What does 2019 have in store for you? Well, the sky’s the limit. Dream big, do your research, check your kit – and get going. It’s time to prepare for another great year in the air. Here’s what’s in Cross Country 197 (Feb/March 2019). Safe flying!
Antoine Girard and Damien Lacaze’s incredible 1,500km aerial journey through the Karakoram last summer takes pride of place in this issue – on the cover and across 10 awe-inspiring pages inside. This is the cutting edge of our sport right here –combining fast X-Alps style adventure flying through 8,000m mountains with high-altitude, alpine-style Himalayan mountaineering. The bar has been raised – again.
“It’s very important to remain calm, positive, patient, to have fun.” 2018 was a year to remember for Marcella Uchoa: she broke three world records and became Brazil’s female paragliding champion. She speaks to us about going from paragliding zero to world-class hero – in just eight years.
“A vol-biv purist would have spent a wet night fighting mosquitoes and eating beef jerky. Us glampers enjoyed steamed crab and braised grouper with white wine, before spending the night in an air-conditioned room with a soft bed. No contest.” Vol-biv isn’t for everyone. Pack the credit card and opt for a luxury flying trip to the Bahamas instead, says Jeff Hamann.
“Weightshift is key. We say it from school, but still most pilots totally forget. Weightshift is one of the most efficient actions you can do on a paraglider.” Acro star Théo de Blic gives us a masterclass in mastering those wingovers.
Do you get tired of winter? Photographer and pilot Olivier Laugero does – so he packs up when the weather turns and takes his family on an annual sailing and flying odyssey. The results are out of this world.
Dust. It’s all just dust. Bruce Goldsmith explains how dust can damage your gear, and how you can help prolong the life of your glider.
“It’s very relaxing to fly and the climbing efficiency flattered my ability. Some wings demand their pilot’s attention, but the Crossrock allowed me to get on with the flying and seeing the bigger picture.” Marcus King tries U-Turn’s new lightweight EN-B and finds it one to consider for every adventure.
“As you push out to sea you get higher and higher. Sometimes you push out far enough to fit in a full 360-degree turn. At times, you can get several 360s in, gaining 200+ metres!” Weather expert Honza Rejmanek explains why you can sometimes find yourself climbing and climbing when flying the coast.
“The very name Punk tells you that this wing has more character than some. It has superb, direct handling that will keep an ambitious pilot happy for a few seasons at least.” Brian from Accounts took BGD’s EN-B Punk for a spin ¬– and discovered his wild side.
“Beginners are often tempted by all the sexy, technical stuff, but can then get confused or distracted by it all in flight.” You can spend hours agonising over the right flight instrument for you – or you can just read our essential guide on how to choose a vario.
PLUS: Bundled in free for subscribers is this year’s annual Cross Country International Travel Guide. It’s bursting with amazing places to fly – from Annecy to Acro heaven, the Dolomites to Dufourspitze. It’s the quick route to 2019’s big adventures and is distributed free to all print and digital subscribers of Cross Country Magazine’s English-language edition. Book your ticket now!
