SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 7 January | February 2020 were set over a schnapps or a warm espresso, before retiring to recharge our bodies and batteries. Great weather presented a clear and high base day for our task from Fiesch in Switzerland. The views of the Aletsch glacier were unmatched by anything I had ever seen before. The Aletsch is Europe’s largest glacier and stretches for 23km. We had frequent and spontaneous stops of the van at glacier walks or road-stops. A shout from the back of ‘photo stop’ would signal an area of particular or spectacular scenery. The drive from Austria into Slovenia was one such section. The sheer dolomite razorbacks and tight valleys were breathtaking. Our task from Tolmin, Slovenia, over Kobarid, and into Italy, soared high above the spectacular Gemona valley and river bed which sees the Italian flatlands rise abruptly into steep and jagged rock formations – the Alps. Our final day saw us arrive at the popular lake- side destination, Lake Garda. We were surrounded by steep mountains and hillside villages. The launch site has a gondola ride to the summit and is a popular SIV and ACRO paragliding destination. Life jackets and boat rescues are on standby whenever it is flyable. Importantly, the landing area sports its own cafe bar and restaurant. Once we landed and packed up on the lakeside landing zone, we celebrated this last flight on tour with a cold beer, of course! We flew every day (except two) over the two weeks, and covered five countries and crossed three national borders on task. An unrivalled experience! Planning is already underway for the next Alps 360 – bigger and better, so stay tuned. Soaring spectacular cliffs in the Chamonix Valley, France Photos: Ian McFarlane Aletsch glacier, Switzerland, is Europe’s largest glacier and it stretches for 23km