Himalayan Odyssey Paragliding Expedition in the Himalayas

The day flight

antoinebaba — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:54:48 +0000

After crossing the yamuna river, crossing uttarkashi, passing in front of the Gangotri system, Brad and his 2mates, made it to Chopta.they took off today again for a short flight to pipalkoti, where one of the good friend of Brad is leaving…

Yamuna in front

antoinebaba — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:46:36 +0000

stop over at Prashar lake

antoinebaba — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:12:10 +0000

Indian part 2012

antoinebaba — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:01:09 +0000

I m so happy, to announce that my friend Brad, is on the go, for a friendly bivy trip, linking Bir-Billing to pithoraghar, with 2 close friend, Matt and Dave…..
they just on day 2 reach Prashar lake, where we top land on day 3 during the actual HO expedition in 2010. I m sure he is a bit nostalgique, of the trip, and they were grounded at 1 pm…..probably due to over development .
This flight follow the first one, the regular Dharamshala and back(100km) and they made today an early start, for this portion of 60 km till Prashar lake…
You can follow brad on the live tracking in the HO website…..

Very soon, he and John Sylvester are starting a course in Karakorum, Pakiistan….wich will be one of the first eve course made in this beautiful and engaged land….

We will meet in september to attempt a new Odyssey in the American Sierra….We will be as well with the regular expedition pilots, Oriol Fernandez, Eric Reed and Gavin Mac Clurgh…..

More info will come on this blog…..

New mission 2012

antoinebaba — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:45:41 +0000

Oooooo, it has been a long time……As we say in France….A lot of water went under the bridge…
It has been a huge laps of time betwin now and the last post on this blog…..so what s new….???

Well….a lot.
First, moovie still on the plan, with some cool editors in Paris…..should be available on Dvd, before or arround europeen summer….
After, nearly the all team is up for a new nearby flying adventure….More informations will come soon….i promise. The next expedition should start arround 10 of september of this year…..We won t attempt a record or anything like this….it will be more a friendly Bivy flight, nostalgy of the Himalayan Odyssey, with friends, trying to discover cultural life among the path, we choose….

Enough for now…..we are still working on it….

I hope the team mates will also post on this blog, but there are all at different corners of the planet, chasing the dream…..so hard to post….but that s where magical it is….few calls and the meeting has been taken. We will be back ….soon
Antoine

Oriol is going to the X ALP

antoinebaba — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:55:50 +0000

We proudly announce, that our “amigo” Oriol fernadez has been selected to participate at the 2011 Red bull X-Alp.
We, Brad and I are just back from the Ghana paragliding festival, where we had such a great time.
And big surprise, Oriol entered in the great alp bivy comp.
you ll find more info at

http://www.redbullxalps.com/athletes/athlete-profile/oriol-fernandez.html

good Karma amigo

Brad and eric finally out of trouble.

antoinebaba — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:11:44 +0000

Our special reporter, in Sikkim just confirmed the news :
Brad Sander and Eric Reed, both 2010 famous Himalayan Odyssey pilots, have finally made it out of trouble.
After an Epic attempt this year to fly the route from Pokara to the Indian state of Sikkim, Brad and Eric got arrested in a small village of Sikkim, without their Indian entry stamp, and without Sikkim permit, as they passed the boarder by flight. After a month of stay in the state, with local pilots, and local police, the case was finally processed in court yesterday. The two US pilots have get their passeports back, and will be able to go out of the country normally. Both Brad and Eric mentionned the wonderfull hospitability of locals, Pilots as police forces, everyone making the situation the most possibly confortable for them.
More details will come later as i should met Brad (and maybe Eric) in Accra for the 6 th edition of the Ghana paragliding festival.
All info at

http://www.ghanaparagliding.com/

spring conditions

antoinebaba — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:18:01 +0000

The other day , i had a call with Brad….
First of all, they are fine, and hey are expecting going out of Sikkim very soon…Maybe , he will be able to make it at the Ghana Festival.
Brad and Eric were participating at a flying festival, organised by local Sikkim pilots, and i supposed, they were a bit the “stars”. They really enjoyed, as many pilots came, especially from Nepal for the venue.
So, everything is going well, and it s again only a timing question…
their case are in the hands of Politics…Mainly, the relation with Sikkim police is very good and they are treated like special guest.
wish you good luck guys and hopefully, you ll make it out soon.

The other day, i visited my friend olivier Laugero, in chamonix….to remember a bit how are the big mountain….
i was so fortunate….it happened, that a convergence invited herself in the valley, in front of the Mont Blanc. We were supposed to fly down , me and bob, from “the plan de l aiguille(2300m) for accompagning olivier in a commercial flight. The last teleferique left us, and at a point, with a nasty tail wind, i even called Lynn to say, that maybe we would have to walk down….usually at this time, the all mountain turn pink and nothing is going up……
OH SURPRISE !!! Olivier went off, then Bob and finally after a long time, the windsock turn lightly towards me, letting me jump out of the take off… No gloves, no vario, no GPS, and slowly slowly, in a very soft air masse, we all climb up…..up…..up…..
The big flight in chamonix, is to take off from the “aiguille du midi” (3800m and glacier), quiet a tricky place where the conditions can change very fast…..
Suddently, i was about a good 500 m over the “aiguille”, i could see the top of Mont blanc and my friends already on their way to the big summit…..wwwwwhhhhaaaaooooooouuuuuu…..that was incredible, we were all three of us, satellised, at 4500m, cruising along the giants glaciers of the european highest mountain…..At a point , we could have top land on the “dome du gouter”, but the late hour, inspired us safety.
it was already exeptionnal to be there, let s not take more risk…..
It took us a long time to glide down, and we finished the flight in the dark time of the day, 3600 m lower, in the chamonix landing.
You can imagine, that the evening was extatic for us, and i don t remember how many beers we had…..
Ahhh…..magic spring conditions…….

PS/ sorry for my writting wish is not always grammatically correct…..

the next step

antoinebaba — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 22:29:42 +0000

I ll give you some news of the guys, in the next blog, as i have to call brad tomorrow…..for now check this website….that s the 6 th ghana paragliding festival where we are suppose to meet, Brad and i, if he can be released in time. The festival is on after the 20 of april, and it s going to be fun, for sure.

http://www.ghanaparagliding.com/

pictures send from Eric Reed, in gangtok

antoinebaba — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:39:32 +0000

Last news, of the guys, who seems in a good form, still waiting….
check the picts at

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/7754448/1/Gangtok?h=99b245