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Bob Drury

Valley winds in complex terrain

Ten things you need to know about Valley Winds

Bob Drury's top ten tips to help you understand valley winds, how to use them and how to fly in the mountains safely
Read More
Mac Para Aravis 2500

How to fly thermals in stable conditions

There’s nothing worse than a stable day with weak thermals and lots of turbulence, but Bob Drury explains how to fly in these conditions 
Read More
How-to-thermal

How to find the core of a thermal

Thermalling well is all about mental mapping, staying alert to new information and exploration within the thermal. And lots of flying is the only way to collect the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle.
Read More
How-to-thermal-3

How to thermal a paraglider, part 2

Bob Drury picks up some tips from some of the best paraglider and hang glider pilots in the world about how they thermal, in the final part of Cross Country magazine's definitive guide to thermalling
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How-to-thermal-Air-Design

How to thermal a paraglider, part 1

How to Thermal better: Cross Country Magazine's definitive guide to flying hang gliders and paragliders in thermals.
Read More
Cumulus building into a big cell on an unstable day

Understanding air stability

We explain what effect inversions, airmasses and high and low pressure systems can have on your day's paragliding or hang gliding.
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Ozone-Rush-4-320

Ozone Rush 4, EN B: Paraglider review

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Neal Michaelis

Video: A Higher Calling – a trans Nepal paragliding journey

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Kingdom of the Clouds

Video: Extreme Lives: Kingdom of the Clouds

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How clouds form, from the Met Office

Finding, tracking and flying thermals in mountains

Predicting where a thermal will travel after releasing isn't a skill that requires a missile guidance system, some simple 3D terrain analysis is enough
Read More
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Current Issue

Cross Country 266:July 2026

We’ve dedicated this issue to The Alps – that 1,200km arc of mountains that curves through the centre of Europe from Monaco to Slovenia.
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