Two brits four wheels

October 2009

Following a tip to in Annecy to visit St-Gervais-les-Bains near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc we turned up to the opening evening of the second ‘4807 vol light’. For you non-flyers this translates as ‘Light[weight] flying [from] 4807 metres’. This event, organized by the St Gervais local FFVL flying club, comprises a hike each day, of around three hours, to different flying sites and a nice flight down.

The ‘light’ part refers to the equipment used for the hike. My normal paragliding rucksack and contents weighs around 17 kilos including water and snacks, which is too much to endure for three hours whilst negotiating rocky paths and outcrops. So ‘light’ means lightweight wing, lightweight harness, no reserve parachute, no back protection and nothing else unnecessary for a simple flight down. This allows the hiker/pilot to get as low in weight as around 4 kilos if they desire (wing under 2.5 kilos, ‘le string’ harness less than 0.5 kilo and ‘le sac’ to carry it less than 0.25 kilo).

So flying light around here means a g-string harness, the smallest back pack you can find, followed by a 3 hour hike and voila you can fly off any mountain……well that’s the theory any how! If it’s the only way for me to take off from Mount Blanc then I’m game!!

Plus one can try new lightweight kit. Just turn up the night before with a whopping cheque for €2000, your passport and check-out the kit you want to try, get the briefing and off you go the next day to fly it. Trying a new wing on an unfamiliar site with an unfamiliar harness and no back protection or rescue parachute they must be mad! Oh well who isn’t who flies suspended by lots of strings underneath an oversized shopping bag?