SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 23 January | February 2020 anywhere. Unable to resist the allure, I turned west and flew alongside the massive Batura Group, with its stunning snow-capped peaks and craggy steep landscape. To my left I was amazed by the landscape of the winding stripes of Batura glacier, shadowed by the Batura Sar, the world's 25th highest mountain at 7995m. Favourable winds allowed me to soar to 6350m up a spur of Pamri Sar (7016m), chasing my shadow on the snow-covered slopes. I turned south with a plan to jump a 5500m col and get back on the south side of the towering Batura group peaks. I pushed into 20km/h headwinds past Kampire Dior (7142m) and attempted to jump the col, but was frustratingly flushed down at 6m/sec. I cautiously retreated to a relatively low 5300m sunny spur, working the snowy western face for 45 minutes, gradually regaining my altitude despite the annoying crosswind. I tried again, but was flushed down once more. Unsatisfied, I turned around and glided to a nice windward sunny face and rocketed back up to 6300m. Searching for an alternative option, I optimistically pushed further west, gliding over the Yashkuk Yaz glacier. I pushed into headwind to the sunny, craggy face at the end of the glacier only to be met with windy, broken and rowdy thermals, extinguishing my chances of climbing out and jumping to the south side. I drifted down the Yashkuk glacier in the fragmented, wind-torn thermals as the landscape was Jan on glide over Passu Glacier Photos: Shane Tighe Climbing out with Jan with Batura Glacier below Dwarfed in the amazing landscape Photo: Jan Tupy It’s a tiny planet from up here