Spring came late to the Alps this year and winter left lots of snow in the mountains. So when the spring sun heats alpine valleys there is plenty of color and temperature contrast to make thermals strong. For me the first longer XC flight this spring was along the classic Slovenia-Italy route. Starting from Kobala and flying to Gemona along the Stol range and back. Almost 100km. I am waiting for more.

There is more photos from the last weekend in Slovenian Alps at the trip page here. Enjoy: https://www.facebook.com/events/397867623640892/

Photo: Flying over Kobala looking West toward Kobarid and Italy, Soca Valley, Julian Alps, Slovenia

The weather forecast was predicting excellent flying weather in Julian Alps and I was hungry of big air. So I drove the whole night to get at the takeoff at eleven in the morning. The cumulus clouds started already to develop high above snowy peeks and I knew it is going to be fun. And it was. I flew high above Alps’ peeks still covered in deep snow. You can imagine what an experience it was for somebody who lives in a desert and usually flies over sand dunes and sunburned rocks.

Photo: Spring paragliding over Krn – the highest mountain around Soca Valley, Julian Alps, Slovenia

I planed it as the longest unsupported expedition I organized. It was even longer than that – almost 40 days in untouched Patagonian wilderness. Life has different peace during trip like that. We achieved all the planed goals: packrafting long and narrow remote Fiordo Pulpo (Octopus Fjord), the first recorded exploration of the most remote glacier of The Northern Patagonian Ice Field – glacier HPN3, opening a land & water route between Tortel and Laguna San Rafael. We have not seen any humans during the expedition and going trough Patagonian jungle tired us but the prizes were worth all of it: riding packrafts between a group of dolphins, seeing leopard seal leaping into the air at an arm distance, witnessing disintegration of HPN3 glacier tongue, playing with gigantic icebergs, being an explorer. Western Patagonia is still a place where a human is an unknown visitor, where forest stands untouched for thousands of years, where everything obeys nature’s natural laws.

More photos, video and a writeup will follow soon. Stay tuned.

Photo: Proglacial lake of unnamed HPN3 (only number) glacier of Northern Patagonian Ice Field chocked and fully packed with icebergs and pack ice after the glacier tongue disintegration, Patagonia, Aisen, Chile

We packrafted 170km (105miles) of crystal clear turquoise waters of Palena river. Right from the Patagonian Andes to the Pacific ocean. The river winds trough canyons surrounded by snowy peaks and volcanoes. The river beaches have white sands and plenty of space for camping. Sometimes it felt like the boat was suspended in the air. The water was so clear that you could see every single pebble deep at the bottom. I believe it is the best multiday river run in Patagonia. It was an excellent warmup for this active Patagonian summer.

Photo: Packrafting rio Palena with volcano Melimoyu in the background, Patagonia, Chile

I simply fell in love with Slovenia, its mountains, and above all flying there. Those who went there with me last year know what I am talking about. I could not resist and we are going back to Slovenia this year, to the European Alps. The dates are 20-29 June 2013. Last year we had excellent flying time with XC flights of over 100km. I can honestly say that it is one of the best flying location in the Alps and in Europe. We had in our group of 13 an international mix of male and female pilots from Chile, Peru, USA y Poland. I simply cannot wait to get there and if you want to join us please let me know. All the details of the trip can be found here.

Photo: Chuck Savall from Colorado paragliding along Stol and Mursi ranges on an XC flights from Slovenia toward Italia, Soca Valley, Slovenia.

What a great paragliding season this year in Iquique. Great cross country conditions in October and November were virtually every day. Plenty of +100km flights. Often I flew more than I slept. In October I was visited by a team of Aircross pilots. I could not resist those beautiful wings and had to shoot them a desert photo session. Please enjoy the photo results here: Aircross Iquique photo session

Photo: Gerard “Gege” Chouvin flying over The Mystic Dunes on his Aircross USport Evo paraglider, Iquique, The Atacam Desert, Chile

Antofaya’s Jarek Wieczorek takes the 1st place at the sport category at Argentinian Paragliding Nationals 2012: It was fun to fly over the mountain jungle in Tucuman, Argentina. As my regular flying location is the Atacama desert you can imagine how different it is from the rain forest. Around fifty pilots took part in the competition. Three out of four tasks were flown. The lesson from the competition is that while having good equipment is important the crucial thing is good tactics and piloting skills. I flew AirCross UCross paraglider.

Photo: Paragliding at Loma Bola during CAP 2012, Tucuman, Argentina. Photos by Jarek and Boga

This year Antofaya XC Sky Challenge will happen on October 28th, just a couple of days before the Iquique Open competition. We will try to fly 200km to Iquique from the “Level 2″ takeoff at the highest sea cliffs in the world near Tocopilla, Chile. Last year, half of the participating pilots beat their personal records with the longest flight of 190km. More info here and here.

Photo: Level 2 takeoff on the highest sea cliffs in the world, Tocopilla, The Atacama Desert, Chile

A must read for any paraglider pilot who wants to come to Chile and fly above the Atacama Desert:

“I bailed first as the thermal weakened, and found myself above an amazing plateau of a hundred undulating little peaks and dips stretching half a mile north and west. The late afternoon sun emphasized the colorful, jagged texture. The plateau sat atop a point that jutted west from the mountains all the way to the sea. I circled slowly, entranced by the beauty below. As I gained altitude bit by bit, an idea began to form. Could I go up the coast by flying over the plateau? Did I dare? What if I had to land in the middle of those badlands?” … read more

Photo: Paragliding over Toro plateau near Tiliviche Canyon, Pisagua, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

Jorge Rivera joined Antofaya Expeditions’ Slovenian trip and he writes about his memorable 100 kilometers flight:

“It was a total of 100 kilometers flying along high mountain ranges of which some rise over 2,500 meters in altitude with impressive and imposing rocky walls. A wonderful show that one can only see in great sport video documentaries.” … read more

Photo: Jorge Rivera on his 100km XC flight spanning Slovenia and Italy, Monte Musi range, Parco Regionale delle Prealpi Giulie, Julian Alps, Italy and Slovenia

This trip exceeded all my expectations. Slovenian Julian Alps delivered more than I could wished for. We hit the perfect flying weather at the end of June. There were some personal bests. There were a few 100km flights. There were classic Slovenia-Italy-Slovenia out and return XC flights. There were Italian pizzas galore. Everybody at our group of 13 had fun.

I am already planing the next year trip. And here are the daily photos from our paragliding in Slovenia. So if you could not be there with us this year then you can see what you missed – Slovenia 2012 daily photoblog.

Photo: On an XC flight from Soca valley in Slovenia toward Gemona in Italy, Julian Alps, Slovenia and Italy

The flying season in Europe is full on. A few days ago I had an XC flight, which spanned three countries! It would not be possible a few years ago but now there are no more borders in Europe and flying between countries is effortless. The cloud base was at 3,000 meters and green hills of the Carpathians extended far past the horizon. Flying here is very different from flying in the desert of Iquique. Technically it is a mix of mountain and flatland flying. If you are low you look for thermals along the ridges and sunny mountain faces. If you are high you use cloud streets and jump from one cloud to another.

Photo: Paragliding over Carpatian Beskids mountains, Czech Republic

The very first ever solo expedition and ascent of Antofalla volcano 6440m (21,130ft) – the North-western summit – one of the highest and most remote volcanoes on the planet. It was on my to-do list for years. Two weeks of acclimatization and warm-up climbs, 220 liters (60 gallons) of gasoline loaded in my truck, GPS with all possible planed routes, 30 liters (10 gallons) of water, plenty of pasta and tomato sauce, crampons, and beer from Tierra del Fuego. Then I was screaming from joy running down on pumice gravel on the steep slopes with endless view in front of me. I climbed Antofalla, cheers.

Personal advise from my own experience: Be very careful while opening your beer at the 4700m (15,400ft) basecamp to celebrate.

Photo: Approaching the snow line while climbing North-westerns slopes of volcano Antofalla, Puna de Atacama, Andes, Argentina

Lost in the high Andes between two long ranges of remote volcanoes. A hundred miles long jewel. A place of eerie beauty and colors I thought nature cannot produce. A place of an endless horizon where Earth is still forming. A place where you never stop smiling. My visit to Salar Antofalla – a place of unbelievable landscapes.

Photo: Salt and mud mountains at the North-Eastern Salar Antofalla, Puna de Atacama, Argentina.

The largest paragliding magazine on the planet – Thermik – features a portfolio of my photographs showing the beauty of flying over the Atacama desert in Chile. “Thermals, soaring, and record in Northern Chile – The desert wind”, photographs by Jarek Wieczorek, text by Tim Mayer. Highly recommended. If you haven’t been to Iquique yet this may just convince you to plan your next paragliding destination. You can buy the magazine in electronic format here or in print here.

Photo: Paragliding over the Atacama desert, Chile.

160 times per minute – that is my hart, 80 times per minute – that is my lungs. A life more intense at 5500m (18,000ft).

Photo: Summiting Volcano Tuzgle 5530m (18,140ft), Puna de Atacama, The Andes, Argentina.

It looks like the universe never wanted me to get there. For years I tried but it did not happen. Next attempt is in order then. Volcano Antofalla 6440m – very large, very remote, at the hart of Puna de Atacama on the shores of Salar de Antofalla. So desolate that you can hear echo of your own thoughts. Perfect place to meet my old friend Mephistopheles, isn’t it? The date is set. I am already on my way in the Andes. Some info here.

Photo: Winter view of volcanoes at Chilean part of Puna de Atacama, The Andes, Chile.

The very first sign of ending summer is the better flying weather. Of course it is not that good as in high October-November season but we were able to get very high and have an aerial paragliding tour of Iquique port. And the glide of modern high end wing is something you would not expect. It feels like you could fly them to Japan on the other side of Pacific.

Photo: Aerial paragliding tour of Iquique port, the Atacama Desert, Chile.

This June we are going to celebrate the joy o cross country flying. Flying in beautiful Alps of Slovenia. After spending in Slovenia my European summer last year I simply fell in love with this place. I fell for its grand wild silver mountains, its spectacular flying, its emerald rivers, its green valleys, and people who smile a lot. Slovenian Alps were simply created for paragliding. Yes, they were. You will be telling me the same while laughing when you land on a green meadow deep in the Alps after a long XC flight. I dare you because I know. Come, I am taking you with me to Slovenia to have lost of fun while flying. Learn more about the trip here.

Photo: Paragliding toward Bovec valley from the Stol range, Kobarid, Julian Alps, Slovenia.

The rally purpose build custom cars cost around one million dollars each. They are driven by celebrity drivers who do not shy from insulting other competing drivers in instant worldwide tv coverage, dumping those stranded in the desert without help or even driving over other competitors. The judges involved in politics. Promotional ball-pens and hats. Sponsored teams with multimillion budgets. Fenced off bivouac camps guarded by platoons of armed police and security. Wounded desert with wrecked landscape. How far did Paris-Dakar go from his legend of epic passionate trans Saharan rally for adventurers?

Photo: An off-road racing truck crossing the coastal mountain range at Pampa Perdiz during Dakar 2012 rally, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

The biggest paragliding playground on the planet and a pilgrimage destination for pilots. It is a 1000m tall and 10km long sand and dunes covered ridge. Since Palo Buque sits just in my backyard I sometimes forget what a big treasure I have here. So I go and fly there at sunset over the Mystic Dunes and it reminds me why I fly.

Photo: An acro pilot having fun on a virgin sand slope, Palo Buque, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

Real pilots sleep in their wings. Sleeping-bags, tents, pillows and girlfriends are redundant. I love watching men with a passion. They push boundaries, they do not care about daily comforts, they always walk looking at the sky thinking about being there, and their faces light up when they talk about flying. Actually they hardly talk about anything else. So what do you do when you are not siting in your office? You kite-board? Do puzzles? Run marathons? I fly.

Photo: Paragliding Tiliviche camp at The Vulture Ridge, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

It is the season in the desert and we have been flying every day for hours. We barely have time to sleep and eat. Both the familiar and the remote desert flying sites give us the best possible weather this year. I bet you wished you were here flying with us. Not sure? See the photos from our daily photoblog and you will jump on your next airplane heading to Chile.

Fly Atacama 2011 daily photoblog

Photo: Ned Izraelsen flying over Toro plateau near Tiliviche Canyon, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

The 4th great annual Antofaya BBQ at the dunes of Palo Buque is taking place Tuesday, November 15th and is featuring grilled fish and sea food plus plenty of Chilean wine and cold beers. All pilots present in Iquique are very welcome. If you miss it you will have to wait a whole year for the next one. We will start lighting up the charcoal and open the free bar at 5PM. Send me your RSVP.

Photo: After Landing – a free bar at the dunes of Palo Buque, The Atacama Desert, Iquique, Chile.

Summer is coming to Patagonia and this year Antofaya Expeditions will continue exploration of uncharted fjords, valleys and glaciers of this pristine land of unheard beauties. We will hike, paddle, and camp in places where no other explorers got before us. We are preparing our fifth month long expedition to unexplored parts of Western Patagonia. If you want to join us on this very anticipated trip or just read more about our plans please visit the Expedition Explorers website.

Photo: Jarek Wieczorek – the host of this blog exploring in his packraft one of the northern arms of San Quintin glacier – the largest glacier of Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Patagonia, Chile.

I visualized this flight tens of times. I imagined myself taking off high above the clouds. I daydreamed about flying over the deep canyon of Loa river. I looked at gliders down low at Palo Buque. I pictured myself flying into Iquique at dusk with street lights on. I dreamed about this flight for a long time. Aren’t our dreams what we live for? Tocopilla (Level 2) to Iquique – 190km – over 7h in the air. More here.

Photo: Jarek Wieczorek – the host of this blog gliding along the Atacama Desert coastal range in the Loa river area, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

Iquique is the only place in the world where you can flight right above the town. Every paraglider flight in Iquique ends with a final glide from the mountains of The Coastal Range toward landing on one of the Pacific beaches and takes you right above the city, above a square pattern of streets, above swimming pools and a stadium, above a shipping port, above a bay full of fisherman boats and above high-risers lining the coast.

Photo: Leo Andrade on a final glide above city of Iquique, the Atacama Desert, Chile.

Another addition to Project Colorada. This time our desert off-road exploration took us to the highest sea cliffs in Chile. It is a 6.000ft (1800m) vertical drop straight to the ocean! And yes, we are preparing a brand new takeoff there – Level 2. The views are breathtaking as it is way above the permanent Atacama inversion layer which means it is often high above the clouds. It should make paragliding XC flights from Tocopilla toward Iquique much easier. We will be testing it very soon.

Photo: Sunset view from the highest sea cliffs in Chile and the highest paragliding takeoff of Northern Chile – Level 2, Tocopilla, the Atacama Desert, Chile.

On October 23 (Sunday) Antofaya Expeditions is organizing a paragliding XC Challenge trying to fly 200km to Iquique from a brand new takeoff on the highest cliffs in Chile – 1600m. Number of available space limited. Please email me to sign up. More info here.

]]> http://www.digitalitis.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=290 0 http://www.digitalitis.com/blog/?p=290 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/digitalitis/~3/lt5qW7IeHLc/ http://www.digitalitis.com/blog/?p=286#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:20:59 +0000 Jaroslaw Zygmunt Wieczorek http://www.digitalitis.com/blog/?p=286

Antofaya crosses The Andes – on foot. It took us five days of strenuous trekking along ancient Inca paths to cross the spine of South America – The Andes. We trekked from a desert village of Tilcara on the Western side, climbing various ranges and crossing deep valleys. We ended in a hamlet of San Francisco in lush jungle on the Eastern side of this longest mountain chain in the world. The maximum altitude we reached was 14,000ft (4300m) asl and minimum 3,300ft (1000m) asl. It is over 2 miles (3 kilometers) vertical climb. And we had to do it multiple times summiting each range! I wish we could do it as easily as condors do it – our only companions during this adventure.

Photo: Camping in the hart of the high Andes between Tilcara in Humahuaca Valley and San Francisco in Calilegua, North-Western Argentina.

It is spring in Tucuman. It means it is the time when thousands of hectares of lemon plantations are in bloom. Every single thermal is filled with nice sweet smell of flowering citrus trees. You do not want to stop circling. It is a paragliding aromatherapy.

Photo: Carlos Curi flying his paraglider over lemon tree plantations in Tucuman, Argentina during Argentinian National Loma Bola Paragliding Championship.

Sidetracked magazine publishes a story about Antofaya’s exploration of remote corners of Patagonia.

“Our eyes are not used to this land of contrasts. Standing on a white sand beach in hot summer sun you see snow and ice-covered mountain peaks topped with lenticular clouds. Glaciers that descend from those ice fields do not flow through barren, rugged mountains but instead crash into rain forest—jungle filled with ferns, moss, bamboo and layers of fallen trees and colorful insects, into meadows covered in blankets of flowers.” …. read more

Text by Jarek Wieczorek. Edited by Rianna Riegelman “Patagonian Explorers”
Photo: Hiking along remote Pacific beach, Playa San Quintin, Istmo Ofqui, Patagonia, Chile

As every year this November is going to see lots of colorful paraglider wings flying over the driest desert in the world – The Atacama Desert in Chile. We are getting ready for our annual adventurous pilgrimage to Iquique – the most consistent flying destination on the planet. And again we will cover countless XC miles and again we will fly from down to dusk and again we will host the famous desert BBQ for all pilots. So what are you going to do this autumn when it rains outside? Join our flying tour to a place where it never rains. Details here.

Photo: Steve Torgesen flying over Tiliviche Canyon and Cero Torro plateau, The Atacama Desert, Chile

I am a spoiled brat. I am a spoiled pilot who lives in the Atacama Desert where we have 360 flyable days in a year. Now I am traveling in the Alps and learning meaning of word “para-waiting”. It means checking weather daily, choosing location, driving hundreds of miles, siting on a take-off for long time, and then it is raining anyway. Or worst, snowing like in Chamonix a couple of days ago. And it is the middle of the summer! All of it is so foreign to me. I am a spoiled brat and my European paragliding friends make fun out of me.

Photo: Piave river flowing trough vineyard covered foothills of the Alps, Bigolino, Treviso province, Northern Italy

The great San Quintin glacier splits into two creating Ventisquero Andrees and then spreads its huge piedmont lobe into the marshes of Ofqui isthmus. Beyond that are the uncharted fjords of Western Patagonia. Even farther into the Patagonian Andes there are valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers never visited before. Expedition Explorers IV 2011 took us into this hidden mysterious world. See it for yourself here.

Movie: Expedition Explorers IV 2011 – The Great San Quintin, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile. (http://www.vimeo.com/21908794)

I am spending my austral winter far away from the desert. It is very green here and flying is great. Mountains are covered with forests and valleys are full of small villages. There is plenty of paragliders here and take-offs are big grassy fields. It so different from what I am used to experience and see from the air. It is Czech Beskids.

Photo: Lysa Hora range and Sance reservoir and dam, Moravian-Silesian Beskids, Czech Republic.

We are rebuilding what was taken by erupting volcano Chaiten. We are rebuilding Casa Hexagon – farther south in the hart of Patagonia with views of the ice fields and the lake with waters bluer than skies. Stephan, the owner of Casa Hexagon, is full of positive energy. I am sure the version 2.0 will be even better than the original Casa Hexagon. Don’t miss it during your next Patagonian adventure. You can find it outside of Puerto Guadal.

Photo: Constructing a new house of Casa Hexagon, Lago General Carrera, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile.

How do you come down from the land of your dreams to walk on the solid ground? How do you accept earth after visiting heavens? It has been days since I came back and still I cannot neither talk about it nor think about anything else. I guess this year you will need to wait a bit longer for a story about what happened this austral summer in Patagonia around The Northern Patagonian Ice Field.

Photo: Packrafting near one of the northern arms of San Quintin glacier, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aisen, Chile.

Another article by Rianna Riegelman a member of Antofaya Expeditions is featured by South American Explorer Magazine in issue #94. This time about endemic flora of the Atacama Desert.

“Some corners of the Atacama report no recorded rainfall -ever- and support no life. Other parts of the Atacama receive regular seasonal rainfall and support a variety of vegetation, some wildlife, and even human agriculture. Believe it or not, the Atacama Desert hosts more than 1,300 native plant species. Approximately 60% of those are believed to be endemic to the region.” …. read more

Text by Rianna Riegelman “Chile: Sol Survivors”
Photo: Cactus from an endemic genus Copiapoa at Southern coastal Atacama Desert, Llanos de Challe National Park, Chile

What a busy November! Flying every day. Flying every day more than once. Conditions were superb especially for the first half of the month. I think I got almost 100 hours in this one month. We did multiple San Marcos to Iquique XC flights of 95km, cloud soaring at Chipana, Pisagua trips, plenty of sand dune flying. Not to mention my new sporty glider from AirCross.

Photo: Bob Janzen from USA flying over high wind mountain desert area called “cementario dos” during one of evening XC flights, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

I get many questions from people who never been here or never been at any desert. How is flying here? When is the best time to come? Paragliding in Iquique is very different than what you have experienced anywhere before. It is not ridge soaring, it is not extremely hot here and logistics are complicated. The rewards are just unbelievable. And if you are a person who is inspired by what you see you will be coming here every year. Or maybe even you will come and settle here as I did. The desert is simply stunning but it takes dedication to see this beauty. Beauty which is beyond words for me. So I take photos and share them with those who want to watch.

Photo: Flying a brand new competition paraglider over the mountain dunes on a long XC in the desert, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

This new XC takeoff will become a hit. It is the best XC takeoff in the greater Iquique area. It has everything: big, safe and flat launch area facing prevailing winds, enormous sandy landing in front, high altitude difference of 600m, easy access even by a car, spectacular desert views 360 degrees, perfect XC distance to Iquique. We have opened it a few weeks ago and been flying there at every chance. It simply rocks. Check it out for yourself.

Photo: A pilot flying his competition paraglider MacPara Magus 6 from the new XC takeoff Chango, The Atacama Desert, Chile

Alpacka rafts got us to places in Patagonia where nobody was able to get before. We love these ultralight and super rugged boats so much that we decided to make them available for all Patagonian adventurers. We sell Alpacka packrafts in Chile and Patagonia. Get them at Antofaya website.

Photo: Alpacka Packrafts at the proglacial lake of Benito Glacier Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile

Days are getting longer, sand is getting hotter, cloudbase is getting higher, cross country season is coming. Winter is over in Iquique. The big fun is about to begin.

Photo: Carlos Curi flying his new paraglider Omega 8 over a desert plateau near Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

It took me long time but finally I have photos from last year’s paragliding season in Iquique ready. For pilots who had a chance to fly with me these photos will serve as a nice souvenir. Please enjoy. I hope to take plenty of fine photos of colorful wings over the desert this year, too. The gallery is here.

Photo: Paraglider Pilot’s view of the coastal mountains near Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

It is always flyable here but sometimes my job keeps me stuck to my computer desk. For times like that I made a cool paragliding screensaver with over fifty wonderful photos which turn on pilot’s imagination. It is available here for everybody to try: Desert Paragliding Screen Saver.

Photos: Selection of photos from Desert Paragliding Screen Saver

Project Caleta Colorada continues with establishing the highest paragliding take-off in the greater Iquique area – Arenal. This easily accessible in a car take-off at 900m a.s.l. should make cross country flights between Pisagua and Camarones more attainable. That area is getting more and more popular with pilots looking for desolate desert experience. Multiple XC flights have been already flown there but existing Junin and Tiliviche take-offs pose distinct challenges for an XC hungry pilots. The Arenal take-off is located so high that on days with a lower cloudbase you actually take off above a cloud layer and above the permanent coastal Atacama inversion layer – see the photo.

Photo by Rianna Riegelman: Host of this blog – Jarek Wieczorek – looks over cloud covered Cuesta de Arenal plateau and Tiliviche Canyon near Pisagua, The Atacama Desert, Chile

South American Explorer Magazine selects Antofaya’s packrafting Expedition Explorers as the feature trip for their edition #93.

“There is a valley in Southern Chile called Valle Exploradores – Valley of the Explorers in English. It is an enticing valley with an inviting name – a fantasyland of dramatic granite peaks, thick green Patagonian rainforest, glacial blue lakes and a milky gray river that joins a wide channel called the Elephant Fjord.” …. read more

Text by Rianna Riegelman “Chile: Packrafting in Patagonia”
Photo: Pakrafting in temperate Patagonian rainforest on Upper Rio Sur, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile

True off-road flying at one of the most remote Iquique paragliding sites. Past weekend conditions at Caleta Colorada were nothing short of great. We flew almost to Iquique and back. And the views over the Atacama plateau are to die for.

Movie: Off-road paragliding, Caleta Colorada, The Atacama Desert, Iquique, Chile. (http://www.vimeo.com/13710141)

Photo: A tandem paraglider piloted by Philip Maltry with his daughter over Patillos take-off, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

Photo: Dancers during religious feast of Fiesta de La Tirana, La Tirana, Chile

Photo: Sandro Traussnig paragliding over dry riverbeds of Cerro Toro plateau near Tiliviche canyon north of Iquique, Pisagua, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

Photo: A packraft and a kayaker at the put out at Rio Manso de Frontera at the border between Argentina and Chile, Patagonia, Argentina.

Photo: Aerial view of easternmost Andean ranges near El Maiten and Cushamen, Patagonia, Argentina.

Photo: Packrafting trough rapids of Jeinimeni river, Aysen, Patagonia, Chile.

Photo: Sebastian Alvarez flying his Niviuk Artik 2 paraglider over Las Vizcachas, Santiago de Chile, Chile.

Photo: Aladdino Varga and Jarek Wieczorek (the host of this blog) getting warm and dry in a cold Patagonian morning in a settlers’ house, Steffen Fjord, Aysen, Patagonia, Chile.

Photo: Niviuk paraglider flying over Las Vizcachas, Santiago de Chile, Chile.

Photo: KSZ paddling her packraft into an ice cave created by melting ice of Glacier Steffen – Southernmost glacier of Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile.

Photo: Your host of this blog – Jarek Wieczorek – unloading his packraft on the shores of a proglaciar lake of Steffen glacier, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile. Photo by KSZ.

Photo: Carlos Curi flying his Niviuk Artik 2 paraglider over Loma Bola, Aconquija Range, Tucuman, Argentina.

Photo: BBC Filming crew and presenter Jeremy Clarkson on the slopes of Guallatiri Volcano shooting BBC Top Gear Bolivia Special, Altiplano, Chile.

Photo: Nevado Sajama volcano (6542m), Sajama National Park, Altiplano, Bolivia.

Photo: Packrafting in front of Ventisquero Benito glacier, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aisen, Patagonia, Chile.

Photo: Cerro Milagro, Putre, Altiplano, Chile.

Photo: Sunset paragliding over The Barefoot Dunes, Cerro Oyarvide range, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile.

This place is like a box of chocolates. Every time I go there I get something new, something great. This time after a pioneering XC flight toward Camarones we flew above the clouds for over two hours. Then the glide kilometers into the sea and landing close to the crashing waves of Pacific way after the sunset with landing zone lighted up by a huge bonfire. Then a BBQ on a deserted beach. Then sleeping under starry southern skies looking for the southern cross. All of this laughing with friends and loved ones. Can it get any better? Another day to remember. Another day in the life of the happiest guy on Earth.

Movie: Paragliding above clouds in Tiliviche Canyon, The Atacama Desert, Chile. (http://www.vimeo.com/7555250)

Photo: Jarek Wieczorek racing cars in his paraglider, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile. Photo by Leo Andrade.

Photo: Leo Andrade flying his paraglider over the platou above Punta Piedras North of Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Iruya village in the mountains of Sierra de Zenta, Salta Province, Argentina

Photo: Serranía de Hornocal (Hornocal Mountain Range), Jujuy Province, Argentina

Photo: Leonardo Laserna paragliding Junin cliffs north of Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Cuesta de Miranda, La Rioja, Argentina

Photo: Warren Stadler from USA paragliding at the Tiliviche Canyon, Pisagua, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Carlos Curi paragliding at Caleta Colorada, Iquique, The Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Leo Andrade paragliding far off the shore of Iquique, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Rianna Riegelman packrafting between icebergs of the proglaciar lake of Ventisquero San Quintin glacier, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aysen, Patagonia, Chile

Photo: Leo Andrade flying his tandem paraglider over Iquique’s coast toward Cavancha beach, Iquique, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Rianna Riegelman looking down on unnamed HPN1 glacier (Ventisquero Hielo Patagonico Norte 1), Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Aysen, Patagonia, Chile

Photo: Leo Andrade on his Niviuk Icepeak paraglider during the final glide toward Playa Brava after a successful flight over inland mountain ranges, Iquique, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Shores of Istmo Ofqui and Laguna San Rafael glacial fjord, Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Patagonia, Aysen, Chile

Photo: Paraglider pilot Niki from Italy having fun at The Vulture Ridge, Tiliviche, Pisagua, Iquique, Chile

Photo: Laguna Helada and Cerro Curutu, Pampa Loyoques, Puna de Atacama, Chile

Photo: Paraglider soaring inland mountain dunes covered by incoming camanchaca mist, Atacama Desert, Chile by Rianna Riegelman

Photo: Pilot Mike Christiansen flying his paraglider over desert plateau near Patillos launch 60km south of Iquique during Copa Altazor 2008 competition, Atacama Desert, Iquique, Chile

Photo: Hot springs of Termas Geometricas, Conaripe, Chile

Photo: Parglider pilot flying his wing at Vizcachas site in Cajon del Maipo near Santiago, Chile

Photo: Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 front axle Birfield CV joint

Photo: Desert driver, Jebel Arkenu, the Sahara, Libyan Desert, Libya

Photo: Flamingos over Salar de Pedernales, Cordillera de Domeyko, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Packrafting in front of Glacier Gualas, Northern Patagonian Icefield, Patagonia, Aysen, Chile

Photo: Cross country paragliding near Punta Batuco, Iquique, Chile

Photo: GoogleEarth screenshot of San Quintin Glacier, Istmo Ofqui, Northern Patagonian Icefield, Patagonia, Chile

Photo: Sand dune of Playa Chipana between Tocopilla and Iquique, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Cono de Arita, Salar Arizaro, Tolar Grande, Puna, Argentina by Rianna Riegelman

Photo: Cerro Dragon, Iquique, Atacama Desert, Chile

Photo: Paragliding in Quebrada Tiliviche, Pisagua, Atacama, Chile

More photos from Altiplano here.

Photo: Volcanos Parinacota and Pomerape, Lagunas de Cotacotani, Parinacota, Altiplano, Chile