Frequent Flyers Project #3 - Paragliding in Namibia

Namibia was the last stop on our paragliding journey. It had been my longtime dream to visit this beautiful country: the red sand dunes, the dead trees, the unique cultural atmosphere and people in Southern Africa, the amazing sunsets, and the incredible wildlife that lives there. Our idea was mainly to fly on the west coast. By chance, we met Axel Gruber, a local pilot who flies in Swakopmund. Axel knows the area really well, and he kindly drove us from spot to spot.



WATCH THE OTHER EPISODES

- Frequent Flyers #1 - Paragliding in New Zealand
- Frequent Flyers #2 - Paragliding in Nepal


WHERE TO FLY

We primarily stuck to coastal flying, staying close to the ocean. However, if you're bold (and well organized), you can also do some pretty extreme cross-country flying. Namibia is the country where most major World Records have been broken.

- Sandwich Harbour (-23.318490, 14.501821)
- Swakopmund (-22.728681, 14.536591)

UPDATE :
Flying at Sesriem/Sossusvlei is now officially banned. People who try to fly there will be arrested and thrown out of the Park.



PILOT ADVICE

- We flew in August, which is… the worst period to fly there! There are very strong and turbulent winds (mainly from the south), but this is also the best period to observe the local wildlife, and the temperatures are little bit cooler since it's the winter season.

- If you fly between December and March, there is a 99% chance that you will enjoy fantastic flying.

- Be sure to contact Axel Gruber (http://magicmoments-namibia.com). Our now good buddy flies everyday, and he also does some Tour-guiding in the wild. He knows the conditions and spots well, so he is the man to contact if you want to go there.

- Beware, there are absolutely no rescue services (no helicopter, no assistance at all…). So make sure that you are well-prepared if anything happens. Always bring more water than you need, and food for a couple of days. You are truly in the middle of nowhere!

- At first glance, Namibia appears to be a very expensive country (and it is to a certain extent). But you can also travel rather inexpensively. Bring a tent, a camping stove, etc. You don't need to sleep in expensive guest houses or eat in expensive restaurants. There are several places to camp throughout the country.

- Most places (except for Sandwich Harbour) do not require a 4x4. This will allow you to save a lot of money. Etosha (the main Game Park) is accessible with a regular two-wheel drive car. So take a close look at what you want to do, you might not need a 4x4.


This marks the end of our adventure. We are now back in France, back to our normal everyday lives. I hope you enjoyed following our trip, and are motivated to take your paraglider with you the next time you travel…. There are paragliding spots everywhere in the world!


Be sure to like our Facebook page for some pics and stories all throughout the year.




Le Mont-Blanc en short (et en baskets)

Il y a des vols qui sortent de l'ordinaire et qui restent dans le cœur à jamais. Des vols qui semblent improbables, auxquels on ne croit pas jusqu'à la fin. La canicule de cette fin Juin 2015 fait monter les plafonds des nuages à des altitudes stratosphériques. Chaque parapentiste rêve alors en secret de survoler le Mt-Blanc ou la Barre des Écrins... Je dors à Chamonix le Jeudi 3 Juillet 2015, après avoir tenté de voler au-dessus du Mt-Blanc en parapente le jour même, au départ de Bourg-St-Maurice. Essai infructueux, nous ferons demi-tour au Col de la Seigne vers 3400m, contré par un flux de Sud-Ouest trop important pour rentrer. Après avoir repris les prévisions pour le lendemain vendredi, je décide de plier la journée: trop de vent annoncé en altitude.

Un rêve de parapentiste, pouvoir survoler le sommet du Mt-Blanc.



En me levant le matin, pas mal d'étalements, très laiteux... Bon allez sans regrets. Nous allons manger vers 13h en centre ville de Chamonix... et là que voie-je?? Une dizaine d'ailes se faire "bouchonner" à 4000m au dessus du Brévent et qui filent direction Mt-Blanc... Aargggh!! je viens de rater le wagon!! Je ne prends pas de dessert et je retourne illico à ma voiture prendre ma voile. J'hésite une dernière fois avant de monter dans la benne, car un voile d'alto-cumulus passe, et il est déjà tard (14h30). Bon je suis à Chamonix avec mon aile, c'est quand même dommage de ne pas tenter sa chance!


Depuis le Brévent, vue sur les Aiguilles de Chamonix, les Grandes Jorasses et la Dent du Géant


13 plus tard, je suis sur le déco et je retrouve des pilotes du GUC, avec qui nous avions volé la veille depuis Bourg-St-Maurice. Je me mets donc sur leur fréquence radio, et là qu'entends-je??? "Youhouhou!!! Waouhaouhou on est à 5000m!!! Yeeees!! Dééément!! Trooooop bon!!!!!!"  etc, etc, etc,  je vous passe les détails... Je suis bien content pour eux mais je me dis que je suis beaucoup trop tard pour les rejoindre. Je décolle quand même, histoire de me faire bouchonner à mon tour.


En direction du Col du Tricot, à 3500m d'altitude


Je fais donc le "plaf" vers 3800m et je me dirige vers le Col du Tricot, où j'arrive vers 2300m et qui me permet de basculer sur la face sud de l'arête du Tricot. La face donne bien et je remonte assez facilement jusqu'à l'Aiguille de Bionnassay, où je fais le nuage, vers 4200m.


Au-dessus du Col de Bionnassay, vers 4500m, devant les Dômes de Miage.


Ici, les premiers signes de l'altitude se font sentir: mal de tête, souffle court, je me concentre donc sur ma respiration pour rester lucide, et je bascule du côté Italien, vers l'Arête du Brouillard. Là, je retrouve deux ailes qui enroulent (ça fait du bien au moral) et on se retrouve ensemble pour monter en face sud du Mt-Blanc, au-dessus de cet énorme et austère Glacier de Miage. Des nuages descendent par moment sous le sommet, ce qui me fait dire que le sommet ne sera pas faisable. Mais à trois voiles, nous balisons bien le thermique, et on flotte jusqu'à 4400m, au-dessus des aiguilles et des énormes séracs. On profite de ces instants magiques, perdus au milieu de nulle part, devant les Dômes de Miage.


En direction du Dôme du Goûter


Puis, une des deux voiles se dirige vers le Dôme du Gouter. Je comprends par la suite que c'est une très bonne option, car avec ce flux de Sud Ouest, on se retrouve bien dans l'axe du vent. En prenant bien soin de rester côté Italien, on remonte doucement sur l'arête finale, tout en dynamique, avec les cordées d'alpinistes qui marchent en dessous du nous.


Au-dessus du refuge Vallot


Dix minutes plus tard, ça y est, je suis au sommet!!!! Je n'en crois pas mes yeux, c'est tellement irréaliste! Les deux autres voiles s'en vont assez vite, et je passe 20mn tout seul, à jouer avec les nuages au dessus du sommet, entre 4900m et 5000m d'altitude. J'aurais fait le Mt-Blanc en short et en baskets, en 1h30 au départ de Plan-Praz (mieux que Kilian Jornet et Ueli Steck réunis :-)


Au-dessus du sommet du Mont-Blanc, une cordée marche sur l'arête finale.








Note importante:
J'avais initialement écrit ces lignes pour partager mon expérience de ce vol fabuleux. Néanmoins, les accidents de parapente et les incidents avec le PGHM durant ces quelques jours de canicule doivent nous sensibiliser sur le vol à Chamonix. En effet, tenter un vol au Mt-Blanc, malgré une facilité apparente est un vol engagé, comme on ferait la Barre des Écrins par exemple. Il s'adresse à des pilotes expérimentés qui ont une bonne connaissance du cross, des incidents de vols et du vol en montagne. On vole à 5000m, les effets de l'altitude se font donc sentir. On évolue en haute-montagne, les conditions aérologiques peuvent être fortes et évoluer très vite. Enfin, il y a une zone d'interdiction de survol en Juillet et Août que l'on doit absolument respecter si nous voulons que ce vol magique reste accessible dans les prochaines années. 

Mise à jour du 23 juillet 2015 :
Le Mont-Blanc côté Italien est temporairement fermé au vol libre.
Voir le communiqué FFVL.




Frequent Flyers Project #2 - Paragliding in Nepal



Version française ci-dessous

Nepal… An epicenter of dramatic news that moved everyone of us so deeply. We were there exactly one year ago to fly around Pokhara and trek in the surroundings of Manaslu and Gorkha… Perrine had already been working on a development project in the villages of the Annapurna Conservation Area, and has found herself a welcoming family, many acquaintances, and loving friends. We realize how devastated all these villages are now… Our Nepalese guide Rajendra, who testifies in our film, is fortunately safe and sound, but now sleeps under a tent with his family. He understandably worries about not being able to work this year because of the lack of tourists. How is the local population going to endure the three month monsoon period without being able to work in the fields or even shelter from the rain? Short term survival and access to drinking water are absolutely critical for all of these remote villages that don’t attract any media attention or even any medical assistance.

We therefore asked ourselves if it was pertinent to release our film in such a context. But we have finally decided to show it because we are convinced tourism is one one of the major factors in rebuilding Nepal. The country’s people have lost a great deal but certainly not their kindness, their warm sense of welcome or the beauty of their environment. So open the door of Nepal….. and you’ll want to come back!

Paragliding in Nepal means discovering its many facets. When landing in remote valleys, we have always been met with an enthusiastic, warm and interested welcome. Our encounters with a smiling people attached to their cultural heritage and values remain deeply engraved in our heart. We not only met local pilots and discovered beautiful flying sites but also people in love with Nepal and its emblematic birds. Birds of prey, eagles and vultures often share the airspace with paragliders in these remote mountain ranges. Scott Mason is very passionate about birds of prey, especially vultures. He has created a bird of prey rehab centre in Pokhara: The Parahawking Project.

If you wish to help the Nepalese, there are many ways you can participate: urgency assistance (medical or infrastructure), or rebuilding projects (drinking water networks, roads, agricultural undertakings)… Everything is important. Doctors without Borders or the Red Cross are the main medical actors on the spot. These well known and well equipped organizations are very efficient and reactive in the short term. But it is also important to help all organizations working on long term projects, such as housing, roads, water networks, and help to farmers deprived of any harvesting this year.

Here are the links to directly help the population, via recognized local associations:
  • Karma Flights via The Cloudbase Foundation is a long established organization in Nepal, managed by paraglider pilots and helps people in very remote locations.
     
  • Nepal Mountain Mobil Hospital focuses on medical asistance in remote nepalese valleys. It is managed by Dr. Pierre SOETE.
     
  • Karuna Shechen runs health projects as well as education and social services for underprivileged populations in India, Tibet and Nepal.

Don’t hesitate to relay and communicate on these actions. Talking about Nepal and boosting tourism are the best ways to help rebuild the country. Our thoughts and prayers to all victims of these earthquakes.

 

SOUNDTRACK

LinkRust
"Two sil beat" - "Da linkrust Lama"" - "Let me step up" - "Hail to the sunrise" - "Waking up" - "Miles away"
https://soundcloud.com/linkrust

Zikali
"Kavalti"
http://www.zikali.com





SPOTS WHERE TO FLY

We did two great flights around Pokhara valley. One is about 75km (Sarangkot - Sardi Khola - Panchase - Pokhara) and the other one is 35km (Sirkot - Pokhara). But there is so much to do in terms of XC flying !
- Pokhara (28.260850, 83.973012)
- Sirkot (28.021082, 83.729253)
- Bandipur (27.931764, 84.413881)


PILOT ADVICES

- Best period to fly : March to May is a very good period for cross country, with strong thermals and very unstable conditions. The cloud base can reach more than 5000m on the good days! The only problem is the view: you just see absolutely nothing. Mornings are clear, but it starts to be very cloudy from 11am, so don't expect to see one mountain when you're flying...

- October to January looks the best season to fly there, with great sceneries of the mountains all day long. But the lower take-offs are quite stable though, so you might have to hike-up (Korchon for instance) if you want to start above the stability. November is the best season, but very crowdy around Pokhara (I mean, veeeery crowdy...)

- Don't come to Nepal to do huge flights between June and September, it's the monsoon season!

- Don't hesitate to exit from the "paragliding-oppression" in Sarangkot. Jumping behind (Green Wall, Sardi Khola…) is quite easy and way less crowded.

- Altitude is quite a deal. You can feel it when you are flying, although you are struggling above the jungle (at 3000m high…) The forest frontier is more than 4000m, so it can influence your flying skills while you don't expect it.

- XC flying and bivy-flying is great adventure to do around Annapurna and Manaslu. If you are not very experienced pilot, be sure to get in touch with the guys who work and fly there. Our advices: David Arrufat at Blue Sky Paragliding (http://www.paragliding-nepal.com) and "The Great Babu" Sunuwar, the guy who took-off from the Everest and then paddled down to the sea! (http://www.babuadventure.com)

- If you want to have such a great experience with the birds of prey, be sure to visit Scott Mason in Pokhara. This guy is really involved in the vulture conservation, and he can bring you into the air with a vulture landing on your hand! (http://www.parahawking.com)

- Pay attention that you may need a Trekking Permit (ACAP or MCAP) if you land in the Parks. If you get caught by the guards walking in the Park without a permit, you will get a fine for this.

- People in Nepal are very, very friendly. Always. Don't hesitate to learn three words of Nepali : "Namaste" (Hello), "Tik-Cha?" (how are you?), "Danielbath" (thank you), "Ramrosa" (it's beautiful), or at least give a smile when you see people. Hindu culture are very different than Western Countries, but respect and smile are the keys for communication bases.

- Giving money (or chocolate) to children is quite a problem around the cities. When you land around Pokhara, many kids come and want to pack your glider... Keep in mind that if they earn too much money in packing wings, they won't go to school anymore.

- And last (but not least) all information about weather forecast and cloud formation in this movie are NOT a rule for every day, in any situation!! As a pilot, you have to be aware of the forecast of the day and the local conditions.


So there you go, don’t hesitate to visit this wonderful country, you will never regret it!!

And be sure to like our Facebook page for the next movies to come! (https://www.facebook.com/Frequent.Flyers.Paragliding)






VERSION FRANÇAISE

Népal... au centre d'une actualité dramatique qui nous a profondément touchés. Nous y étions il y a exactement un an pour voler autour de Pokhara et marcher dans la région du Manaslu, Gorkha... Perrine avait déjà travaillé six mois sur un projet de développement dans les villages de l'Annapurna Conservation Area, elle a désormais une famille d'accueil, beaucoup d'attaches et de liens affectifs. Nous réalisons au fur et à mesure des témoignages à quel point ces villes et surtout ces villages ont été réduits à néant… Rajendra, notre guide Népalais qui témoigne dans notre film est heureusement sain et sauf, mais dort aujourd'hui sous une tente avec sa famille. Il s'inquiète de ne pas réussir à travailler cette année par manque de touristes. Comment les villageois vont-ils vivre les trois prochains mois de mousson, sans pouvoir cultiver les champs ou même s'abriter de la pluie? La question de la survie à moyen terme et de l'accès à l'eau potable est critique pour ces villages reculés, loin de toute médiatisation voire même de médicalisation.

La question s'est évidemment posée de la pertinence de diffuser notre film dans ce contexte. Nous avons cependant décidé de le montrer, car nous sommes convaincus qu'un moteur performant de reconstruction du Népal est le maintien d'un tourisme important et régulier. Les népalais ont perdu beaucoup, mais certainement pas leur gentillesse, leur accueil chaleureux et la beauté de leur environnement. N'hésitez donc pas à ouvrir la porte du Népal… vous y reviendrez!

Voyager avec son parapente au Népal, c'est découvrir ses visages! Posés parfois au fond de petites vallées, nous avons reçu un accueil local toujours touchant, enthousiaste et bien sûr curieux! Nos rencontres avec cette population, attachée à ses valeurs, sa culture et son sourire sont gravées en nous. Nous avons aussi fait la connaissance non seulement de pilotes locaux et de magnifiques sites de vol, mais aussi des amoureux du Népal et de ses oiseaux emblématiques. Les rapaces, aigles et vautours accompagnent et guident souvent les parapentistes dans ces contrées montagneuses et reculées. Scott Mason est un passionné des rapaces et particulièrement des vautours. Il a créé un centre de réhabilitation des rapaces à Pokhara, le Parahawking project.




Si vous souhaitez aider la population Népalaise, il existe différentes façons d'intervenir : l'aide d'urgence (médicale, infrastructures), ou l'aide de reconstruction (réseaux d'eau, routes, agriculture...). Toutes sont importantes! Médecins sans Frontières, Médecins du Monde, la Croix-Rouge, interviennent principalement pour l'urgence médicale. Organisés, reconnus et bien équipés, ils sont très efficaces et réactifs sur le court terme. Mais il est également important de soutenir les associations s'engageant à aider sur le long terme: pour la reconstruction des habitats, des routes et des réseaux d'eau, pour l'aide aux paysans qui n'auront pas de récolte cette année, etc.

Voici des liens pour aider directement les communautés, via des associations locales dont l'action est reconnue:

- "Karma Flights" via "The Cloudbase Foundation" est une association gérée par des parapentistes, implantée depuis longtemps au Népal, qui aide les populations en difficulté dans les endroits reculés.

- "Nepal Mountain Mobil Hospital" se concentre sur les soins des vallées reculées du Népal. Elle est gérée par le Docteur Pierre Soete.

- "Karuna Shechen" gère des projets spécialisés dans les soins de santé et les services éducatifs et sociaux pour les populations défavorisées en Inde, au Népal et au Tibet.


N'hésitez pas à relayer, communiquer sur ces actions. Parler du Népal mais aussi relancer le tourisme est la meilleure chose que nous pouvons faire pour reconstruire ce magnifique pays.





Frequent Flyers Project #1 - Paragliding in New-Zealand

Traveling for an extended period of time (more than 8 months), especially with a wing, harness, and a reserve parachute, clearly deviates from the ordinary. There is always the question of weight, bulk…. When you are traveling in "backpacker-mode" and you don’t plan to fly everyday, you can really wonder whether it's worth to take your glider or not... But even if your wing, harness, helmet (and maybe a rescue!) add weight and volume to your original bag, traveling with your paraglider in some remote areas opens up a range of amazing discoveries and encounters, that you would have never imagined as a "simple tourist". We are two regular pilots. We do not seek to break records or doing some crazy tricks, but only to have fun, to fly on original sites and to meet this fabulous small community of free flying world. During our trip, we stopped in New Zealand. Here is a the first movie of our long journey around the world.

 


 

SOUNDTRACK

eKoman
"On Top" - "Take it Easy" - "The Ultimate Wonder"
http://soundcloud.com/petzl-music/sets/ekoman

Aneeway Jones
feat. Unknown Mizery & Ali The Son of Abdul
24h Project - "No borders yesterday"
http://aneewayjones.bandcamp.com

Degiheugi
"The White Light" - "Trip to Kyoto"
http://www.degiheugi.com
 
Zikali
"A Hint of a Smile" - "Atom Sky"
http://www.zikali.com

Mr Igor Petiovitch
"On Air"
http://harmonimage1.bandcamp.com


Frequent Flyers


SPOTS WHERE TO FLY

- Mt Manganui (-37.640799, 176.178327)
- Ruby's Bay (-41.237071, 173.087868)
- Karioitahi (-37.283175, 174.655827)
- Wanaka - Treble Cone (-44.635569, 168.897414)
- Wanaka - Breast Hill (-44.564740, 169.366667)
- Wanaka - Snow Farm (-44.878893, 169.128943)


Frequent Flyers

PILOT ADVICES

- December to February seem the better timing to fly in the South Island. Bring with you a strong repellent, as sand flies are really turning your evening crazy sometimes (but that’s part of the adventure!)

- If you head to Wanaka, be sure to sleep at “Flying Kiwi Backpackers” (http://www.flying-kiwi-backpackers.co.nz). Those guys are very nice, the atmosphere is really relax, the owners are pilots, and many paragliders are passing by, so you will definitely find someone to fly with.

- As we were traveling for several months, sometimes without flying, we left many times our paragliding equipment in some places, to be able to travel on a "light-backpacker-mode". Even though we had to do some detours to take back our equipment, it's worth to do it, instead of being stuck because the bus or the taxi is too small for your bag...

- Regarding gear: After many discussions, we finally choose to bring some real gliders with good harnesses and rescues, instead of bringing an ultra minimalist gear (like a very small wing, an extreme lightweight harness and no rescue). This point can be discussed forever, but we have chosen to maximize the days we flew, and also to be able to fly on strong thermal conditions and crowded places. If you do mostly coastal flights, for sure you can choose a small glider and no rescue. But when we were flying in Wanaka with +4m/s thermal, we were happy to get a solid equipment...

- In New Zealand, people are very nice and helpful, but you have some rules to respect. As you will surely rent a van, be attentive or where you sleep. There is places you can sleep, sometimes free, sometimes not. “CamperMate” is an application that shows you the spots where to sleep. Don’t sleep beside the road, you can get a fine for this.

- We had serious problems to rent a van with WickedCampers (we had 3 breakdowns with 3 differents vans, and many issues to fix it), so be sure to NOT rent a van with those guys!! There is many other van agencies in NZ, and putting an extra-dollar per day can save a precious time, managing the breakdown… If you have a doubt, just Google “wicked campers problems” and you can read the forums...

- If you do Hike’n’Fly, be sure to respect the fences and cattle. Better to ask to the farmer if you can cross or not. In South Island, there is basically fences everywhere!

- You can get a good maps of New Zealand (IGN style) with TopoMap co.nz. Simply download the App, and you can find your way with the GPS (no extra-datas);

- Windugru (http://www.windguru.cz) is very precise about conditions for the day after. We used it many times to check the conditions all over the World.

So there you go, you got everything! So don’t hesitate to break your piggy bank to fly there, you won’t regret it!! Be sure to like our Facebook page for the next movies to come! (https://www.facebook.com/Frequent.Flyers.Paragliding)



Frequent Flyers

Petzl RocTrip - Eastern Europe

Après notre périple autour du monde pour le projet des Chants de l'Eau, nous revenons dans le vif du sujet avec 40 jours de Road Trip de la Roumanie jusqu'en Turquie, pour suivre le fameux Petzl RocTrip. Des sites incroyables, du rocher à gogo, 4000km de bitume avalé et une belle aventure humaine. Voici les 5 films réalisés tout au long du voyage, avec l'aide précieuse de Rémi et Mylène.