Looking across to the Aiguille Verte
Adventure and inspiration,  Fly Better,  Techniques and Skills

A new puzzle to play

The world of Alpine climbing is being redefined by what you can do by mixing things up with a paraglider and some imagination. Jake Holland and Fred Souchon tackle a classic route by paraglider and mountain wing.

6 December, 2024, by Jake Holland

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.

The route on the Aiguille Verde
The Aiguille Verte – The Grands Montets Ridge, 1,000m, D, IV+ follows the dashed red line to the summit of the  Aiguille Verte (4,122m). The pilots landed high on the glacier, climbed the route then descended on mountain wings back to their XC gliders. Photo: iStockPhoto

The project: The Aiguille Verte

The Aiguille Verte (4,122m) needs little introduction to any mountaineer in the Alps. Legendary French mountaineer and guide Gaston Rébuffat once famously said, “You become a mountaineer...

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