When Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio headed to Spiti, a remote valley in the high Himalayas, last year they knew what they were looking for.
“We arrived in India with one idea in mind – to get lost in these mountains,” Tom tells us in this exclusive interview in the latest issue of Cross Country magazine. It’s the perfect time for some escapism, the perfect time to get a little lost. Here’s what else is in the magazine.
Chrigel Maurer reveals his ten tips for paragliding perfection in this unique insight into the mind of a champion. “When I’m thermalling I really focus on being in thermalling mode – watching for birds, signs where I can go up. And I really focus on that mode until I get to cloudbase.”
Lockdown is breaking for many of us, and Theo de Blic shares his tips for making the most of it. “Don’t forget it is still spring out there! When we can fly again we are going to start flying in the strongest conditions of the year straight away.”
Why the beep really matters. Timothy Manaud from Le Bip Bip explains why our hearing is so important in flying, and how it helps us build a perfect picture of the air that surrounds us.
Want to fly a two-liner but not sure where to start? SIV instructor Malin Lob has some advice for the prospective two-line pilot. “One thing you will notice is just how much better the performance is into wind than any glider you have ever flown.”
“England is a paramotoring paradise” Adi Geisegger was told, so he packed his van and headed for the balmy breezes of the beautiful Isle of Wight for an inspirational paramotoring trip and mini-adventure.
The French Alps might have been quiet this spring but that doesn’t mean no one has been flying. Photographer Benjamin Guindre reports on the elite band of French mountain commandos who specialise in flying under the radar.
The MipFly One is under the review spotlight as Joanna Di Grigoli takes this new, open-source, all-in-one flight instrument to Colombia and Brazil to put it through its paces.
Skywalk’s new Agility System on the new Mescal 6 is explained. “The handling becomes more lively and more agile,” says Skywalk’s Arne Wherlin.
Niviuk’s new Skin 3P has refined single-skin technology even further – these are now really simple, nice gliders to fly. We take one out for a mountain hike-and-fly.
Are you an optimist? Will Gadd has some interesting things to say about that in this in-depth interview on the psychology of free flying. “I jokingly call it the positive power of negative thinking,” he explains. “From the moment you get to the site and start sorting your gear you are going to focus on getting everything right: This is legit, this not just walking my dog in the park.”
Plus we talk to Veso Ovcharov; find out how best to recover from injury; learn about contrails with Honza Rejmanek; go foot-dragging at the Florida Fun Fest; and find out how to fly the famous Pinzgau Valley in Austria from former world champion Stefan Stieglar. “The whole area is a playground!” he says.
