Cross Country Issue 260: October 2025
From paragliding in the Wild West to hanging by a thread in the Himalaya – the latest issue will leave you gripped
8 September, 2025, by Cross Country
Travellers tales
“Pilots are very lucky people,” says the subject of our back-page interview this issue. At 71, and after a lifetime flying hang gliders and then paragliders, Ken Wilkinson flew his first 200km back in May – a six-hour downwinder from his favourite home site. He is probably still smiling at the thought of it.
As we hear so often though, he also makes the point that it is the journey that matters most, not the destination. The people you meet, the friends you make, the time spent in the air doing the thing we love. At the end of the day it’s important to enjoy these things, and not simply obsess about the figure on the screen at the end of the flight.
It’s important to remember that when you’re about to kick your helmet around the bomb-out field in frustration, or find yourself unable to drop it all and go, now, on the strength of the best forecast all year because of work/family/your wedding day. Or when it’s raining outside and according to the social media algorithm the rest of the world is on vol-bivouac / thermalling above the Matterhorn / speed-riding an insane line in the Rockies.
Everybody has bad days and good days, brilliant weeks and blown-out weeks, it’s part of the process, it’s what makes the sport real and the genuine achievements worth fighting for.
This issue is packed with brilliant stories from some amazing pilots, but I guess one thread that brings them all together is that they have all been worked for – there are no shortcuts. Whether it’s Tim Rochas and friends exploring wild lines in Utah, John Pendry looking back at how he worked to become world champion back in the day, or Aaron Durogati explaining how they filmed the latest stunning film, Touching the Air – they all spent years getting to where they want to be with their sport. And it’s paid off – they fly like in their dreams.
Flying is a long game, no matter how good the gear gets, how technical the forecast becomes, or how easy the latest wunderkind makes it look. The journey is the thing – the goals and those 100/200/300k days mere milestones to savour along the way.
Enjoy the issue!
Ed Ewing, editor
Features
Road Trip USA
Exploring the canyonlands and badlands of the USA with Tim Rochas and friends.
Campione del Mondo!
‘I set myself a secret goal: to become world champion.’ John Pendry and Steve Ham look back
Crushing it in Krushevo
‘Losing is sometimes better than winning.’ But is it? Tarquin Cooper gets his first taste of competition
Himalayan Lifeline
Stranded at almost 5,000m Michal Karnik fought to stay alive. He tells his remarkable story.
In the Core: People, news and insight
Flying Nanga Parbat
“When you pull something off, it’s magical.” David Göttler on flying Pakistan’s famous ‘Killer Mountain’
On Launch With: Sebrand Warren
‘On my second flight I landed on my car windshield.’ The X-Alps rookie on hitting the raft, not his car
Letter From: Your Childhood
Have you ever flown in a dream? Maybe in childhood? Or perhaps you’ve been flying all your life? Yuri Grachevski writes from the heart
Remembering Vijay
‘Above all, Vijay was a remarkable human being.’ Gurpreet Dhindsa remembers his friend, Vijay Soni
Flying IQ: Helping you fly better
Learning to Observe
‘Observation isn’t something you’re born with – you build it.’ Louis Tapper on this crucial skill
Magical Fall
As autumn, or fall, arrives the environment we fly above changes – and for many early autumn is their favourite time of year to fly
Weather: When Valley Winds Reverse
Sometimes, valley winds flow the ‘wrong’ way – pilot and weather guru Honza Rejmanek takes a look at where and why
Destination: French Pyrenees
Jérôme Maupoint heads to a secret spot in high summer – and hits 5,000m base before lunchtime
Kitlist: Design insight
In Praise of Open Harnesses
Standard ‘sit’ paragliding harnesses offer simplicity, comfort and control. Bastienne Wentzel makes the case for the open harness
Ozone F*Race 2
It’s light, compact and makes you feel like a pro. Marcus King flies Ozone’s latest lightweight pod harness
DJI Osmo 360
DJI is best known for its drones, but the company has steadily expanded into action cameras with the Osmo Action range – we take a look
This article was first published in Cross Country Issue 260
