Cross Country Travel Guide 2017

Putting the glider down on a dusty track I heard the radio crackle into life. “Say, ‘Good dogs, hello dogs,’ they’ll be OK.” The barking had followed us up and down the hill as we’d eked out every metre of our scrappy, stable climb, the dogs chasing our shadows. The homestead below was on its own, three miles from the main road, and the owner was clearly a fan of big dogs. “I have twenty-one,” he said when he arrived in his battered pick-up to see what we were up to. “Great Pyrenees dogs, for the mountain lions.” He had lost 200 goats in the past two years, he said in a mix of Spanish and English, and these big, fluffy, white dogs were the only thing that kept the pumas…

Jonny Durand is always travelling: Brazil, LA, Florida, Australia. His life on the road and in the air is one to envy for any pilot. Born into a family of pilots he has been flying since he was a kid. He lives in Australia and can go from sofa to cloudbase in less than half an hour, given the right day. We asked him for his perfect year and he didn’t disappoint. If you want to find out what it’s like to think and dream big, see Heeere’s Jonny! on p74. So, 800km in Texas, anyone? instagram.com/jonnydurand Kari Castle needs little introduction. A former women’s HG and PG world champion, and one of only a handful of women to have competed in the X-Alps, she is famous for knowing every corner of…

Set up by Tom de Dorlodot in 2011 as a way to travel and fly the world with his friends, the Search Projects team – then just Tom and Horacio Llorens – used to travel the globe with a glider and a camera as their only luggage. Things have developed a bit since then, and now they make a living out of their passion – travelling, flying and filming around the world. After travelling to more than 60 countries, from the glaciated heights of Pakistan to the sandy shoals of Tahiti, Tom has learnt a thing or two about what to take on a trip… Glider Before every expedition I go to my gear room and ask myself “What kind of adventure will it be?” For bivvy trips, I take the Avax or…

The picturesque village of Algodonales in southern Spain sits nestled below the burly Sierra de Lijar mountain. It’s a European mecca for beginner and low airtime pilots who come to one of the numerous English, German or Spanish schools. During the days, shuttles from the various companies run up and down the hill ferrying clients, and in the evening the town square is full of pilots excitedly sharing their adventures in one of several cheap eateries on the main square. It’s a good place to go to get your training signed off over an intensive week of guaranteed weather. If the weather at home is frustrating, low airtime pilots can come to progress and clock up hours with guided XC, SIV or paramotor conversion courses. For pilots who are already in the…

Red Bull TV pulled out all the stops for their new on-demand TV series Sky Trippers, following myself, Glenn Tupper and Matt Minyard paramotoring around southeast Asia. We did it in one big expedition, from Vietnam, through Cambodia and Thailand, finishing in Malaysia. Originally Red Bull wanted us to fly the whole route, but that would have made for a lot of long flights and taken ages, so instead we visited different sites, and then drove or took planes. With a film crew of almost 30 moving was a big job. We each had Parajet Zenith frames with Vittorazi motors. I flew the Paramania GTX while Glenn and Matt were on the GTS, which is a bit more dynamic. These reflex wings are extremely stable, allowing us to concentrate on flying. We…

Curious and non-aggressive, the condors of Argentina are a unique wingman to share the sky with. Cuchi Corral is one of the main sites in northern Argentina, and here it’s normal to fly with condors, but there are plenty of other sites in the area that also offer airtime with the big bird. Condors have a three-metre wingspan, and are curious – they are just as keen to fly with you as you are with them. The juveniles, recognisable by their brown feathers which turn black in adulthood, can get a little playful in the air, so give them a little more room. The nearby village of La Cumbre where most pilots stay is a tourist village, popular with weekenders from Buenos Aires looking to escape the sea-level summer heat in exchange…