Tag: 2022

Preview day of Tomas Matera…X-Pyr 2022 (Hondarribia – El Port de la Selva)

We are already in Hondarribia 🎉 only two days left for the start of the xpyrrace and we are noticing the influx of riders in the area, there are more and more vans of teams and more faces of riders excited about what is coming from Sunday. 

It is a lot of work to get to where we are, but this has intensified even more in the last few days because Felipe Tudela has joined the team as official support because Olmo Cadahia has had to withdraw, he had a bad landing during his flight training and has broken his calcaneus, the bone in the heel, due to the impact and needs an operation. It is a pity not to be able to share the race for all the effort and dedication that Olmo has had during these previous months, but the first thing is to recover and more opportunities will come in the future. However, Olmo will continue to help the team from home and it’s time to catch up with Felipe about everything and try to exchange opinions and get organised; but I’m happy because everything seems to be going in the right direction and there’s no lack of enthusiasm and excitement💪🏻.

The briefings with the organisation, the interviews with the teams and the checking of every detail have already begun. This is already a reality, there is nothing left……only 2 days!!

After a few days of scouting for the #xpyr2022 race on the French and Spanish sides of the course line, it appears team Canada has brought the crummy Canadian weather with us! Despite a couple of reasonable flight earlier this week, overcast skies, low bases, and lots of wind is now the norm. We’re making the best of it though with lots of little hike and flys off hills with their tops in the clouds, and desperate 1m 30s flights kicking treetops to get off a hill. I’ve learned that Pyrenees prickles like to grow just below the fern tops so you can’t see them, and picking your glider out of wet side hill fern fields takes longer than expected! Despite all that it’s been a treat seeing the terrain firsthand and I’m still hoping for flyable conditions come race day on the 26th 🤞 although that’s looking less and less likely. If not, I’ll be carrying my bag of flying gear across the Pyrenees, instead of the other way around!! 

I have a lot of people to recognize and thank for helping make this odyssey a reality. 

Most importantly, thanks to my amazing partner @sheinamacadam for taking care of our life commitments while I’m away so we can make this possible. 

Secondly, a huge thank you to my sponsors;  Paraglide Canada, Pathfinder Asset Management, and Christopher Bates. 

This race would be impossible without my supporters Jonathan, who’ll be keeping me on track,  and Dave, who are cooking up Michelin star meals out of the Renault camper. 

Last but not least, gratitude to Team Canada’s patrons back home; Alex Raymont, Brad Henry, Tonya Roumiantseva, Brent Handy, Martin Zac, Renata Moravocava, Tony Evans & Nora, Richard Bruneau, Devin Andersen, Rod Frew, Jonathan Pettersen, Randy Smith, Brian MacLean, Greg Martin, Leylan McGinn,  Daisy, and everyone who bought t-shirts to help contribute to this endeavor! 

For Team Canada X-Pyr 2022 daily race updates, follow along at www.instagram.com/flying.james

Enjoy a casual overview of the race route and get an insight into the challenges presented by the course. See the latest race updates on the X-PYR 2022: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfEDBaYDo5wbGl34Y2eaWVUT0WloOx01

We are 5 days away from the start of the race. Weather has definitely changed and we’ve switched to more operational tasks and, of course, physical fitness. The team is fully assembled, with Jesse heading up organization, Chris our pacer, mule, and expert generalist, and Ross with coordination and co-mule responsibilities. I’ve just received my new Bogdan Fly harness and am incredibly impressed. This harness is light and the stitching amazing. I was able to test it out and so far, excited sums it up. Now it’s time to plan the race based on some of these early forecast models with the team.

The first thing that comes to my mind about Pyrenees is dry and rough terrain, burned grass and spiky bushes, but that’s not all true! We’ve been quite surprised to all the green hills around Larun.

Both the coastal areas and the French side are actually quite humid and green! Does it mean easy?

Not really, those beautiful hills may look soft and cozy, but they are actually pretty windy and with low… or no cloud base each transition is a challenge.

That’ll be over 100km of very technical flying and A LOT of walking. Not to mention first 20km of asphalt 😃 Uhh…

Now just some rest days in the office and we’re back to Pyrenees on Friday!

Mikolaj

Finally time is running, but it feels good. The weather is hot, better go high by paraglider or mountaineering. Last sunday i was climbing the Piz Bernina 4048mM. The accent is so nice, the way down was hard in the wet snow. Luckily i climbed with my paraglider and the wind was ok… on 3700mM, so the flight to Pontresina was a pleasure!

Have say that before I came out one of the things that troubled me was the thought of the heat in the Pyrenees and really it couldn’t of been any hotter, a big heatwave right across the mountains has been a baptism of fire. Us English ain’t used to it! Haha

The last week or so has been a mix of H&F, H&R in France with a jump over to Formigal then Arbas, Biggore and Accous

Two days spent in Arbas helped me use the main takeoff and the higher ridge takeoff with very weak lift I managed to leave the valley and make a couple of small hops west passed Aspet to Estenos before turning back.
Keeping an eye on the forecast it looking that south into Spain would be better I drove over to Formigal unfortunately it changed over night and wind was incoming, I did get a quick flight in above the town to land by the van as I watch the wind front making its way up the lake. Still having all afternoon I headed up the col Pourtalet to see how my lung faired with the altitude. Living by the sea back in Cumbria it’s always in the back of your mind how I would feel running around at altitude 2.5hrs to Ibon de Anayet and back was a perfect test and I felt good! 

Next on to Biggore and the weather didn’t play ball first high cirrus clouds stopped the thermals and then from miles away a nimbus floated over and the day was done.

Accous next and the wind was set in so a long walk was planed up to 800 take off and carrying up to the higher peaks to really feel the wind. 7hrs out up and around Puc de Bergon & L ‘Embarrere to Col d’iseye with an hour run down at the end.

In all I think the French Pyrenees is going to be a tricky place to fly xc, very humid with low base and light thermals, what am I saying sounds lot like back home. Haha

Hello from Rob, Julia and Keith!

After a late entry into the race, we’ve been very busy trying to get up to speed, and with only minor hiccups along the way.

We’ve had an excellent time in the Pyrenees for the past few days: getting familiar with the route, enjoying the beautiful mountains and culture, and hanging out with our friends Logan, Reavis, Mike and Cedar. Julia has been hiking up to launches with Keith and I and then hiking down and kindly retrieving us when we land. So far we’ve been concentrating on the central X portion of the route, mostly because the area is so beautiful! 

We’ve concluded that flying the course is a dream and hiking it a nightmare, so we hope to do much more of the one than the other.

Cheers!