Cross Country Magazine News

Weather: Making the most of the apps Forecasting location-specific soaring parameters in the European Alps is challenging due to the nature of the topography. Steep slopes and deep valleys are still not fully resolved by the numerical forecast models. Neither are micrometeorological features such as thermals. Statistical or AI adjustments can only help to a limited extent. It is therefore important to… https://xcmag.com/fly-better/weather/weather-making-the-most-of-the-apps/

Wanderbird returns to Kitzbühel Wanderbird, the community hike-and-fly series, is due to host two events in Austria. On 10 July the popular race series returns to Kitzbühel in the heart of the Austrian Tirol. Then on 7 August it heads east to Werfenweng, just south of Salzburg, home to the Tennen mountains. “Wanderbird offers a unique hike-and-fly experience that… https://xcmag.com/news/wanderbird-returns-to-kitzbuhel/

Skyman launch CrossAlps 3 CrossAlps 3 is an-EN-C developed for ambitious cross-country pilots seeking the perfect balance of performance, safety and lightweight construction. Weighing 3.6 kg in the size 22, it’s designed for XC efficiency, while remaining light enough for hike-and-fly adventures. The three-line design combines performance with a high level of passive safety, say Skyman. Nitinol rods ensure… https://xcmag.com/news/gear-news/skyman-launch-crossalps-3/

Destination: Soča Valley Picture the perfect terrain for paragliding and it’s quite possible you’ll end up somewhere that looks a lot like Slovenia’s Julian Alps. Mountainous – but not too forbidding – with grassy and well-maintained launches, ridgelines that stretch towards Italy’s Dolomites and beyond, wide valleys for easy landings and retrieves. Add reasonably priced accommodation and food,… https://xcmag.com/travel-guide/may-june/destination-soca-valley/

Mac Para release high EN-C Elixir Mac Para’s newly released Elixir is a high-performance two-liner in the high EN-C category aimed at XC pilots upgrading from traditional EN-C wings, comp and sports class pilots as well as hike-and-fly enthusiasts seeking a “highly capable wing”. The primary goal say Mac Para was to create a wing that offers experienced pilots “performance levels… https://xcmag.com/news/mac-para-release-high-en-c-elixir/

AirDesign launch lightweight EN-B Livi 2 AirDesign have launched an updated version of their lightweight EN-B wing, the Livi 2. It’s similar in character and flight behaviour to the Vivo 3 but 1kg lighter, making it suitable for hike-and-fly and vol biv adventures. “This is the wing I fly when guiding XC,” says AirDesign’s CEO Michu Witschi. Weighing 3.29kg in the… https://xcmag.com/news/airdesign-launch-lightweight-en-b-livi-2/

Mont Blanc 4,808m An autumn day with a nice weather window, a free weekend, and an idea that suddenly felt obvious: “Let’s try to hike-and-fly Mont Blanc?” It was one of those super calm autumn days, with absolutely no wind forecast up to 6,000m, with just a little instability layer from 3,800m to 4,900m. We were five pilots,… https://xcmag.com/magazine-articles/adventure-and-inspiration/mont-blanc-4808m/

21 Ways to have fun in the Alps Many pilots head to the European Alps in the spring and summer to fly cross country or take part in competitions. I’ve lived and flown in the Alps for over 20 years, initially drawn by the promise of easy distance in stunning mountain scenery. Over this time I’ve learned that there are adventures of all… https://xcmag.com/magazine-articles/adventure-and-inspiration/21-ways-to-have-fun-in-the-alps/

X-Pyr 2026: Chrigel Maurer wins in record time Chrigel Maurer won the X-Pyr for a record fifth time this week – and he did it in style. He finished the trans-Pyrenees hike-and-fly race in three days and seven hours – well ahead of Germany’s Markus Anders who crossed the line two-and-a-half hours after Chrigel. Switzerland’s Lars Meerstetter was third, with France’s Arthur Moindrot… https://xcmag.com/news/comps-and-events/x-pyr-2026-chrigel-maurer-wins-in-record-time/

Watch: Skyacking the Himalaya https://youtu.be/HL8cDBHw2nE?si=32og2xOgvZexBRDX British adventure pilot Ben Kellett’s latest film follows him on a four-day vol-bivouac mission through the Indian Himalaya. He explains: “In this film I set out from Bir Billing, India’s world famous paragliding destination, on a four day bivouac flying adventure deep into the Himalayas. Travelling around 350 km entirely by paraglider, I followed… https://xcmag.com/magazine-articles/adventure-and-inspiration/watch-skyacking-the-himalaya/

‘It speaks in silence’ Flying among the high mountains is not something you decide on a whim. It requires patience, timing and a good understanding of alpine meteorology. To fly above a ridge like the Biancograt, a knife-edge snow arete on the north side of Piz Bernina in the Swiss Alps, you need a cloudbase above 4,000 metres. Anything… https://xcmag.com/magazine-articles/adventure-and-inspiration/it-speaks-in-silence/

‘It speaks in silence’ Flying among the high mountains is not something you decide on a whim. It requires patience, timing and a good understanding of alpine meteorology. To fly above a ridge like the Biancograt, a knife-edge snow arete on the north side of Piz Bernina in the Swiss Alps, you need a cloudbase above 4,000 metres. Anything… https://xcmag.com/magazine-articles/adventure-and-inspiration/it-speaks-in-silence/

Design Insight: The Goldilocks Class Back in the day, the nineties and early 2000s, the choice was easy. Most brands had one glider in the intermediate class, what is now known as EN or LTF-B. This type of glider was the one pilots got after training, or even during training. It wasn’t long before manufacturers started building paragliders that were… https://xcmag.com/gear-guide/paraglider-reviews/en-b-paraglider-reviews/design-insight-the-goldilocks-class/

X-Pyr 2026: What you need to know and how to follow https://youtu.be/7a18fTTaKOI?si=HX9Th1A9J9zURJVK The seventh edition of the X-Pyr gets underway on Sunday 21 June, with a record field of 50 pilots setting off from the beach at Hondarribia on Spain’s Atlantic coast. Over the following week they’ll attempt to cross the Pyrenees by foot and paraglider, racing eastwards to the Mediterranean finish at El Port de… https://xcmag.com/news/x-pyr-2026-what-you-need-to-know-and-how-to-follow/

Neo Push Up If you want a really light harness but don’t like the feel of a split-leg harness then the Push Up gives you an alternative that is still light and compact. Size medium weighs exactly two kilos – including the back protector, speedbar and karabiners. For comparison, the same size Neo String 3.0 with protector weighs… https://xcmag.com/gear-guide/paraglider-reviews/paraglider-harnesses-and-reserves-reviews/neo-push-up/

Antoine Girard flies 400k FAI Triangle – first ever Antoine Girard has claimed a new FAI Triangle world record – a massive 400km. He is the first paraglider pilot to fly a 400km FAI triangle. Flying on 16 June he launched from near Karimabad in northern Pakistan and was in the air for 11hr 32 minutes. He was flying an Ozone Zeolite 2. From… https://xcmag.com/news/antoine-girard-flies-400k-fai-triangle-first-ever/

Alex Ploner wins European Hang Gliding Championships 2026 Italy’s Alex Ploner won gold at the FAI European Hang Gliding Championships in Gemona, Italy at the weekend – again! It is the fourth time he has won the European Hang Gliding World Championships. He won his first European Championships in 2012 in Turkey – and won again in Krushevo, North Macedonia in 2018 and… https://xcmag.com/news/comps-and-events/alex-ploner-wins-european-hang-gliding-championships-2026/

Windsriders Two-liner paragliding gloves Mittens are a great option for cold fingers but if you’re flying a two-liner, grabbing a rear riser becomes rather difficult. The answer? Three-finger mittens that leave your index finger free. This pair come from French company Windsriders, known for their Nepal-made duvet jackets and over-mittens worn by the likes of Antoine Girard. Paragliding gloves… https://xcmag.com/gear-guide/paraglider-reviews/paraglider-accessories/windsriders-two-liner-paragliding-gloves/

The Skybean SØ Slovakian company SkyBean are probably best known for their mini audio-only vario and the Chase XC camera mount. Along the way they have also developed more complex varios such as the SkyDrop, a full-function mini vario, and the Strata, which features colour mapping and a speaker for playing your tunes in the air or apres… https://xcmag.com/gear-guide/paraglider-reviews/technology-reviews/the-skybean-so/

“Pál Takáts made it a masterclass in how to race” After four tasks in the stunning Slovenian Soča valley and visit to Lijak, Hungarian pilot Pál Takáts finished on top of the overall podium at the SRS Naviter Edition. Second was the UK’s Luke Nicol with Matthijs Derks (NLD) in third. After the fourth task Mette Krum (DNK) was in third place overall. Sadly a… https://xcmag.com/news/comps-and-events/pal-takats-made-it-a-masterclass-in-how-to-race/