
Masterclass: Fred’s Tips and Tricks – Alpine Flying
Fred Souchon is a mountain guide, Advance team pilot and mountain-rescue professional who lives and flies in the Chamonix Valley. In these films, made by pilot and filmmaker Jake Holland, Fred shares his advice on paragliding in the high mountains. This series of films is being released through the first half of 2025.
30 January, 2025, by Jake Holland and Fred Souchon#1 Fred’s Tips and Tricks: The Combo
The world of Alpine climbing is being redefined by what you can do by mixing things up with a paraglider and some imagination. In this 15-minute film Jake Holland and Fred Souchon tackle a classic route in the Chamonix Valley by paraglider and mountain wing.
Jake says: “What I really enjoy about combos is the imagination and originality they allow. There have been so many brilliant mountaineers who have come before us who paved the way with their excellent puzzle-solving skills that you have to be someone really exceptional in order to do something ‘new’ as an alpinist in the Alps. Which in some ways feels a shame as the feeling of solving a mountain riddle can be immensely satisfying.
“Now though, with lightweight flying equipment I feel we have the opportunity to enjoy a new game in the Alps – which has its own puzzle pieces to fit together.”
Join the two pilots as they fly and climb the Aiguille Verte (4,122m) in the French Alps.
Read the full story here.
#2 Fred’s Tips and Tricks: Mountain tips
In this video, created with Fred explains how to approach a high mountain paraglider launch in the Alps or other glaciated mountains.
He takes us through some of the kit you need to stay safe on the ice and snow of the mountain, and shares some of his tips to make sure you launch cleanly and first time. How about the lollipop trick – heard of that one?
Mountaineering on snow and ice does demand a specific skill set, including knowledge of how to use ice-axe, crampons and crevasse rescue technique – and this video is not aimed at teaching you that. But it is about what to have in your bag, and how to manage the combination of mountaineering equipment like crampons and ice-axe with your paragliding kit.
In the film Fred launches from nearly 4,000m on the Aiguille du Midi, almost 3,000m above the mountain town of Chamonix in the valley below. It’s a classic flight and a bucketlist flight for many pilots in the Alps.
#3 Fred’s Tips and Tricks: The art of vol-bivouac
In this third film Fred takes us into the world of vol bivouac, or fly camping. He explains what equipment you need, what sort of approach you want to adopt, how to plan your first adventures, and how to develop.
Whether you’re just using your standard gear to head out for an unforgettable summer night or specialised equipment for longer journeys, vol-biv offers adventures for everyone. Get inspired and experience the art of vol-biv.
You can read the full story here.
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