Fly
Like every aspiring paraglider pilot with a climbing background, I started flying, hoping to climb a line and then glide back to the valley. That did not happen in the late '90s; gliders were heavy, dangerous, and did not fly well. Roll forward ten years, and I was a supporter in Redbull Xalps for my friend Jouni in 2009 and 2011. That was a great adventure. After moving to the states, I quit paragliding because engineering, skiing, and climbing took all my time.
Now things have changed. There are gliders weighing less than two kilos, vol bivouac paragliding has become more common, and most importantly, with flexible timetables granted from guiding, I have more time to fly!
I aim to become a confident enough pilot to realize my dreams of climbing, flying, and vol bivouac adventures. However, the priority for improving as a pilot is far lower than training for the next alpine and rock exams. Again, here is more about my progress in my blog and YouTube channel.