Paragliding
“We were at the heart of the Himalayas and the feeling was just amazing!”
Thomas de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens describe the magic they discovered while paragliding above the Himalayas, including that first flight over Spiti Valley which features in the Higher Ground film.
Paragliders Thomas de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens visited India in October 2019 for an aerial adventure across the Himalayan mountain range. Their 350km journey saw them paraglide some of the most rarely frequented air space in their sport, becoming the first paragliders to fly over Rohtang Pass and battling rough weather to do the first-ever 6,200-metre flight over Spiti Valley along the way.
Watch their journey in the player above and scroll down to hear more from Dorlodot and Llorens.
What do you love most about paragliding?
Dorlodot: Simplicity. It’s incredible to think that you can carry an aircraft in your backpack, open it and fly above a mountain range with it. I also like the fact that there is still a lot to be done. We feel like explorers when we fly in places where no one has been flying before.
Llorens: I love the freedom of flying. There is nothing compared to when you can take a few steps off the top of a mountain and fly high above the clouds, like a bird.
Thomas and Horacio with their equipment
© John Stapels
A flight over the Himalayan forests
© John Stapels
Thomas and Horacio with their gear in Spiti
© Imbaud Veraeghen
What had you heard of the Indian paragliding scene and what have you seen from personal experience?
Dorlodot: I went to India on a motorcycle trip some years back. I had a glider with me and could make a few nice flights. I directly saw the potential of those mighty mountains. Some parts are still unexplored and that’s what interests me most.
Llorens: I heard Bir-Billing is one of the best spots for paragliding during European autumn, with amazing conditions for thermalling [columns of air that rise upwards which a paraglider uses to gain elevation]. I was quite impressed by the playground, wild valleys, local hospitality and crazy landscapes. I will come back for sure.
Taking off from Bir-Billing
© John Stapels
Why did you decide to travel across the Himalayas?
Dorlodot: Horacio and I created the SEARCH Projects years ago. Our idea is to travel, to explore and fly in new places and to push the boundaries of our sport. We crossed Africa from north to south, flew in the Andes and in the Alps. India and the Himalayas were high on our list for a while. We were searching for big flights and for a rich cultural experience. We were served.
Llorens: Tom and I have been travelling together all around the world for the last 10 years, flying at different spots, but we had never been to the Himalayas together. It was a perfect opportunity to discover a new place
In flight
© John Stapels
Related
Were there any unexpected challenges that you had to face on the trip?
Dorlodot: The main challenge was the weather. We encountered difficult flying conditions. The monsoon ended later this year. It was mostly turbulent and very windy. On good days, we were going above 6,000 metres without oxygen. We did not have time to do a proper acclimatization so we had to be extra careful up there. We slept 4,000 metres above sea level for many nights. At this altitude it’s hard to recover, especially when hit by a storm in the middle of the night. We were quite exhausted at the end.
Llorens: The first challenge was to fly together and take the right decisions by radio to make sure we have safe and long flights. Head wind was something we encountered throughout the adventure; it was sometimes very strong and created a lot of turbulence. We had some rain but not too much. At Spiti Valley we were able to climb to 6,000m and much more, but we kept it under 6,500m for safety reasons; we would need supplementary oxygen at higher elevations but we didn’t carry the tanks because they are too heavy and there wouldn’t be any refilling points in the remote places we were flying.
Down the valley
© John Stapels/Red Bull Content Pool
Weather is unpredictable in the mountains
© John Stapels/Red Bull Content Pool
They drove to Spiti and camped the night on a mountain
© John Stapels
Could you describe the landscapes you saw from up in the air while flying over the Himalayas?
Dorlodot: The first part of the mountain range looks a lot like the Alps, without its habitants. It’s very green with beautiful rivers and dense forests. It was quite amazing to see the changes happening while travelling north. On the first days we landed in green pastures but very soon the snow took over on the high passes, and in Spiti everything was dry and it looked a bit like a desert.
Llorens: I was impressed by the beauty and colourful landscapes while flying from Bir-Billing to Manali. There were green valleys, lots of trees and wild animals. But suddenly, when we crossed the icy Rohtang Pass, everything changed. There it was all rock faces, narrow valleys, higher mountains, and very few villages. We were at the heart of the Himalayas and the feeling was just amazing!
Rohtang Pass and Keylong greeted them with snow caps
© Thomas de Dorlodot
Above the world
© John Stapels/Red Bull Content Pool
Thomas taking off in Spiti
© John Stapels
Flying over remote mountain towns
© John Stapels/Red Bull Content Pool
What did you see when you climbed to 6,200 metres in Spiti? How different was it from other flights you’ve done around the world?
Dorlodot: It was mind blowing. Once above 6,000 metres you see very far away. It feels like you could go anywhere with your glider, but at the same time you feel so small and vulnerable. Every flight is different and this time the reward for flying in turbulent conditions was worth the effort. I won’t forget that feeling anytime soon. We were flying with massive vultures. We reached a cloud base with them. While flying with the birds, Horacio and I started screaming “somos pajaros” (Spanish for “we are birds”). It’s something we say only on exceptional flights.
Llorens: The view was simply incredible. There were lots of possible lines to fly, with many valleys going into lost mountains and no roads or villages nearby. We really enjoyed the wild part of this trip.
Flying over Spiti Valley
© Thomas de Dorlodot
What did you think of your overall time in India and the culture? Which places did you visit apart from the Himalayas?
Dorlodot: India has one of the richest cultures in the world and so many contrasts. Locals were always very welcoming and we made good friends on the way. Every time we landed somewhere, we were invited for tea. I will always remember a dinner we shared with a shepherd and his family, high up in the mountains, just next to a bonfire. After spending weeks in the north, we also visited Jodhpur. I loved it. We could get a few flights there with support. That area also has great potential for paragliding.
Llorens: Indian culture is very varied and colourful. Indian people are very welcoming and hospitality is everywhere. I loved visiting Jodhpur and the Mehrangarh Fort. The Blue City was so beautiful. I was very impressed.
Locals invited them to share meals
© John Stapels
They also visited some local monasteries
© John Stapels
Thomas with a monk in Spiti
© Imbaud Veraeghen
Apart from the thrilling sporting aspect of your trip, was there any other reason you decided to paraglide across the Himalayas?
Dorlodot: Flying in the Himalayas is a dream any pilot has. You find the best concentration of high mountains here and some areas are still unexplored. You experience flying like in no other place. I particularly like to fly in very remote areas. When I’m flying in the Himalayas, I feel grateful to be amongst the few people who can see such view. It is one of those experiences money cannot buy.
Llorens: I love high mountains and as far as that goes, there is nothing compared to the Himalayas. I had been to the mountains in Nepal and Pakistan previously, but that was not enough. I wanted to have a clear view of the heart of the Himalayas and fly above this incredible Buddhist monastery and lost valleys in Spiti.
Flying over Key Monastery in Spiti
© Imbaud Veraeghen