Pyrenees: hike-and-fly

Gear: Tom de Dorlodot's hike-and-fly set-up
By Andy Pag on 27 September 2013 in Gear

Paraglider Tom de Dorlodot tells Andy Pag about his favorite gear for long vol-bivvy trips.
I love my Gradient Aspen 4 Light paragliding wing. It's famous for it's agile handling, and it's a safe wing to fly so I can relax in the air. Often I have my hands off the controls taking pictures because I trust it so much. I can use this wing in a range of conditions, so I'm rarely hemmed in by strong winds. It's relaxing to fly which is important because after I land I need energy for hours of hiking.

When I'm travelling solo and taking even the smallest risks in the air, a tracker is essential. The Spot Connect pairs with my iPhone and allows me to send custom messages to my followers. It links to a map on my website http://www.thomasdedorlodot.com. A few times I've arrived in a village to find people waiting for me.

I've been fishing since I was a kid, and paragliding is a great way to scout a good fishing spot from the air. During the month-long hike and fly across New Zealand's South Island I took my Sage TXL-F 4-Piece Fishing Rod. With just 300g of rod, line and flies I was able to regularly fish two kilograms of trout for dinner. That feeling of self-sufficiency is really liberating.

I like light shoes, and I've never seen the need for hiking boots. Even in remote areas I'm usually following trails, so I wear Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX trail shoes. They have good grip and are made with breathable Gore-Tex. They don't offer as much protection as boots in a bad landing, but it's a worthwhile compromise.

I think about every gram in my pack. It weighs 12kg but in the next five years, gear will evolve to get it down to 7kg. Made from carbon fibre, Black Diamond's Ultra Distance trekking poles are the lightest in their range. With weight on my shoulders, the poles spread the load and stop me getting fatigued. I'm not much of a runner, but I can hike forever.


http://www.redbull.com/en/adventure/stories/1331613256991/what-you-need-to-hike-and-fly

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X-Pyrenees: Thomas De Dorlodot's solo hike-and-fly
By Andy Pag on 29 August 2013 in News
Sometimes the hardest way to travel is also the most fun.
Not content with finishing 13th in the Red Bull X-Alps, paraglider pilot Thomas de Dolordot is currently embarked on a solo unsupported hiking and flying journey along the Pyrenees.

The 450km route from the Atlantic lighthouse at Hondarribia in Spain to the lighthouse at Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean may be less than half the distance of the X-Alps course, but it's proving to be just as challenging.

“I've had bad luck with the weather.” Says de Dolordot speaking from Le Seu d'Urgell in Spain on the eighth day. “Normally at this time of year you can fly at 4,000m, but the cloudbase hasn't reached above 2,600m so far.” The journey takes him past 3,000m peaks and without being able to reach the extra altitude he's having to make up the distance on foot.

“In the Alps the valleys line up with the course line so you can make good time, even on the ground, but in the Pyrenees they don't, so progress is much slower. Yesterday I walked 45km and in the end I was only 15km closer to the goal.”

Despite the weather the Belgian has averaged 40-50km a day, using the lightweight Gradient Aspen-4 paraglider and Sup'Air X-13 harness he used in the Alpine race. His longest Pyrenean flight has been around 70km and he estimates he's covered about half the distance in the air so far.

In order to save weight, he's forgoing the luxury of a tent, food rations and a stove, instead sleeping in a bivi bag, and relying on village shops along the route to provide meals. It's a strategy that's paid off on all but one of the days when he had to go hungry.
The veteran of flying trips across Africa and Pakistan admits “The hardest thing in the Pyrenees is the heat. It's much lower here than the Alps. I'm hiking in 35°C. It kills you.”

De Dorlodot is no stranger to flying and walking epic distances. At the start of this year he covered the length of New Zealand's South Island, carrying his wing, food supplies, and fishing poles in packs that weighed 22kg. The journey was part of SEARCH, an ongoing worldwide aerial photography project.

Having started on the 18th of August, he expects to reach the Mediterranean before the end of the month. Followers can track his progress live on http://www.thomasdedorlodot.com.


http://www.redbull.com/en/adventure/stories/1331609014228/x-pyrenees-thomas-de-dorlodot-s-solo-hike-and-fly