With high clouds and light wind on the forecast, I went for a tricky XC session to Lles and across Cerdanya knowing I would probably land before coming back to goal.
00:00:00 First thermal
00:00:50 Vultures
00:02:25 Angoustrine east face
00:09:38 Pic des Mouillettes
00:12:50 Plateau before Carol valley
00:15:35 Carol west face
00:19:58 Vultures
00:22:08 Maranges plateau
00:29:11 Vulture gaggle
00:32:38 Pic Pedros
00:33:55 Northern approach of the Carabasse
00:37:11 Just enough height for one-shot pass
00:40:12 Pla de Lles
00:46:20 Strongest climb of the day out of nowhere
00:47:46 Turning back
00:49:00 Maranges west faces
00:49:48 Crossing the valley
00:51:26 Shade is not going to help
00:53:16 Low save above Palau
00:56:36 Getting flushed in east wind
Font Romeu once again delivers a great autumn flying day with a bit of north wind to spice things up. We went looking for the convergence zone in the flats and ended up finding it quite far above Puigcerdà. Massive gaggles of vultures greeted me on the way back, this time in the mountains.
00:00 First thermal
03:46 Spicy thermal
07:15 Flatland adventure with Len
12:26 Back to the hills
16:12 Guess where she landed ?!
20:14 Going against north wind
29:16 Vultures
35:12 Going home
37:27 Landing
Last day of the Pyrenees Air Tour! Unlike last year, I managed to find a high-enough takeoff where I could prepare the wing without it sliding into my feet, and managed to be in the air before 9:30, with some nice thermals on the first ridges. The low sun above the sea of clouds covering the flats was breathtaking.
After a first easy turnpoint, we had to push towards a more stable region below the inversion, which forced Mathis and me to land on the way back after taking a direct line while Erwan took a more conservative mountain route. After a short but intense hike, we were able to takeoff and catch some nice climbs quickly, while pilots in the back struggled to gain enough altitude to catch up. Thanks to a bit of luck with the timing of the shade due to high clouds cover, I was able to be back in the high mountains before the final glide, climbing up to 4000m. With nearly an hour of margin on Erwan, I won this event for the second year in a row.
⛰️ Hiking stats
Day 3 1047m D+ / 4.1km
Total 2699m D+ / 15.8km
🔈I didn't take the external microphone with me for this race, so apologies for the wind noise! I'll have it sorted for the next hike & fly event.
00:00 Early takeoff from a steep slope above Cabane d'Arrouge
02:15 First thermal of the day
06:15 Sea of clouds in the distant flats
10:01 TP1 - Oo with Erwan
12:01 Back in the mountains
14:45 TP2 - Cap des Hittes
16:06 Going to TP3 - Pouyaué below the inversion
16:38 No thermals, max glide back to Oo
19:07 Landing below Cap de Sarrat
19:30 Back in the air after a short hike
22:03 Going to TP4 - Céciré
22:22 Vultures
24:54 Going to TP5 - Pic du Lion
28:12 Unexpectedly good thermal at Pic du Lion
30:42 Back to the mountains before the shade set in
33:36 Going to TP6 - Perdiguère
35:25 TP6 - Perdiguère
36:29 Spicy thermal above Pic d'Espingo
42:00 Going to TP7 - Estos
44:01 TP8 - Saint Paul d'Oueil
45:03 End of speed section - Oo takeoff
45:50 Goal at Oo
46:49 Landing
Day 2 of the Pyrenees Air Tour! A fast-paced race from Refuge d'Espingo through Val Louron, ending in a tight 2nd place finish just 2 minutes behind Erwan.
After a grueling first day that had many pilots arriving in the middle of the night, race direction set a shorter task to give us some rest. Starting from Espingo hut, we hiked up to Coume de Bourg (next to Pic Céciré), leaped across to Val Louron with turnpoints between Avajan and Pic d'Estos, then pushed to Pic du Lion and Superbagnères before racing back to goal at Espingo.
We didn't expect such strong thermals as early as 9:30 AM, making for a fast race. I finished 2nd, two minutes behind Erwan who gained a crucial height advantage in the last couple of thermals.
⛰️ Hiking stats
Day 2 696m D+ / 5.7km
Total 1652m D+ / 11.1km
🔈I didn't take the external microphone with me for this race, so apologize for the wind noise! I'll have it sorted for the next hike & fly event.
00:00 Taking off at 9:30 from TP1 - Coume de Bourg
04:22 First thermal of the day
10:23 Val Louron east faces
15:06 Gaining more height on Estos south pillar
19:47 Vultures showing us the way to TP2 - Val Louron
27:00 TP3 - Avajan
28:39 Leading group thermalling together
35:14 TP4 - Pic d'Estos
40:20 Tight margin for Esquierry pass
44:14 Nice thermal at the end of the ridge
46:16 Going to TP5 - Pic du Lion with Erwan and Mathis
48:02 Flying over Céciré
53:25 Coming back to goal after TP6 - Superbagnères
55:00 HEIN?
55:47 Landing at Cabane d'Arrouge
57:25 Landing back at Espingo lake
58:16 Andy's debriefing
#paragliding #hikeandfly #pyrenees #parapente
The first day of the Pyrenees Air Tour was an ambitious 100km task starting from Oo, going to Arbizon, then back east to Artigue, in the mountains towards Posets, with a last turnpoint around Pic du Lion before landing at Espingo lake. Erwan Valais took the win by a few minutes after committing to a more direct line out and back to Arbizon, while I chose a more conservative route through the high terrain.
🔈Sorry for the terrible sound, I did not bring the external mic with me on this race. I'll probably set it up for the next hike&fly comp.
⛰️ Hiking stats: 956m D+ / 5.4km
00:00 First thermal after hiking to TP1 - Pic du Soulit
00:14 East faces of Val Louron
08:47 Classic Saint Lary south ridge
16:15 Flying deeper towards Néouvielle
19:20 TP1 - Arbizon
29:13 Turning back towards the east turnpoints
35:37 Going to Céciré
36:15 Crossing Luchon valley towards TP2 - Artigue
36:52 +4m/s at the Spanish border
39:34 Crossing back to Superbagnères
43:14 Céciré again
45:08 +5m/s on Céciré south face
48:03 TP3 - Posets
50:15 Going to TP4 - Pic du Lion at 3200m
50:38 End of speed section
53:00 Gliding to goal at Espingo lake
55:05 Landing
2026 French Open - Trophée des cimes - Task 5
The last task of this French Open was stopped to prevent the leading gaggle from gliding under the overdevelopment that was beginning in the high mountains. It was a very nice event with interesting tasks and strong conditions.
00:00:00 Riding the clouds before the start
00:01:33 Start of speed section
00:07:32 Keep pushing to find sunny faces
00:09:48 Thermal right on the ridge
00:17:46 Cloudbase
00:18:40 Crossing Luchon valley
00:24:35 Nice thermal above Tuc d'Angost
00:31:42 Cloudbase
00:34:11 Small clouds forming above Cagire
00:35:18 TP1
00:40:04 Overdevelopment in the distance
00:41:00 Task is stopped
00:44:57 Landing next to McDonald's
2026 French Open - Trophée des cimes - Task 4
Quick task in the hills before overdevelopment kicks-in in the mountains.
00:00:00 Barely on time for the start
00:00:58 Start of speed section
00:09:03 Looking for a strong thermal on this ridge
00:15:48 Nice-looking cumulus on the way to the first turnpoint
00:18:44 TP1
00:21:46 Arriving at forest height on the other side of the valley
00:28:09 Climbs are getting stronger above the ridge
00:33:26 Gliding to the last turnpoint
00:36:35 End of speed section
00:39:19 Goal
00:41:40 Landing
2026 PWC Gemona, Italy - Task 7
The final task of the Paragliding World Cup in Gemona, Italy, delivered a spectacular finish to an exciting week of racing. With thunderstorms forecast later in the day and uncertainty in the morning conditions, the organisation moved quickly, sending pilots to launch around 11:00 a.m. as the sky began to clear.
A 70 km task was set, beginning with a challenging leg into the wind before leading pilots through a series of zigzagging turnpoints back across the mountains. Once conditions switched on, the race developed into one of the fastest of the competition.
Strong climbs and efficient ridge lines allowed the lead gaggle to maintain an impressive pace throughout the course. Task winner Ferdinand Vogel described the conditions as exceptional, with thermals reaching up to 6 m/s on the return to the ridge. Combined with efficient transitions, the powerful lift enabled the leaders to complete the entire 70 km course in just 1 hour and 30 minutes, averaging nearly 47 km/h over the optimized task.
Ferdinand Vogel secured the final task victory with an outstanding performance, while Daphnée Ieropoli once again claimed the women's win.
With seven tasks completed, the Paragliding World Cup in Gemona came to a close with the following overall standings:
Overall Individual
🥇 Baptiste Lambert
🥈 Martin Jovanovski
🥉 Roger Aeschbacher
Overall Women
🥇 Alexia Fischer
🥈 Elisa Deutschmann
🥉 Violeta Jiménez
After a week that delivered everything from rain-shortened races to lightning-fast ridge runs, Gemona once again proved why it is one of the most exciting venues on the World Cup calendar, rewarding pilots who combined speed, patience and tactical decision-making throughout the competition.
00:00:00 Waiting for the start at cloudbase
00:07:39 Start of speed section
00:14:47 Nice thermal on the way to TP1
00:18:01 Full speed time
00:20:10 Weak thermal
00:23:42 TP1
00:26:20 TP2
00:27:41 Lifty lines towards the flats
00:29:21 Hesitation
00:32:41 Taking our time in average thermals
00:33:43 Pilots pushed low in front and found a strong core
00:35:08 Nice thermal over the flats
00:42:41 Going for the next turnpoint after gaining 1000m+
00:43:26 TP3
00:46:23 Small relay before going back to the hills
00:49:16 TP4
00:51:17 Last thermal before going to the factory
00:53:07 Going to the factory
01:00:39 Not as much margin as expected
01:03:17 Pushing low over the factory
01:05:44 TP5
01:08:37 Going for final glide
01:13:11 End of speed section
01:13:43 Goal
01:14:32 Landing
In memory of Rémi Bourdelle.
2026 PWC Gemona, Italy - Task 6
Task 6 delivered another exciting day of racing in Gemona, with pilots taking on an 80 km course combining mountain ridges and flatland sections. Compared to yesterday, the air was noticeably smoother, but conditions remained strong, accompanied by a persistent southerly wind that made several sections of the task highly tactical.
The race began with a run towards the first turnpoint to the south before returning along the main ridge and the ridge behind it. From there, pilots faced a long push directly into the headwind, flying towards the flats before turning back towards the mountains.
One of the decisive moments came as the lead group approached the main ridge near take-off. Most of the front pilots became trapped low below the ridge, searching for a way back up. Meanwhile, a smaller group arriving from behind spotted an alternative line, climbed above the struggling leaders and swept past overhead, gaining a significant advantage that they held for much of the remainder of the race.
After regaining enough height to cross back onto the ridge, pilots pushed directly towards the next turnpoint without stopping to thermal, relying on the day's strong conditions. The route then led into the valley, where competitors battled the headwind to reach a small hill in the middle of the flats. A brief climb there provided just enough altitude to reconnect with the next mountain ridge, allowing pilots to continue efficiently towards the final turnpoint.
The last glide to goal proved far more dramatic than expected. Despite benefiting from a strong tailwind, even the leading pilots found themselves arriving dangerously low at the end of the speed section, without enough height to reach goal. Small bubbles of lift near the ground became the final lifeline, allowing the leaders to gain just a few hundred metres before completing the last glide.
Not everyone was as fortunate. More than ten pilots landed at the end of the speed section, falling just short of goal after an otherwise successful race.
The day's victory went to Roger Aeschbacher, who mastered the tactical conditions to claim the task win. Violeta Jiménez continued her impressive form by taking another women's victory, while Team Niviuk secured the team win.
With every task proving to be a different challenge, the battle for the overall World Cup standings remains wide open as the competition heads into its final stages.
00:00:00 Waiting for the start
00:05:35 Start of speed section
00:07:47 Forest
00:16:07 Thermal at TP1
00:18:40 Crossing back to the main ridge
00:24:55 Small hills
00:27:35 Riding Chaeden's wing
00:28:21 Catching up with the top gaggle
00:30:55 Skipping this thermal in favor of a good line
00:33:20 TP2
00:42:04 Choosing a more inside line through the hills
00:46:16 Above the gaggle with Luc
00:49:21 TP3
00:50:14 Aiming for a relay on the northern hill
00:52:21 Lee side push to join the gaggle which went straight to the southern hill
00:54:46 Soaring before gliding to the next hill
01:01:14 Last thermal before final glide
01:02:49 Going for final glide
01:04:58 TP4
01:10:12 ESS
01:13:20 Gliding to goal
01:14:36 Flavio landing short in the river bed
01:15:14 Felix collapse near ground
01:15:49 Goal
01:16:21 Landing
2026 PWC Gemona, Italy - Task 5
Task 5 promised to be one of the biggest challenges of the week. With forecasts predicting excellent conditions, a very high cloudbase and strong lift throughout the day, the task committee set an ambitious course of more than 100 kilometers, including a demanding section that required significant altitude to complete efficiently.
As the day unfolded, however, the atmosphere didn’t quite deliver what had been expected. Cloudbase remained noticeably lower than forecast, and with very few clouds forming, pilots had little visual guidance to work with. Rather than long climbs to high altitude, the race evolved into a fast-paced ridge-running contest.
Strong lift along the mountain ridges allowed pilots to spend much of the task on full speed bar, making for an intense and physically demanding race. Several competitors described the conditions as “spicy”, with little room for hesitation as the lead gaggle pushed hard from ridge to ridge. The anticipated high-altitude crossing became a more tactical challenge than expected, rewarding pilots who managed their altitude carefully while maintaining speed.
Despite the lower cloudbase, the day produced another exciting race, with fast decision-making proving just as important as climbing performance.
The day’s victory went to Honorin Hamard, who mastered the demanding conditions to claim the task win. Violeta Jiménez secured the women’s victory, while Team Ozone topped the team rankings once again.
With the competition entering its final stages, every point is becoming increasingly valuable as the battle for the overall World Cup standings continues.
00:00:00 Waiting for the start
00:05:12 Start of speed section
00:12:03 TP1
00:16:20 Nice gaggle view
00:20:14 Not finding a strong thermal back on the ridge
00:23:29 Jumping over the ridge for a shorter line
00:26:13 No strong lift on this side of the valley either
00:30:10 Massive thermal where we least expect it
00:34:58 TP2
00:39:57 Crossing the valley once again
00:46:47 Nice ridge
00:51:15 Gaining a bit of altitude before jumping to the next ridge
00:52:08 Another nice ridge
00:54:54 Gaining some altitude before going to the hills
01:00:59 TP3
01:03:12 Getting stuck in headwind in the lower layer
01:04:21 Nice thermal over Gemona
01:05:55 Choosing a lower line for this section
01:08:39 Low but good lift on the intermediate hill
01:12:36 No turns for the next 15km
01:19:00 Lee side soaring
01:21:17 TP4
01:22:08 Same nice ridge on the way back
01:24:50 Need to do a few turns before going to goal
01:24:56 Gliding to goal
01:27:01 TP5
01:28:28 End of speed section, tight margin
01:31:01 Goal
01:31:45 Landing
On August 12th, 2026, we drove to Barriosuso and hiked up the Peña Valdosa to witness the total solar eclipse. We flew back down during the sunset, while the last moments of the eclipse was still visible, which was a surreal experience.
00:05:16 Totality starts
00:07:05 Totality ends
