I released him from too great a height this would have finished him off, for sure. At this point I would like, once again, to thank Kilian for his trust.
2016. The three-times French Champion and 2015 World Cup winner does not only take on the challenges of acro, but devotes a lot of time to getting his ideas on film. Kilian Bron is team leader for the French mountain bike and BMX manufacturer Sunn and is known for his spectacular downhills worldwide. The endurance maestro prefers to explore the paths seldom travelled in spectacular landscapes, like the sandstone formations in Namibia or the world’s highest dunes at the Cerro Blanco in Peru.
Which wing did you fly for the filming? It was a BIBETA 6 for the tandem scenes and an OMIKRON acro wing for the racing.
Equipment
Many thanks for the interview, Eliot. We look forward to your next project.
BIBETA 6
OMIKRON
Film youtu.be/hnms-QS6A9E
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ÂM idnight Sun 62
The climb up to the White Mountains begins at night – on bear and elk tracks.
#hikeandfly #outback #beavercreek
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Midnight Sun
Flying the midnight sun A sub-polar survival trip through Alaska
In their quest to make the first flights in the White Mountains, Felix Wรถlk and Thomas Bing travelled for three weeks through a deserted wilderness with a folding boat on the Beaver Creek.
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M idnight Sun 64
In the Alaskan forest, rivers – or the air – are the only means of getting around.
ÂM idnight Sun 65
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M idnight Sun 66
A campfire, a pot of coffee and a slug of whiskey. Real freedom is made of this.
When Special Forces soldier Sam in Fairbanks asked whether we would need a weapon, I didn‘t think that I should have said yes. Felix Wölk
It is midnight, and the sun glows on the horizon. On a branch of Beaver Creek we push on along our magical but distinctly winding odyssey, towards the Yukon Flats. The pink night sky is reflected in the calm, oily flat water. A paradise of stillness. We do not speak. Tommy and I have been eighteen days in this humanless wilderness. My mind reflects: on the brown bear who destroyed my tent, on the storm that blew away our camp, and on the fantastical paraglider flight in the light of the midnight sun.
Into the wild Our adventure just south of the Arctic Circle began on June 24th. Our folding boat is good for a 360kg payload. Provisions, survival equipment, paragliders, camera equipment. Our goal is to make the first flight on the White Mountains of the Tanana Hills, as well as at the Victoria Massif – mountains which can only be reached in summer by the course of the ‚Beaver‘, which winds its way through sub-polar Alaska for 300 kilo metres. For three weeks we will have no contact with the outside world, nor rescue facilities – because we have
dispensed with satellite phone. We are to exist exclusively with and within nature: by water, air and muscle power. It is spring in Alaska. Beaver Creek presents a scene of desolation. Tommy is an experienced canoeist and our helmsman, searching out the correct line. He understands the ‘visual funnel’ system – a tapering of smooth water indicating its depth. My position is paddling powerhouse, and bow lookout. In no time at all we are a coordinated team. In the rapids, communication becomes brief and full of meaning. “Roots at eleven o’clock: twenty metres!” “Got it.” “Funnel right. Then tree trunk right!” “Paddle!!” We are on the river nine hours a day. After five days we reach the foothills of the White Mountains. In the northern light the rock of these mountains seems pale and somehow lifeless. We make our camp on a river sandbank, the base for our first flying attempt. We wait in the no-wind weather. For hours, days, we study the cloud formations of this arctic sky. Humidity after a rain shower turns our camp into an immediate nest
M idnight Sun 67
Worn down by the wind. Both Felix and Thomas lost five kilos on Beaver Creek. Always to hand: pepper spray.
of mosquitos. Only the fire, burning day and night, gives us relief.
our ‘shelter’. In the midst of this vastness the tiny home looks a pitiful attempt at human domination.
Night turns to Day After a stormy day we tackle the ridge at around 9 pm, first climbing towards the mountains through steep overgrown forest following animal tracks. Dead trees snap like matchwood. Broken wood, bear manure and elk droppings indicate that wild animals are about. At the top of the ridge the wind is gusty, accompanying the retreating overdevelopment. We wait patiently. From the space between the horizon and a black wall of cloud the midnight sun throws its orange light on the white rocks. It is one o’clock in the morning. A light pull on the A-lines has the canopy rising up from between scrappy miniature fir trees. I let the wing fly, call “Go” to Tommy and take three large paces. We lift off. Airborne in Alaska! Where exactly we don’t know: this mountain does not have a name. We glide over the deserted wilderness. The valley is in shadow. Below us the course of the Beaver glimmers silver in a black forest. The only sign of civilisation is a green spot on the bank – the plastic groundsheet of
The Wilderness Strikes Back At the foot of Victoria Mountain things get serious. A full-grown brown bear is rummaging around our camp. It’s as Tommy said: “When you least expect one, there they are.” We draw our pepper sprays and try to drive him off. As he turns away his nose draws him to our tents, 150 metres away. Goose feathers. He rips open my tent and tears apart my sleeping bag and camping mat into smithereens. I don’t feel too good – it is by pure chance that I’m not lying inside. A nip in the leg, the taste of blood; I might have become dinner. A bear might come back to this bonanza of a find, so we quickly set about a change of refuge. The nights become harder from now on with only one sleeping bag.
We attack tonight. Paragliding, army style: one shot, one kill. Felix Wölk
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Midnight Sun 68
The bad weather clears at eleven o’clock at night. The polar sunset lights the bleached rocks of the White Mountains while the search for a takeoff place goes on.
No chance on Victoria Mountain The Victoria massif turned out to be stormy. Rotor clouds formed in streets, ice clouds streamed overhead like threads. The wind lashed Beaver Creek, leaving streaks on the water. Two attempts to fly the mountains failed. After three weeks we reached our pick-up point. It is a strange feeling when the bush pilot thunders over our heads in his old propeller-driven contraption. In this isolation, human activity had become foreign. When we had breakfast in ‘Sven‘s Guesthouse’, Fairbanks, the background of civilisation sounded like noisy chaos. I yearned for the wind in the woods, the murmur of the river, and the kaleidoscope of animal voices.
About Thomas Bing is a passionate canoeist, paraglider pilot and globetrotter. Faithful to his motto “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, he has acquired a wealth of survival experience in inhospitable regions. Felix Wölk is a paraglider and hang glider pilot, parachutist, and old-school mountain sports enthusiast. He has been a renowned worldwide paragliding
Equipment
PI 2
photographer for two decades.
PIPACK 2
ÂM idnight Sun 69
Above a stretch of the Beaver. During the flight back to the boat the familiar whisper of the stream gets louder.
The road from the camp to the foot of the slopes can quickly become an adventure – even if it is only 100 metres long.
Bush pilot as adventure life insurance.
Keep the fire burning. Thomas Bing
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Publishing Details
Publishing Details
Publisher: ADVANCE Thun AG, Uttigenstrasse 87, 3600 Thun, Switzerland Idea & Concept: Simon Campiche Editing: Mirjam Hempel Layout: Bänz Erb Maps & Computer Graphics: Mark Oertig Coordination: Tobias Rusterholz Translation: Mike Riley Proofreading: Charlotte King Title picture: Felix Wölk Get inspired | Picture: Olga von Plate Dance on the volcano | Text: Michael Witschi | Pictures: Tobias Dimmler (all) Vol-biv with the wind | Text: Hannes Tscherrig | Pictures: Adi Geisegger (all) From the top of the Alps | Text: Christian Mörken | Pictures: Alex Buisse (P. 18, 20, 21), Fred Suchon (P. 21, 22, 23) Flat Challenge | Text: Hannes Tscherrig | Pictures: Lukasz Prokop (P. 24, 26, 27), Aneta Prokop (P. 24) Westwards | Text: Olga von Plate, Mirjam Hempel | Pictures: Olga von Plate (all) In Alpinists‘ Heaven | Text: Hannes Tscherrig | Pictures: Antoine Girard (P. 34, 36, 39, 40, 41), Damien Lacaze (P. 38, 40) Road trip to Mongolia | Text: Simon Campiche | Pictures: Nathalie & Alain Antognelli (all) Himalayan Tandem | Text: Mirjam Hempel | Pictures: Alessandro d‘Emilia (all) Magikistan | Text: Hannes Tscherrig | Pictures: Christina Kolb & Alain Lehoux (all) Fly a Bike | Text: Christian Mörken | Pictures: Pierre Emilio Medina Flying the midnight sun | Text: Felix Wölk | Pictures: Felix Wölk (all) Spring 2019 © ADVANCE
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