It’s been 40 degrees out here which means reaching huge heights enabling us to cross the main ridge of the Pyrenees with ease. The main pattern, morning is stable in France, very hot and little movement, then Bam! It’s on and we are flying as fast as we can going up 7+m/s smooth until the clouds turn dark and over develop. These hot morning hikes and some hot runs have helped us adapt. We are expecting a big shift in weather and will see how this changes our tapering this week
There is no better way to explore the X-Pyr route than by travelling and flying around in this beautiful area. Hike an Flys with landings next to the van, cross country flights from turnpoint to turnpoint and bike tours on the windy days. The only issue is the heat we have to deal with! The conditions were not that prone for hikes. Better to be at cloudbase or cooling down in a lake. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to the race, hopefully with a bit less than 35° Celsius.
Unfortunately, due to a stress fracture, Eliya has had to withdraw his entry to the race. The athletes train hard, sometimes too hard! We are particularly sad as Eliya was our first ever participant from Israel. We hope this spate of accidents and injuries stops right now!
In Eliya’s own words:
The X-Pyr race has been in my sights since I started flying. A pinnacle race for hike and fly athletes. Much thought and training went into the preparation of this monumental effort of traversing the Pyrenees with a piece of nylon and two legs. But as often with things we chase hard, I over-did it: a few overdoses of volume training on asphalt fucked my metatarsal bone. Feels shit but it is what it is. To man-up means to inhale disappointments, get smart and move on. The Pyrenees will wait.
7 days before the start of the race Nacho and I are in the Pyrenees to study in-situ all the route that this X-Pyr has reserved for competitors. It is true that we know some steps of this edition from having flown them on other occasions, but this time the central X has a part through the French Pyrenees somewhat tactical and depending on the weather can make the change of decisions is drastic.
We have been a few days and the weather has not been accurate to make some flights. Even so we have tested the TP7 (Corronco), making a climb on foot from the village of Barruera in the Val de Boi.
The weather is going to be difficult, so it’s time to do some walking to keep training the physical part, and of course, the acclimatization a week before the race in the high mountains.
Always enthusiastic about every corner and every valley of the Pyrenees.
The latest addition to our team is the Nova Artus light chair, after hanging it up for a few adjustments the final touch in the air.
It’s amazing how much Hike & Fly gear has evolved, from the “heavy” 12 kilos I started with in 2014 to just under 5.5 kilos that I’ll be carrying in this edition.
After 15 plus years as a professional climber for The North Face…7 years ago, I figured I’d dabble in a little paragliding, not because I always had dreams of flying, but because it seemed like a fast way down from big rock climbs. Honestly, Cross Country paragliding seemed sort of silly and uninteresting. MEGA-WRONG!!! Often my first impressions are not the best!!! FOR instance, I remember thinking that the internet seemed like a pretty stupid idea when it first came out…turns out the internet has been some what sucessful… and it turns out that Cross Country paragliding is infinitely interesting … HA, my bad! In fact, I think my Ozone Zeolite should come with a warning label that says, CAUTION VERY ADDICTIVE. In my first week learning with Matt Henzi, and after catching my first thermal and having my first soaring flight, I started calling paragliding “Sky Crack,” because no matter how much I got, it wasn’t enough. This may very well be my greatest contribution to paragliding, I coined the term “Sky Crack!” Heh. Just one more hit….There is a fine line between passion and addiction! Sort of like there is a fine line between Bad Ass and Dumb Ass!
THE FLEDGLINGS
Let’s call it an addictive passion! Whether an addict or a pious disciple…I went all in, and have had some of the most incredible adventures of my life in the air…. including, flying off the highest peak in Mexico in my first year of paragliding, (thanks to my Sensei Matt Henzi’s tutelage), setting local XC records at my home site, and pioneering new launches in Nevada with legends of the sport in the USA such as Bill Belcourt, Reavis Stuphin-Gray, Arash Farhang, and Cody Mittank. I dabbled in Vol-Biv a couple years ago with another key mentor Mitch Riley, as well as f ellow USA competitor Logan Walters. After our “LAX” winter solstice traverse of the L.A. basin, I thought that maybe I would actually enjoy the sufferfest that the X-Pyr promises. The final straw was when I visited europe last year and did a couple comps in Targasonne, and Valle de Boi and realized that the Pyrenees are fucking incredible, and that signing up for the X-Pyr 2022 was a definite: HELL YES PLEASE!!!!
So here I am… a small American fish teeing up with the Euro Big Dogs. Trying to stack the odds in my favor, I’ve been here in The Pyrenees, pre-race for over a week now, previewing the course with my close friend, supporter and extremely talented pilot in his own right… Mike Lester…, and it’s honestly been some of the best mountain flying of my life. We have been blessed with FANTASTIC conditions! I’ve crossed the Pyrenees by air in orbit… over 4000 meters altitude, freezing my nuts off…several times this week!!! GORGEOUS, ASTOUNDING, EPIC!!!! At this point.. Even if I FLAIL in the race, the recon has been awesome enough that I will go home happy regardless of my performance in what is looking like a beast of a course (especially the X, and getting in and out of Accous.) For me X-Pyr is less about the competition and more about the adventure of crossing one of the most beautiful and iconic mountain ranges in the world! Regardless of the outcome I know that this is going to be an unforgettable life X-Pyrience…Heh Heh. WOOHOOO!!!!!
One week before the race begins… From Thursday the 23rd June, the teams will be gathering in Hondarribia for briefings, interviews, safety checks, etc.
The tension and anticipation is rising!
If you would like to ask questions of the athletes, supporters or the organisation during the pre-race interviews, send your questions to xpyrjudith@gmail.com, with your name and we will try our best to ask the guys and gal.
You can follow us live (:
9:30 Sunday, 26th June (Start)
12:30 – 15:00 Sunday, 26th Juny (TP1: Larun)
12:30 – 15:00 Sunday, 3rd July for the prize giving
These are the fixed live broadcasts, but during the race we will make dozens of live connections, from different places. So, stay tuned!
Follow Live Tracking from the moment of the start at www.x-pyr.com
And stay tuned, because we will try to broadcast live different moments of the race.
It’s very SADDENING to see more and more pilots pulling out of X-Pyr due to injuries. Just a brutal reminder of how risky paragliding is, especially when pushed to the limits.
For the race that’s just one another replacement or less names on the list, but… behind it, it’s long recovery and personal dramas. Something to have in mind before jumping into another lee-side or just keep-flying when the sky gets dark.
Had a cold shower myself last week, stupid and unnecessary mistake sent me in spiky bushes. Painful and frustrating experience, but also one that ended with a foot injury. Hopefully minor and I’m fine, but it’s often just so close.
I wish everyone a quick recovery and, please, be wise! It’s just a race!
Yesterday I went to the Pyrenees, all day driving, I arrived a little before Zaragoza and spent the night there. Exhausting day of driving but very excited to start the adventure.
This morning I returned to the road and set course for the X, specifically to the El Corronco Waypoint.
First Hike and Fly in the Pyrenees, shortly after arriving with the van I decided to train a little and started the climb, a little late but I wanted to climb and the landscapes are incredible. Arriving at the peak a storm was forming nearby and the thunder sounded not far away, strong wind came in and I decided to go down, as soon as I took off I climbed in a straight line about 100m and it did not let me move forward, I let myself go to the lee because even accelerating I could not go forward so, to the back taking me collapsed and putting the batteries of the pull, I descended to the valley and there I find more stability so I can land next to the van.
With only two weeks! Till the race you’ll be wanting to know how my trainings going for the race well some good some bad.
After the Bornes to fly my van decided to give up on me and I was stuck in Annecy, eventually I limped my way to the Pyrenees and Arbas where it was less that flyable so I continued on to Ainsa Under TP 3 Pena Montanesa where it went into the garage for a few days. But not a moment was lost the next 3 days I spent walking the mountain to find Takeoff’s and get to see the area from the air on day 1 by the time I found a TO’s it was a clear flydown as I’d walked to the masts and up a gully with ropes tide into the mountain side it was a bad idea, but after taking off I looked left to a sweet flat plate of grass close to the top. That’s where I headed day 2, and to fly xc for the first time in the Pyrenees. It didn’t go to plan, all forcasts showed SW winds and when I took of I seemed to have wind from the east! Sweet I thought I’ll fly back along the course towards accous for but on crossing the valley I found major sink in -4.5 and I pretty much got drilled to the river bed. I thinking I’ve got a lot to learn in flying these mountains, maybe I just rushed, need to settle on the hill first, so that what I did day 3 took off went left floated right and got a feel for the air. My flight plan was to head along the course line, with the SW winds I crossed to the next area of mountains to fly across landscapes I could imagine steep rocky face and mellow mountain bowls showing nothing but rock throw me into the air on a Roller coaster ride, checking my pitch and roll I moved north to the higher mian ridge with patches of snow scattered on them to look over into France and the low cloud coverd peaks not to day I thought but come race day I’ll be diving in a thought them to Arbas. A right turn passing over a high mountain Col i travelled along the bottom of the X to El Corronco until I hit airspace I my head I knew I was ok it was Class G I was fine but my vario telling me I was violating it by the time I figured it out it was time to land as I got myself in a tricky spot. Well this is what recce’s are for I guess. School boy error!
On getting back to Ainsa I was told the van and my dream of continuing the recce was fixed! Happy days….. Unfortunately not and a bit of food poisoning floored me for the next 2 day. I said things have been bad!
Hmmm where to now Accous was my first thought but if you know me a plan can change at a moments notice and east to El Pont de Suert and TP 6 was the best choice. Only an hour 10 down the road and after 30 minutes it was clear the van wasn’t totally fix but I wasn’t going to get stuck in Ainsa over the weekend and miss more time, I made it.
Still feeling ill I had a slow walk up not to high under El Corronco where I have flown the passed 2 days, first day just flying along the ridges to the east but not crossing flying out and round back to The village. Day 2 I planned to keep going east to Pic dels Moros and things were looking good high over the mountains I passed to the next and again over sort to the mountain with two antenna on here I climb up the SW face tp the top and made my way round always looking for the next place. Catching a strong thermal I started following it back as i thought but it left me and now I was low over the back battling with Lee slopes and trees and unfortunately lost as I soon landed in some sinking air. So close to going a good distance but I know I need to stop making these silly errors, focus is the name of the game.
Bornes to Fly 2022 – Annecy. For me the first time flying in France, what a beautiful region. 77 participants, the pilot level was very high.
Day 1 started fast, 8 hours of flying, very nice conditions, I flew very careful in the beginning and waited for the right moment to attack. In the evening I made a good move and was in the leading position for the first night.
On day 2, I made some good decisions and stayed high in the mountains, got the last turpoint easy and was ready to glide into goal for a safe win.
Sadly I didn‘t get the last turnpoint correct, landed 30 meters next to the radius and didn‘t walk into it, turnpoint in the GPS was already green because I flew into it before. Very stupid, yes. So I had to fly back to the turnpoint and lost 1 hour, in the end I was 3rd.
Of course, under this circumstances it‘s very disappointing. But anyway I‘m very happy with my performance, I was able to keep up with the best ones at a very high level in unfamiliar territory.
After some good flying with my new equipement at Gantrisch Hike&Fly, my team is ready für the X-Pyr.
