Supporter Standa Mayer is still working. He don´t need a sleep. He need only beer and Red Bull. :-)

...and flying in the rain:

hikeandfly.net

A part of our team including Evgenii, Tatsiana and reporter Alena has moved to Krushevo, Macedonia. We have fortnight before going to the Alps for training and we use this time effective - doing flying course and work up the details of the X-Alps route in between. Far and by we are flying, trekking and training )))))

With best regards,

Evgenii & Co

Oprocz latania czesto odwiedzalismy Tatry. Uda?o sie rowniez wykonac kilka zlotow.

I am glad that I will take part again in Red Bull X-Alps.

Here is a short clip from my participation in 2011.

vimeo.com/62061455

Following this rainy weather, Aaron can take a part soon in Fitness competition. Even of this, Aaron tried to hike and fly in his home site. Extremely strong valley wind and showers made it impossible to follow the flight. Better to train power training in its liked and innovative real Gym.

We love racing! Another training day and 100km on the bike. Nice, famous and hard race with 1000 competitors. It´s Silesia bike maraton.

Gerne würden wir für euch einige Bilder von schönen Trainingsflügen in der Frühlingsthermik posten, aber das Wetter... Im April konnten wir zum Glück ein paar Flugtage nutzen und die in diesem Jahr noch lange schneebedeckten Berggipfel überfliegen. Derzeit wird während der Hiking-Einheiten eben von diesen Bildern geträumt!

Sarebbe bello presentarvi delle foto dei nostri voli durante questa stagione, ma la meteo... Solo in Aprile potevamo fare gli ultimi voli e goderci il panorama dall'alto sulle montagne ancora completamente innevate. Durante le lunghe camminate delle ultime settimane potevamo solo sognare di queste immagini!

Yesterday we had a great training day with the Italian National Team. We flew a task over 80 km from Caltrano to Bassano in nice flying conditions!

Today morning it was raining again and we decided to do a completly different training than usually.

PWC Crack Florian Haller, Aaron Durogati and I went to the Via Ferrata Rio Secco (dry river) in rainy conditions...The river wasn't really dry, there was a lot of water in the canyon! It was a mix of via ferrata and canyoning - really funny!:-)

A lot of snow makes great ski mountaineering still possible in the Alps, so I could climb former Red Bull X-Alps turnpoint Großglockner last week with Benny Karl and all time part of the route turnpoint Dachstein a few days ago with Heli Eichholzer and Hannes Arch- which always makes good talks and fun times.

Besides testing and finalizing my skywalk X-Alps glider, I'm trying to fly as much XC as possible.

The free time is used to understand the route and spend time with my supporters Sara and Axel..

follow our preparations on https://www.facebook.com/guschlbauer.paul

Our travels along the route have brought us to Interlaken, one of the cruxes of the 2013 course. Interlaken is home to many top Swiss pilots, including Chrigel Maurer, winner of the last two editions of the Red Bull X-Alps. We caught up with Chrigel over a drink in town to talk about this years route and to glean some local knowledge about the area and the options for crossing into the Valais.

You can read more about our travels along the route on jonrchambers.blogspot.com and if you want to learn more about what the race really entails you can read my book from 2011, and in doing so you will be supporting team GB. Find out more by clicking 'book' on the blog.

I am home. yeahh! I run across the Beskydy mountains more than 80km with heavy 18kg backpack. I´m totally destroyd but happy I make it. We are strong! Czech Xalps team lets go! :-)

Run, hike, fly and perfect weather!

Lately the weather does not help to fly, and as soon as the sun appears, I take the opportunity to fly in my mountains.

Second trip to Austria bring us to the place where we finished last time, to Innsbruck. Windy and raff conditions in this part of the Alps were not very easy. But it simulate exactly some situations, which we can wait during this big race around Zugspitze. Was good experience thanks to all member of team: Aaron, Renata and Ondra.

Nice training with my supporters Heidi and Gerald. We walked arround 25km with all the flying equipment and were rewarded with a nice training flight, again in windy conditions...the weather is incredible this year....

Fresh green is beautiful now Japan.

Nearly till end of April was still a lot of snow everywhere in the Alps. We were just waiting for few good flyable days in Austria, to try our first longer training. We had good but not so easy conditions and fly some distance combinated with tracking. No spot, no live track, just radio and paper maps like in the past ...and exploring…

Right now we're checking out the first 500km of the route. We started at the Wildkogel in Austria (in snow), flew up to 3000m in the Gerlos pass, explored the summit of the Zugspitze, sheltered from torrential rain in Ortler, and are now exploring Eastern Switzerland.

To follow our progress, read more on jonrchambers.blogspot.com

24th of April was a rare thing this spring - a good flyable day. With 'interesting' conditions on some parts of my route I still manged to clock up 159km flat triangle. See the full write up here: jonrchambers.blogspot.ch/2013/04/a-very-long-day.html

also we have bear sometimes

The training is ammping up and peaks end of May, but this last weekend was fantastic training weekend with some real Alpine weather when Julia and I walked up to climb the Bell in the Drakensberg, the day turned out a right ringer with rain and blizzards, with -5 conditions, so it was a good walk to the base and back carrying 20 kg of gear. Then on Sunday I did a personal best by running up a peak also in the central berg – Sterkhorn from Champagne hotel entrance to the top with a Red Bull X Alps weight of 12 kg in 2hrs and 8min so really chuffed with that as my last time was 2hrs 23 min and then topped it off with a beautiful flight through and around the clouds! : )

All the training might count for nothing if they are not mentally prepared for the task at hand. Christian Maurer (SUI1) recently wrote a short post on his own blog with some insight into his strategic thinking and mental preparation for the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps. Here's a translation:

 “Our strategy for the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps is called ‘M3’ and includes three different aspects:

Preparations – Magic Moments
A lot can happen before the race starts. That is why we try to make the most of the training. Positive experiences in the open countryside give you strength and make you feel good. We can only claim that we are well prepared once our anticipation outweighs the stress and our respect of the challenge.

Race – Magic Moves
You cannot calculate an adventure. Therefore we have not set a goal for ourselves but we want to learn from the experience. How well have the flights been going so far? (Weisstor in 2009, Cassatihütte and flight to Zermatt in 2011?) What is required to set up those special moves in the adventure of the Red Bull X-Alps? In other words: How do you perform special moves that are different from the ones in a normal race?

Analysis & Evaluation– Magic Memories
We really enjoy talking about our adventures and experiences and love sharing them with others. Whatever we experience and achieve this summer, we’ll definitely give a talk and pass on our experiences as personal trainers or coaches.”

With time ticking down to July 7th, there are under two months left before the starting gun of the Red Bull X-Alps fires and 32 athletes from 21 countries begin their quest to Monaco. We wish all athletes continued good luck as they mentally and physically gear up! You can access each athlete's diary by clicking on their profile here. 

T-shirts to support the team!

For sale : www.antoinegirard.info/aide.php

What a surprise. I ran into Red Bull X-Alps veteran Nate Scales at Saint Hilaire!

Naturally Nate shared some great tips having made this race before and was super supportive. Nate is traveling with Gavin & Bruce enjoying the fine French wines, foods, and of course flying. Have a great adventure you guys!

Fram merida to that spot, Tierra Negra where we flight is about 24 km, 960 mts of desnivel, I went there by my roadbike and then running up a bit for around 7km uphill and down and then back home again in my roadbike, not bad at all, very sunny day and warm but great! love it..

So off course everything is approaching really fast. I had a perfect training this winter.

I crossed the New Zealand south island together with Thomas de dorlodot, in x alps mode, This was an excellent experience. Even more beautiful then the x alps itself, just because you have the time to enjoy it all a little bit more.

After that i ve been training quite a while but now due to maybe a little to much effort i have some minor inflammations in my knee. I took some rest and it seems like its going better already. Next Thursday i will pay a a visit to the doctor so he can examine it a little further. I am really keen on everything and hope i can start to train full on soon again.

I keep you guys posted.

Cheers Ferdy

Clément LATOUR has received the gear for this year X-alps !

6: 1 glide ratio high performance glider,light weight harness with full oak seatplate, 50 mm wide thick nylon webbings and integrated waist cockpit.... It is clear that once again manufacturers and designers have developped cutting edge solutions !!

And now, let's go to Monaco !

Clément LATOUR a reçu son équipement pour la X-Alps !!

Voile finesse 6, sellette ultra-légère avec plateau en chêne massif intégré, sangles en nylon épais de 50 mm, cockpit banane intégré : c'est clair, les fabricants et designers ont développé un équipement à la pointe de la technologie !

Et maintenant, let's go to Monaco !

Es ist wieder soweit: wir berichten vom Training und von den Vorbereitungen zu den Red Bull X-Alps 2013. Derzeit zwingen uns die Wetterkapriolen leider, am Boden zu bleiben. Viel Wind oder gar das für Südtiroler Verhältnisse ungewohnte Bild mehrerer Tage Regenwetter hat uns leider nur selten in die Luft kommen lassen. Aber wir lassen uns nicht unterkriegen. Inzwischen schon mal viel Spaß bei Tagebuch lesen!

Finalmente ci siamo: stiamo preparadnoci un'altra volta per gli Red Bull X-Alps. In questo periodi purtroppo l'allenamento non si fa in aria, ma sui sentieri in mezzo ai prati e boschi. Tanto tanto brutto tempo, una cosa che in Alto Adige non siamo proprio abituati, ci costringe di restare a terra. Ma siamo motivati e continuiamo ad preparaci per il 7° Luglio. Intanto vi salutiamo!

Good news for our fans – separate media-team will follow us during the Race. That means daily video and text issues will available for everybody in internet (link coming soon). So, I very glad to introduce Alena and Alex – they are paraglider pilots too and we can expect professional look to the Race. Anyway, it`ll more and more interesting to watch for our team for everybody.

This weekend we took off from "Peña negra- Piedrahíta - Ávila"

where the young thermals allowed contemplate the Almanzor mountain at the distance.

Die Aufgabe vom Hike&Fly Jura 2013 war, 165km von Baulmes via Wendepunkte Suchet, Chasseral, Dent de Vaulion, Chasseron zurück nach Baulmes. Nur 1/3 der Strecke konnte ich in 5 Flügen fliegen, den Rest versuchte ich zu fuss so schnell wie möglich zu gehen. Das Wetter war feucht und windig, was mehr und längere Flüge leider nicht zugelassen hatte.Thomas Theurillat war mit dem Space Camper auch dabei und unterstützte mich perfekt, ansonsten wäre es sehr hart geworden!

Tag 1:

Aufstieg vom Start in Baulmes zum Suchent, welcher im Nebel stand. Erst nach Ste Croix konnte ich zusammen mit Max Mittmann bei Mauborget zu einem 20km Flug bis fast Neuenburg starten. Dort war infolge dichter Wolken keine Thermik mehr und weiter ging es von 14- 19 Uhr zu fuss auf den Chasseral. Meine Motivation wurde promt mit einem verlängerten Abgleiter zurück nach Neuenburg belohnt. Von 20Uhr bis 07 Uhr war für alle der 16 Teilnehmer Pause angesagt!

Tag 2:

Von Neuenburg joggte ich mit meiner neuen "Minimal Ausrüstung" von ca. 7kg bis St. Aubin. Dann über die Hügel zurück bis Mauborget, wo ich einen kurzen Abstieg mit dem Schirm machen konnte (Abstieg, da es sehr viel Abwind hatte und keine Thermik) Dann wieder zu fuss bis auf dem Dent de Vaulion- durch den wirklich schönen Jura! Von diesem geland wiederum ein Flug um 19:30 zurück bis Orbe. Da war dann auch Max mit deinem Begleiter Roger zum Nachtessen.

Tag 3:

Langsam machte sich mein Körper, vorallem das Knie und die Füsse gedanken über das ewige und viel zu schnelle gehen. Mit Schmerzen signalisierte er mir, die letzten 12km Strasse sowie die 1000m Aufstieg zum Chasseron gemütlich zu gehen und hoffe auch darauf, nicht noch runter gehen zu müssen. Immerhin war es um 10:45 Uhr super fliegbar, etwas Thermik begünstigte der Rückflug direckt ins Ziel bei Baulmes!

Müde aber glücklich machten wir uns um Mittag schon auf den Heimweg- das Rennen dauerte noch bis um 17 Uhr. Für mich war es nicht angenehm schon nach Hause zu fahren, aber unsere Familien hat es gefreut (so können wir ev. ein nächstes mal wieder weg?)

Zusammengefasst war es für mich härter als erwartet. Aber ja, ich wollte ja auch testen wie schnell "zu schnell" ist. Auch in Hinsicht auf weitere Abenteuerrennen diesen Sommer. Nun wissen wir genauer, wie was funktioniert und was wir noch alles anpassen müssen. Ich jedenfalls muss jetzt mal erholen- mal schauen ob der Grand Prix von Bern nächsten Samstag möglich ist?

Herzlichen Dank den Organisatoren für den tollen Event sowie alles Sponsoren!

Chrigel

Die letzten 10 Tage habe ich über 180km Lauftraining absolviert. Zur Abwechslung gab es heute als besonderes Schmankl einen 34km Städtelauf. Die Beine waren die letzten Kilometer recht schwer. Die Knochen und Sehen sind trotz der vielen Kilometer seit Beginn meiner Vorbereitung im Januar erstaunlich freundlich zu mir. Das flugunfreundliche Wetter macht es mir derzeit leicht an meiner Ausdauer zu feilen. Ich hoffe, dass ich in den nächsten Tagen auch wieder Kilometer in der Luft zählen kann. Viele Grüße Lars

teamblog.nova-wings.com

It's been a very useful week here in France. Made a few flights to see the area and what a big impression it left me with. The French Alps are an amazing playground built for wonderful flights. The brain is starting to combine race strategy with XC flying choices.

One thing is certain, tough decisions need to be made and often. Great progress is being made understanding the regions and I am pleased with fitness levels. We still have a lot of work ahead to prepare. We are on target and excited for July.

Check out US Paragliding Teams here and join the team today!

usparaglidingteam.org

https://www.facebook.com/RedBullXAlpsTeamUSA2

Most people give the credits to the athlete, this is not fair as this is a team effort.

I wrote a blog about our team and my thoughts about a team at

www.flyingmax.com/2013/04/how-important-is-a-team/

Burgundy's Vzdynamic club wears team fra 1 colors! Cheers mates and see you in October !

Le club bourguignon Vzdynamic aux couleurs du team Fra1, c'est bon ça! Merci les gars et on se voit en octobre chez vous !

Wir wollen den schnellsten Weg nach Monaco und trainieren mit Senkrechtbegehungen die km-schonenden Strapazen.

It is only been two years since the last race but it was enough time to live some incredible adventures. I spent a few summer in the high mountains of Pakistan, crossed Africa from North to South in search of secret flying spots, walk and flew the all length of New Zealand'South Island, flew in Brazil, Colombia, Morocco... It has been a great ride, packed with beautiful moments and flights shared with friends and flying mates. This time I decided I was going to train in "real conditions" and not spend my time running on a belt. As a result we crossed the Karakoram on foot and flying through 3 glaciers, flew near K2 at 7250m, named a 5464m virgin peak, we traveled 870 km flying and hiking through New Zealand with 22kg on our backs, we flew long distance in Brazil, acro in Colombia,... Now we are getting close to the next one. I feel prepared but there is still a lot to do. I work hard with the team to get everything ready. I will keep you posted on this blog. Stay tuned, fly safe. Tom.

Hubi, Tomys langjähriger Supporter hat sich schweren Herzen dazu enschlossen, wegen plötzlicher Ereignisse im privatem Umfeld nicht an den Red Bull XAlps teilzunehmen. Er wird uns aber im Juli ganz kräftig die Daumen drücken. Christian Grohs hat seinen Platz übernommen. Christian ist begeisterter Streckenpilot und hat schon bei einigen Biotech-Boirdairline Wettbewerben teilgenommen. Zum Einstand ins Team3 lief und flog er beim vergangenem Wochenende beim Bordairline Radsberg gleich einmal aufs oberste Stockerl und sicherte sich für uns alle das köstliche Siegerjausnbrettl :-)

After my first Red Bull X-Alps edition my life was not less exciting than the race.

Travelling to Kenia, Pakistan, China and Kirgistan, climbing up to 7000m by glider and by foot or taking part in different competitions with great people. Besides doing all that I worked on several prototypes at skywalk, especially for the upcoming race.

It's only a little more than 8 weeks to go to the race now and slowly but surely all other things in my life make space for 100% Red Bull X-Alps!

Trainingsumfang seit Jänner:270h

davon:

Langlaufen 20h, 200km, 2.000Hm

Skitouren:20h, 200km, 7000Hm

Zipfelbob:117,5 Sprungmeter

Fitneßcenter:20h

Bordairline Radsberg:22h, 120km, 2.500Hm

There are only 2 months left until the world`s hardest adventure race will start. My preparations are running well. Flying, hiking, groundhandling. The last XC skiing tours are done, now the mountain bike is waiting...

I went there to trainning a little bit in the most beautiful landscape!

Hofbauer competed in the first contest in Radsberg of the Borderairline series. The Austrian athlete finished 3rd while his supporter Chris Grohs won the race.
Hofbauer and his supporter finished before certain other Red Bull X-Alps athletes – Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1) came 7th place and Christian Maurer (SUI1) came in at 8th.

Stephan Haase meanwhile has been doing some technical homework – mapping the legal airspaces of the Alps: “This is really critical to avoid a very disappointing time penalty or worse, disqualification for violating the airspace rules,” he says.
He says the airpspace requirements are more technical than typically found in the States.
Haase has therefore been familiarizing himself with the route, flying near key turnpoints, including the Matterhorn, Zugspitze, Ortler and Interlaken.
"Many differences exist between flying in the USA and European Alps," he reports on his blog.
"Oversimplification of my position would be, the Alps are super complex and complicated. Navigating terrain by line of sight requires an intense level of familiarity with different valley systems and peaks. Further flying regulations must be respected by nationals and visitors alike."
Haase got to know the importance of this first hand after encountering a 'less than pleased farmer' on landing the other day. "Thankfully I was fully aware and operating under the legality of the local laws and this was quickly sorted out by the friendly authorities."
For more info on Haase's work converting Google Earth files into .fas files check out his blog post here.

Redbull X-Alps for last three years. I'm very happy now and at the same time, I'm doing my best in training. To strengthen my body, I used to run for 20km in the mountain carrying a backpack of 13kg almAlthough I wasn't sure if I can get the chance to compete, I've been training for the 2013 ost every day. There is no need to explain about the time I spend in the air with my paraglider for I belong to the air.

It is my biggest weak point that I've never flown in Europe. But the 2011's 6 months I spent crossing whole Himalaya by paraglider and by foot made me feel pretty confident in many ways so I believe I can do well in Europe also.

These days, I'm spending most of my office hours analyzing the route with google map. And I'm planning to go to Europe in early June so that I can get used to the flying in Europe. Here in Korea, we have many paragliding pilots. I hope my challenge can encourage them to go into a new world.

To be good in this race. I try to feel as much as nature life.

But I need to prepare a lot of electric stuff.

Great flight from Italy to the Austrian border. It was really windy and turbulent, since 2 weeks strong south-west wind!

Last weekend we tried the route from Ortler turnpoint to Switzerland in direction to turnpoint Amisbühel. The weather on saturday allowed as to have a great flight until 13:00, after it was again snowing and raining! The sky was covered at Sunday Morning, after the weahter conditions was improving and we had an other nice flight until Disentis in Switzerland. Generell opinion about Switzerland: Many valid routes, strait valleys and high mountains!:-)

Von Donnerstag 9.- Samstag 11. Mai findet im Jura ein Hike&Fly Wettbewerb statt. www.hikeandfly.net

Dieser möchten wir auch als Test und Training nutzten, was nun wie gut funktioniert. Verfolgen könnt ihr uns gerne unter:

share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp

I feel much more ECO than using car everyday.///

Last seven months I spent travelling in India, Nepal and India again. The Himalayas... It`s severe and beautiful mountains. There is always good weather for winter season that means many possibilities for flying and tracking, So I did not waste my time and had a lot of training, hiking and flying.

Now I'm in Moscow and we are together with the supporters Tatsiana and Valeriy thrash over equipment, for camping, driving, trekking and climbing, of course for flying too :) To be ready for the race we need to provide for all details. Not so many time left for this, because I need to train in Alps to feel fit to the race start. Also we meet with our friends who help us with different stuff. So I mean the preparation is going at full blast :)

Stay tuned and watch this space,

With best regards,

Evgenii & Co

Low preasure, big clouds, stronger wind, showers, nothing for crosscountry...just perfect for acro training... to be back in Infinity. Nothing can compare with this feeling, right timming, precise corrections and you are there!!

With just ten weeks to go I have been a very boring person to live with, but nearing the peak of my training program! cant wait until I get back under 100km a week and the start of the long, tough, high, and exciting Red Bull X- Alps :)

The last two weekends I've been out training on Les Voirons. That is where the similarities finish though - despite being the end of April and the hill only being 1480m high it was covered in fresh snow on top of plenty of old snow. It was a cold and wet trip. Scroll forward a week and whilst some drifts of old snow were still there, it was hot and sunny, this time I returned sunburnt.

Salève cloud party video

The team is working hard on all aspects of the race.

Here you have a little video with some pictures of the equipment.

Jordi was running this week by Cham Zermatt while Carlos is focused on many aspects of logistics.

Claudio while running through mountain passes and flying in the center of Spain

El equipo está trabajando duro sobre todos los aspectos de la carrera.

Aquí os dejamos un pequeño video con algúnas imágenes del equipo.

Jordi estuvo corriendo esta semana por Cham Zermatt mientras Carlos está centrado en muchos aspectos de la logística.

Claudio mientras se la pasa corriendo por montaña y volando en la zona Centro de España

Am Wochenende standen zwei längere Läufe über 2,5Std und 3,0Std auf dem Trainingsplan. Zur Zeit bin ich am Futtern wie am Weltmeister. Seit Januar hat sich mein Körpergewicht von 93kg auf 87kg reduziert. Am Samstag war ich zum ersten mal bei Westwind und mäßiger Thermik in Belgien´s bestem Fluggelände "Coo". Sogar der belgische X-Alps-Teilnehmer Thomas D. war mit seinem nagelneuem Gradient Schirm im Gelände. Nach eingehenden Geländestudium konnte ich als einer der Wenigen bis auf 1650m aufdrehen und einen netten kleinen 50km Streckenflug bis nach Stadtkyll in die Eifel (Deutschland) zurücklegen. Zurück ging es per Anhalter, wo ich von einem Belgier mitgenommen wurde, der am Lenkrad Bier trank und kiffte. Er meinte das wäre in Belgien kein Problem (:0) Am Sonntag war ich in bei Nullwind in Bremm an der Mosel. Eine Mega-Schlange am Ein-Schirm-Startplatz verhinderte ein frühes Starten. Trotz guter Thermikvorhersage und herrlichen Wolkenbild merkten wir schnell, dass der Tag nicht hielt was er versprach. Die Thermik war zäh und bumpy. Wenn es hochzog, blubberte es in 1000m MSL aus. Die Wettervorhersagen bei uns für ab Mitte dieser Woche sehen sehr bescheiden aus. Aber vielleicht wird es nächstes WE auf der Bayrischen Meisterschaft ein paar Flugtage geben, die ich nutzen kann. Wie auch immer. Das Lauftrainingsprogramm vom Marc der Firma Wallenborn wird schon nicht für Langeweile sorgen. VG Lars

Hello,

A few days ago I ran in a paramountain race, near my home.

The cumulative altitude (2200 m) at 15.5 kilometers, makes this mountain race is one of the toughest in the Basque Country, with a mile vertical rise, in just 8 kilometers long.

I got second place.

Here some pics.

I continue training to be in top form on July 7.

Greetings to all

Jon Chambers’ Epic 159-km Flight

First Up: British pilot Jon Chambers (GBR) has been training in the French Alps. This past week gave Chambers the chance to put together a 159-km long that truly tested his skills as a pilot. “3 days earlier the forecast had looked fantastic. As the day approached, the forecast didn't look quite so amazing. Out of many gathered pilots, I launched first. Clement Latour (FRA1) was close behind me.  Interesting how the two Red Bull X-Alps athletes chose to be first in the air!”

Last down: Varying breezes and picky thermals tested Chamber’s skills as a pilot as he navigated over countless hills, peaks and valleys. At one point he even came so close to landing that he’d taken his feet out of the pod harness, preparing to run, before tucking them back in and continuing flight. Finally ¬– after 8 hours in the air – Chambers returned to land directly at his starting point.

Evgenii Griaznov attacks the Himalayas

Up: Evgenii Griaznov (RUS) has just returned to Moscow after some excellent training high in the Himalayas ¬– and he sent us plenty of great pictures to prove it. Big news in his camp: the procurement of team member Valeriy Maznev, a paragliding pilot from Moscow who will support Evgenii along the Red Bull X-Alps course.

Down: Griaznov’s trip included 10 days of dealing with a Visa – and a wicked toothache that sent him searching for a reputable dentist deep in Kathmandu. Fortunately, the toothache – and the paperwork – didn’t keep Griaznov on the ground for long. We’re sure he’s glad it happened now rather than during the race.

Lars Budack has the almost-perfect day

What goes up…  Lars Budack (GER) has been doing plenty of flying – and hitting the competition circuit. “The day before yesterday’s training was just perfect. During the 2013 Mosel Open, I stayed in my caravan in Klüsserath and, once the cold front had disappeared, I started flying at 8:30 am. Half an hour later, the first little cumulus clouds formed at around 500 meters above the ground and I flew around them in the magical light.”

…must come down. “Unfortunately, after 2.5 hours up in the air, I was forced to topland as other competitors were arriving and we all got assigned to a specific task. Then, due to strong winds, the start had to be postponed to 02:14 pm. I eventually set off at 14:45 and managed my 52km task without too much effort. After I reached the headquarters in Zeltingen/Rachtig, I flew back to Klüsserath – about 2:45 hours. Finally, at 23:00 I arrived back at my caravan. For me, it was an ideal training day for Red Bull X-Alps 2013 except for the three hours break during lunchtime, which I could have used to practice my running.  

Light glides, light harnesses are getting ready in differents places in the world, Red Bull X'alps is on for all the Team since a long time now, and all what is turning on for the race is amazing!!!

Thanks to manufacturers for That;;;

Here you can find a screenshot of my flight track of wednesday 24th of April. I flew 9 hours in my proto harness from SUPAIR and my Enzo (Ozone) and looped a nice roundabout of my french "département". This was an incredible flight, almost alone and through really stern places (Dents du midi). A flight I had never done before !!

One of the best comments / advice / or statements for flying I have ever heard came from my friend Kansas who speaks english with this fun Slovakian sound. We were at a RTG comp and I was probably moaning about how I don't get RTG and just prefer to fly XC all day when he belted out. "Stephan, dude, you gotta fukus..." Yep, you read that right, he said fukus.

The Red Bull X-Alps is many things to many people. I've heard and used a few of these statements that are arguably 100% accurate. The Perfect Game. The Perfect Race. The best designed adventure race - ever. Unforgiving. Relentless. Toughest adventure race. Complex. etc. It was immediately patently clear to me after submitting my RBXA application that these comments are real and I would need "fukus" if selected like never before.

I find focus in different ways for different tasks. Sometimes it requires simple list writing to make priorities. Other times long ponderous walks with occasional sky gazing feeling completely in the moment. Flying focus, yet another approach. I start with a kind reminder on my electronics. Next I make sure I have drinking water for post rowdy thermic climbs. Food is nearby to keep me blood sugar normal. Hands are WARM. Know thy electronics. Have a method to pee. These are things that ZAP focus quickly if not prepared for.

Another super set of friends (Matty & Brad) also fly and live by another great mantra - everything positive all the time. We have a lot of "energy" that is constantly being put "out there". Turning those slighty sacrasitc or negative statements into positive visions balanced with reality has incredible results. I've found everything is better from water, food, excitement about the day, performance, weather conditions for flight etc. Just wonderful... can't say enough about how life changing this tactic is. Give it a solid try and then reflect on your day or week. I'll bet you'll find you had a "kick ass" week as Matty would say.

So, to my friends like Brad, Matty, and Kansas I thank you. Thank for the focus. The positive energy. The clarity and balance that we strive for. While this race is grueling, unforgiving, seemingly endless, and demanding one thing it certain. I have focus. I am up for this challenge with all my friends, other pilots, and adventurers support.

Remind to write about rules of GNAR for paragliding in memory of Shane. It'll be good for a chuckle.

As far as follow rainy weather in the Alps, Aaron has a training in his home site around Merano: hike and fly.

The team FRA 1 has taken advantage of a rather non-flyable afternoon and spent a couple hours studying numerous "geek" issues for X-alps 2013...

But please Mr Weather .... give us some more blue skies and good flying conditions !!!

The first time I prepared for the X-Alps in 2007, there was much to learn, it was really stressful during the week before the race.

Today, for my fourth, it is a little more relax because I know better what to prepare well in advance. As the training hikes to the new tags, the list of equipment, physical preparation.

I feel that I am better prepared this year, all points of view.

Stephane & Julien my teammate SUI2 was distributed tasks, and they give the best of themselves for the team lead effectively to be ready well before the start.

Welcome to the 6. Edition of Red Bull X-Alps 2013 from Thomas and Chrigel - Team SUI 1. We are looking forward for a new, exciting and hard race in july - see you!

While it is true that Sunuwar suffered a serious chest infection a few months ago in Africa, he is a true adventurer, and has reassured us he’ll definitely make the start line.

Sunuwar, who made headlines after paragliding off Mount Everest with Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa in 2011, is easily one of the most interesting rookies competing in this year’s Red Bull X-Alps. The National Geographic 2011 Adventurer of the Year has been training so far in both Africa and his native country of Nepal. In fact, the pioneering pilot has been so far removed from traditional means of communication, it was difficult to confirm whether or not he would be able to compete. Fortunately, a friend filled us in on his status, with a telling aside: “Babu is a true adventurer. He spends more time out in the wild than in front of a screen – so he’s not the easiest guy to talk to!”

Red Bull X-Alps team is pleased to see Sunuwar will still be competing. However, illness remains a real hazard for the athletes – both prior to the competition during their training season, and even during the race. Even just a long-lasting cold can delay the hard-core training needed to compete in Red Bull X-Alps, especially in this crucial time of preparation. The only thing worse is to train incredibly hard, and suffer sickness after the start. In 2011 Mike Küng (AUT2) pulled mid-race as he was suffering from pneumonia. Küng will be back on the start line this year, and surely ready to redeem himself.

With less than three months to go until the start of the race, it’s best of luck and best of health to all athletes as they continue in their preparation and training.

The countdown is on
There are less than three months until the start of the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps.

1,031km, 10 turnpoints, 5 countries
The biggest Red Bull X-Alps ever is almost 200km longer than the 2011 edition. Will this route affect athletes more mentally or physically? There are real chances for high drama at each of the 10 turnpoints – and of course anywhere in between.

The midnight run
This new Night Pass rule introduces even more strategy into the Red Bull X-Alps and a new mental element. Athletes could wake up in the morning and find themselves overtaken in the night.

Coconea's unfinished business
Fan favorite Toma Coconea (ROM) has competed in all five Red Bull X-Alps to date. He's the only athlete other than Andy Frötscher (ITA3) to do so. Coconea has come within striking distance of winning in the last two Red Bull X-Alps – is this the year he finally claims the prize?

Christian Maurer’s hat trick
Two-time winner and current favorite Christian "Chrigel" Maurer (SUI1) is back again, looking for his third win to vault him to legendary status by surpassing two-time winner Alex Hofer. Will the master preparer and tactician win? Speaking of which…

… It’s still anybody’s race
Equipment malfunction, an unlucky choice of route, a missed afternoon thermal or unflyable weather – any one factor can drastically affect the outcome of the race. With some athletes – like Maurer – aiming to spend all their time on the sky, and other athletes – like Coconea – capable of covering incredible distances on foot, it's impossible to say who will hit the finish line first. If history is any indication, every hour in the air will be a big help.

Promising rookies
Aaron Durogati (ITA1), Antoine Girard (FRA2) and Babu Sunuwar (NPL) are just a few of the Red Bull X-Alps newcomers. Check out all the new faces here. With 32 athletes selected for the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps, the pack is bigger than ever, and competition will be stronger than ever.

The race goes through Germany again
With a turnpoint in Zugspitze, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy the views from Germany’s highest mountain!

It takes endurance, fitness and skill
Other adventure races favour only the fittest, allowing the hardest working athletes a distinct advantage. The Red Bull X-Alps offers a unique dimension of strategy in which skilled pilots can make up lost ground and tactical decisions result in an unpredictable and exciting race!  

You can watch it all live
Don’t miss a moment with our live-tracking, and follow all the Red Bull X-Alps athletes as they cross the alps in real time!

Red Bull X-Alps athlete Paul Guschlbauer and pro mountain-biker Richard Zinthauer were on hand with Suunto athlete, ski-touring and trail-running icon Kilian Jornet, for the inaugural Atomic Waymaker Ski Touring challenge on April 7th and 8th. The race took place on the Dachstein, the second turnpoint of the Red Bull X-Alps.

The ground-breaking ski touring challenge, in which eight teams of three navigate via ski-tour, climbing, and free-skiing across an un-marked race route, was greeted with fog on the first day of competition as teams traversed approximately 26 kilometers from Ödensee to the Krippenstein Lodge. Guschlbauer’s knowledge of the area from his previous Red Bull X-Alps experience and training gave him an edge that he gladly lent to teammates Jornet and Zinthauer.

The dense fog limited the athlete’s visibility to only two to three meters ahead, seriously affecting their ability to follow Guschlbauer’s meticulously planned route. He comments: “We were navigating via GPS through an area of mixed climb and descent – but we couldn’t even see if the next snow drift went up or down! Kilian carefully proceeded ahead, and every five meters I would have him go left or right.” 

When organizers called an early end to the race at 11 AM on the second day, it was a bitter-sweet success for Guschlbauer and Suunto’s Kilian Jornet, who with Zinthauer were awarded a second-place finish behind a Canadian/USA team. While pleased, they felt conditions had been improving, and their best racing was still ahead of them. Indeed, the team did not understand judging had been suspended, and continued climbing and skiing at a fast rate. “If our tracks after the judges called off the race had counted, I think we would have had a strong chance at winning,” says Guschlbauer.

Each team was given a Suunto Ambit watch for the race. Check out the team's GPS trace on Movescount.com. Suunto is also an event partner of the Red Bull X-Alps.

Since Guschlbauer already felt confident of his knowledge of the area, the event was merely some solid training at altitude. While most Red Bull X-Alps athletes will attempt to fly the Dachstein, Guschlbauer confirms: “If similar conditions present themselves for the Red Bull X-Alps, racing will take place on the ground, not in the sky.”

Fingers crossed for flight clearance!

Kenya's Rift Valley was supposed to be the perfect venue to get in some big flights before the Red Bull X-Alps start. But for the Austrian athlete, it turned out to be a reminder of the risks that come with big adventures.
On the second day of the trip, one of the team suffered a collapse at 50m in turbulent conditions. There wasn't time to recover and he hit the ground, suffering multiple fractures and a punctured lung — though now is thankfully out of the danger zone and getting better.
"It took 24 hours to get the kind of medical treatment that would be available in 10 minutes in the Alps," says Guschlbauer.  
Inevitably, it's led to some soul searching on how you manage risk as an athlete.
"I'm a pro, I know the situation," says Guschlbauer. "This doesn't prevent accidents but I think all the time and try to be as safe as possible. I learned a lot from my own mistakes, but I try to learn from others' mistakes as well. The more you fly the better you get, but on the other hand you expose yourself to risk more often as well."
When it comes to taking part in the Red Bull X-Alps, he says he'll still go out to give it his all.
"I try to find the perfect balance to go hard without pushing the boundary. It's important to find the right level and the right pace."
But inevitably the accident affected his training. "After the accident, I was not as motivated as at the beginning of our trip!" he laughs.
However, there was one happy upshot of the story. Guschlbauer was based in Iten, the famous "Home of Champions", which has produced dozens of Kenya's legendary long-distance runners, including 2012 800m winner David Rudisha.
So Guschlbauer spent some days training with some of Kenya's top athletes.
"They kindly let me run at my pace!" he jokes.
If he should find himself grounded during the race, it's a skill that could prove very useful. And even if it's half the speed of a Kenyan runner — it could yet make him a serious danger to Christian Maurer (SUI1)!

In case you’ve missed any of our updates, here is a summary of how some of our athletes have been preparing: Thomas de Dorlodot (BEL) and Ferdinand van Schelven (NED) completed an epic 850km Red Bull X-Alps style hike and fly across the New Zealand Alps that took them 28 days.

They were not the only athletes to migrate south in search of a challenging adventure. Babu Sunuwar (NEP) and Mike Küng (AUT2) both headed to the high altitudes of Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Sunuwar gained a permit and successfully flew from the summit, becoming the first Nepalese pilot to do so. Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1) also trained in East Africa, working on his running preformance in Iten, the famous "Home of Champions", which has produced dozens of Kenya's legendary long-distance runners. But there were many athletes who embraced the winter conditions — Lars Budack (GER2) was among those to run mountain marathons in the snow and sub-zero temperatures of Europe.

Other athletes meanwhile recruited some unlikely training partners. Honza Rejmanek (USA1), took to carrying his four-year-old son on his back during training runs! And Red Bull X-Alps legend Toma Coconea (ROM) — who's competed in every edition so far — roped in unsuspecting tourists in the Himalayas into his training plan. “I run uphill to the take-off, then fly through the valley, terrifying the tandem customers,” he said.

There are also a number of things to look forward to: the eagerly awaited 2013 race looks set to be tougher than ever – race organizers have picked a gruelling route, which at 1,031km as the crow flies, is almost 200km longer than the 2011 edition. The introduction of the ‘night pass’ also sets the scene for a surprise upset by allowing athletes one opportunity to push on through the night on foot.  

With just 100 days to go, athletes will be gearing up and focusing on the mental and physical challenge that lies ahead of them. However the athletes have chosen to prepare, in 100 days all will be revealed as they line up for the adventure of their lives!

The race will see Carter competing not only against paragliders but also against mountain bikers and adventure racers. Up to 35 athletes will take part.

Carter says: "Its going to be a fun event and will be interesting to see which form of transport will be quicker! From the paragliding side I just hope the weather is good, otherwise we will definitely be at the back!"

Follow the X-Berg challenge here: http://www.livetrack24.com/tasks/861.

Any doubts over why the Red Bull X-Alps is the world's toughest adventure race were answered during a live unveiling in Red Bull's Hangar-7 in Salzburg.
At 1,031km as the crow flies, the route is almost 200km longer than in 2011, and will see athletes battling across some of the most challenging and inhospitable terrain in the Alps.
Check out the info page here for full details.

“This is an exciting route that will test the athletes to the limit. It's longer than in previous years and will require tactical skill and incredible fitness," said Red Bull X-Alps Mastermind Hannes Arch.

Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1), who finished third in 2011, said: “The Red Bull X-Alps is the ulimate test of mind, body and spirit. It's a complex strategic challenge while your body and soul are challenged to the max. This will be my second time taking part. I've been training hard and I can't wait to get to the start line.”

Also at the press conference were the defending champion Christian Maurer (SUI1), Max Fanderl (CAN), Michael Gebert (GER1), Mike Küng (AUT2).

Any doubts over why the Red Bull X-Alps is the world's toughest adventure race were answered during a live unveiling in Red Bull's Hangar-7 in Salzburg.
At 1,031km as the crow flies, the route is almost 200km longer than in 2011, and will see athletes battling across some of the most challenging and inhospitable terrain in the Alps.
Check out the info page here for full details.

“This is an exciting route that will test the athletes to the limit. It's longer than in previous years and will require tactical skill and incredible fitness," said Red Bull X-Alps Mastermind Hannes Arch.

Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1), who finished third in 2011, said: “The Red Bull X-Alps is the ulimate test of mind, body and spirit. It's a complex strategic challenge while your body and soul are challenged to the max. This will be my second time taking part. I've been training hard and I can't wait to get to the start line.”

Also at the press conference were the defending champion Christian Maurer (SUI1), Max Fanderl (CAN), Michael Gebert (GER1), Mike Küng (AUT2).

Any doubts over why the Red Bull X-Alps is the world's toughest adventure race were answered during a live unveiling in Red Bull's Hangar-7 in Salzburg.
At 1,031km as the crow flies, the route is almost 200km longer than in 2011, and will see athletes battling across some of the most challenging and inhospitable terrain in the Alps.
Check out the info page here for full details.

“This is an exciting route that will test the athletes to the limit. It's longer than in previous years and will require tactical skill and incredible fitness," said Red Bull X-Alps Mastermind Hannes Arch.

Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1), who finished third in 2011, said: “The Red Bull X-Alps is the ulimate test of mind, body and spirit. It's a complex strategic challenge while your body and soul are challenged to the max. This will be my second time taking part. I've been training hard and I can't wait to get to the start line.”

Also at the press conference were the defending champion Christian Maurer (SUI1), Max Fanderl (CAN), Michael Gebert (GER1), Mike Küng (AUT2).

So you're back for another dose of pain, suffering and glory. Haven't you learned your lesson? Or do you just forget the pain?
No pain, no glory! I think pain is only mental and I have learned how to suppress it, that's all.

How is the training going?
I'm training in Nepal. Flying conditions are perfect during the European winter. There are very good conditions for XC flights almost every day. In the morning I fly tandem with tourists. I run uphill to the take-off place about three times a day. I take a short cut and I usually arrive on top before the jeep does. Then I fly back through the valley, scaring the tandem customers!

At noon I grab my Red Bull X-Alps wing and I fly XC triangles. This month the flying conditions were even better and I flew very high in the Himalayas, sometimes over 5000m, close to the peaks. On the way back I usually land 20-30km away from where I stay and run the rest of the way. But my main training focus is on flying – running is not an issue.

There are also other Red Bull X-Alps pilots here, local Babu Sunuwar and Russian athlete Evgenii Griaznov.

How has your strategy changed over the years?
In the first Red Bull X-Alps there was a lack of GPS technology and maps, and I mostly navigated using the position of the sun. My only strategy was ‘don't stop, go further’. I even ate while running many times.

In the next editions technology had evolved and I realized I needed to research the best route, on air and on foot, and find mountain trails etc. I also learned not to rush things and wait for the perfect conditions for take-off.

In the last edition I had a very well planned route loaded into my GPS, and I managed to follow this route over 80% of the time.

Is your body still as fit as it always has been or do you suffer from injuries?
Physically, I can say that I feel better than ever. In the last edition I started with an ankle ligament issue that became turned into a grade 2 sprain after a hard landing at Piz Palu. Now the ankle is fully recovered.

Should Chrigel be worried this year? Can you beat him this time?
Maurer is an excellent pilot and athlete and has won it twice. Things can change quickly and I think there are few other good athletes who can win the race. I will definitely do my best to be first in Monaco this year.

You are always the fan's favorite. Any reason why?
I don't know, but this makes me very happy and I thank all my fans for their warm support and I love them!

Your ability to suck it up and take the pain is legendary. What do you tell yourself when every muscle hurts and your mind is telling you to go home?
It's simple, my stubbornness is legendary and quitting is not an option. I also think about my fans who spend many hours daily watching the live tracking. I can't just fail them, so I talk to my feet: "One more step, now another one, yes you can!"

Do you have a favorite quote or motto?
Nothing is easy, nothing is hard, and everything is possible.

What do you love most about the Red Bull X-Alps?
I love the spirit of this great adventure and the thrill of racing with the best in the spectacular Alps.

Why do you keep coming back, year after year?
Unfinished business!

So you're back for another dose of pain, suffering and glory. Haven't you learned your lesson? Or do you just forget the pain?
No pain, no glory! I think pain is only mental and I have learned how to suppress it, that's all.

How is the training going?
I'm training in Nepal. Flying conditions are perfect during the European winter. There are very good conditions for XC flights almost every day. In the morning I fly tandem with tourists. I run uphill to the take-off place about three times a day. I take a short cut and I usually arrive on top before the jeep does. Then I fly back through the valley, scaring the tandem customers!

At noon I grab my Red Bull X-Alps wing and I fly XC triangles. This month the flying conditions were even better and I flew very high in the Himalayas, sometimes over 5000m, close to the peaks. On the way back I usually land 20-30km away from where I stay and run the rest of the way. But my main training focus is on flying – running is not an issue.

There are also other Red Bull X-Alps pilots here, local Babu Sunuwar and Russian athlete Evgenii Griaznov.

How has your strategy changed over the years?
In the first Red Bull X-Alps there was a lack of GPS technology and maps, and I mostly navigated using the position of the sun. My only strategy was ‘don't stop, go further’. I even ate while running many times.

In the next editions technology had evolved and I realized I needed to research the best route, on air and on foot, and find mountain trails etc. I also learned not to rush things and wait for the perfect conditions for take-off.

In the last edition I had a very well planned route loaded into my GPS, and I managed to follow this route over 80% of the time.

Is your body still as fit as it always has been or do you suffer from injuries?
Physically, I can say that I feel better than ever. In the last edition I started with an ankle ligament issue that became turned into a grade 2 sprain after a hard landing at Piz Palu. Now the ankle is fully recovered.

Should Chrigel be worried this year? Can you beat him this time?
Maurer is an excellent pilot and athlete and has won it twice. Things can change quickly and I think there are few other good athletes who can win the race. I will definitely do my best to be first in Monaco this year.

You are always the fan's favorite. Any reason why?
I don't know, but this makes me very happy and I thank all my fans for their warm support and I love them!

Your ability to suck it up and take the pain is legendary. What do you tell yourself when every muscle hurts and your mind is telling you to go home?
It's simple, my stubbornness is legendary and quitting is not an option. I also think about my fans who spend many hours daily watching the live tracking. I can't just fail them, so I talk to my feet: "One more step, now another one, yes you can!"

Do you have a favorite quote or motto?
Nothing is easy, nothing is hard, and everything is possible.

What do you love most about the Red Bull X-Alps?
I love the spirit of this great adventure and the thrill of racing with the best in the spectacular Alps.

Why do you keep coming back, year after year?
Unfinished business!

“We arrived in New Zealand with the idea to cross the Southern Alps on foot and paraglider. It had never been done and never been tried. The area is really remote and we thought it was a great place to train for the next Red Bull X-Alps as it is winter in Europe and there is not much happening,” said de Dorlodot.

True to the Red Bull X-Alps, the pair went all out: “We were travelling with a 22kg pack including sleeping bag, stove, food for 7 days, clothing and fishing gear. We travelled through approximately 800km of high mountains and remote valleys,” said the Belgian athlete.

According to de Dorlodot, the pair gained some invaluable experience: “It was quite amazing, we had some great flights and walked around nine hours a day. It was an incredible way to train as we were climbing mountain passes everyday, walking on glaciers or through the bush. It sometimes took hours to cover only a few kilometers. We also encountered really tricky flying conditions and strong wind which was great for training!” he added.

“We learned to read the weather and worked a lot on our instinct. We met very few people on the way and only walked 80km on the road – the rest was all in the wild. We caught some trout for dinner, slept in huts or wrapped in our gliders."

He added: "We came back really fit and ready to tackle the next project!”

From the sounds of it the pair are more than ready for the Red Bull X-Alps! To see some of the pics from the trip, be sure to check out this gallery from de Dorlodot's Facebook page.

In early February Mike Küng and his supporter Edi Kumaropulos climbed Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in tough conditions – temperatures went down to -25°c with wind speeds of 75km/h. A week later, Küng also ascended up to 6,300 meters in a hot air balloon and completed his highest head-over ever near Zugspitze.

Babu Sunuwar recently flew from the top of Kilimanjaro. It’s usually illegal to paraglide from the summit of Kilimanjaro but authorities lifted the ban for the Wings of Kilimanjaro project, which aims to raise $1 million for local charities. After two failed launch attempts, Sunuwar took off despite the less than ideal conditions: “Upon landing I was very happy and proud. I was the first Nepalese pilot to fly from Kilimanjara. This was also my second flight from one of the 7 summits,” said Sunuwar.

“After landing, more than 100 children came running up to me and were all smiling and congratulating me. All of the other Wings of Kilimanjaro pilots were also very happy for me and I enjoyed sharing my experience with them back at the hotel in the evening,” said the Nepalese athlete.

Contrary to some media reports Sunuwar is not the first person to legally fly from the summit of Kilimanjaro. Fellow Red Bull X-Alps athlete Pierre Carter (RSA) also flew legally from the summit in 2011 — a permit which took 10 years to gain.

In the build-up towards the start of the race, it is certainly hotting up and the competition promises to be fierce as athletes continue to train harder and harder! Meanwhile, Thomas de Dorlodot (BEL) and Ferdinand Van Schelven (NED) have just completed an epic 850km flight across New Zealand South Island which took them 28 days. More information soon to follow!

In early February Mike Küng and his supporter Edi Kumaropulos climbed Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in tough conditions – temperatures went down to -25°c with wind speeds of 75km/h. A week later, Küng also ascended up to 6,300 meters in a hot air balloon and completed his highest head-over ever near Zugspitze.

Babu Sunuwar recently flew from the top of Kilimanjaro. It’s usually illegal to paraglide from the summit of Kilimanjaro but authorities lifted the ban for the Wings of Kilimanjaro project, which aims to raise $1 million for local charities. After two failed launch attempts, Sunuwar took off despite the less than ideal conditions: “Upon landing I was very happy and proud. I was the first Nepalese pilot to fly from Kilimanjara. This was also my second flight from one of the 7 summits,” said Sunuwar.

“After landing, more than 100 children came running up to me and were all smiling and congratulating me. All of the other Wings of Kilimanjaro pilots were also very happy for me and I enjoyed sharing my experience with them back at the hotel in the evening,” said the Nepalese athlete.

Contrary to some media reports Sunuwar is not the first person to legally fly from the summit of Kilimanjaro. Fellow Red Bull X-Alps athlete Pierre Carter (RSA) also flew legally from the summit in 2011 — a permit which took 10 years to gain.

In the build-up towards the start of the race, it is certainly hotting up and the competition promises to be fierce as athletes continue to train harder and harder! Meanwhile, Thomas de Dorlodot (BEL) and Ferdinand Van Schelven (NED) have just completed an epic 850km flight across New Zealand South Island which took them 28 days. More information soon to follow!

Chambers finished fifth in the 2011 Red Bull X-Alps, only a day short of reaching Monaco. Hanging in There reveals the harsh reality of what it takes to compete in the uniquely demanding challenge — the physical and mental hardships, the equipment choices, the strategic thinking and the close calls.

It is interesting to note that Chambers holds nothing back. In an interview with XC magazine, Chambers admitted he has put it all on the line: “Nothing significant was left out of the book. I considered excluding some of the parts where I explain my strategy and tactics. I also thought twice about putting in the chapter on preparation and equipment selection. In both cases this was because I pondered if I was giving away my secrets, but in fact, if I help other competitors then I’m happy with that – it is a race against the mighty Alps rather than a race against each other,” he says.

Chambers offers a few words about what to expect from Hanging in There: “I’ll take you on the full 14 day adventure with all the emotional highs and lows that came with it. You will soar with me at 3,300m across Switzerland and fight alongside me to keep control of the glider in howling valley winds in the Maurienne valley. This book will bring you as close to experiencing the Red Bull X-Alps as it is possible to do without actually being in the race.”

Already the book has started to receive great reviews on Amazon where it has topped the bestseller lists in its category. It will no doubt be popular among not just fans and armchair adventurers but anyone who loves the mountains — as well as fellow competitors.

Chambers will also be giving a talk in Kendal, UK on 23 February.

In 2011 athletes had to stop at the end of every day. But this year, in a new twist, each athlete will be given the chance to break the mandatory rest stop on just one occasion and push on through the night! The new rule promises to make the race even more exciting and unpredictable for the fans — and both mentally and physically challenging for the athletes.

“The idea behind the Night Pass is to allow athletes a chance to advance their position by tactical means. They may be able to hike to a key point where they can extend their lead or pass teams in front. But the price is a missed night of recovery. And they can only do this once,” says Red Bull X-Alps race director Christoph Weber.

“It will make the race even more interesting for both athletes and fans. It will also bring much more tension to the race, as there will be unexpected moves from the teams. For the athletes it introduces a new level of mind games,” explains Weber.  

Athletes cannot pull the Night Pass spontaneously but will need to announce their intention in advance to the race committee. Furthermore, they will not know who else is using the card until the race organizers announce this information before the night stage begins.

The Night Pass is not the only change ahead of the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps. As previously announced on the website, other rule changes for 2013 include an additional supporter for teams, the adjustment to the mandatory rest period — now 22:30 to 05:00 — and the banning of prototype equipment of any kind. Athletes will also be required to carry a Pieps Globalfinder for safety reasons.

“This victory was really important for me. It has been my dream to be the best and win a world cup title since I was a small kid!” says Durogati. “Thanks to my father, I was introduced to the paragliding world when I was young. He was also a pilot and I always dreamt of flying with the best pilots and being one of the best, which has now become true!”

Durogati also met up with the Red Bull X-Alps champion: “It was the first time I flew and competed with Christian Maurer. It was a real pleasure to have this chance to meet him. I found that Chrigel is a really nice person and he was always happy to answer my questions about the Red Bull X- Alps,” he says.

The Italian athlete has his sights set on the Red Bull X-Alps title: “Now my next goal is to arrive to Monaco and win the Red Bull X-Alps – I’ll put all my energy into doing this!” says Durogati.

Durogati and Maurer were not the only 2013 Red Bull X-Alps athletes in Colombia. Also there were Raul Penso (VEN) and Peter Gebhard (ITA2).
“For the last two weeks, we have been flying at least four hours a day,” Gebhard tells us. “Raul, Chrigel, Aaron and I are trying to get in shape for the Red Bull X-Alps. Every day, we have been running between 10 and 15 kilometers in Valle de Cauca, Colombia, in around 35 degree heat.”

The Red Bull X-Alps veterans were happy to pass on advice and the rookies have been taking notes: “Aaron and I are new to the Red Bull X-Alps. Chrigel and Raul taught us a lot and answered many questions. We definitely had a great time!” says Gebhard.

As the countdown begins to the July 7th start, the pressure mounts! The 2013 Red Bull X-Alps now looks set to be a fascinating clash.

Final results from the PWCA:

Aaron Durogati (1st place)
Christian Maurer (6th place)
Raul Penso (26th place)
Peter Gebhard (39th place)

He said: “I am pulling out of the Red Bull X-Alps for personal reasons. I thought about waiting to see if my circumstances change but this is unfair. I'd prefer to give someone else a chance. I'm gutted, but hopefully I'll be back in 2015. I wish all the athletes the best of luck.”

He will be replaced by first-time athlete Michal Krysta (CZE) while Red Bull X-Alps veteran Andy Frötscher (ITA3) gains a place thanks to a wildcard entry. It brings the total number of competitors to 32.

Frötscher will be well known to fans having competed in every edition of the Red Bull X-Alps. But Krysta is a new face. He's flown for the Czech national team at the 2011-2012 Paragliding World Cup as well as participated in the Czech league and national championships. But he's also a serious adventurer. In the Himalayas he's climbed a new route on the huge north face of Changabang, 6,864m and flown from Annapurna's Base Camp to Kathmandu, as well as undertaken many adventures in the Alps, Caucasus, and High Tatras.

He said: "I'm really excited to take part. The Red Bull X-Alps is a race I've wanted to do for ten years. I've done some big adventures but this will be the challenge of a lifetime. I can't wait to get to the start line. Bring it on!"

The two athletes join an existing line-up of the world's best paragliders and adventurers for what is the toughest adventure race on earth!

Pierre Carter is currently taking advantage of the southern hemisphere sun: “I am in a very hot climate in sunny South Africa – training is hard work when the temperature in Johannesburg is over 30°C almost every day, and I am not an early riser!”

“I end up doing most of my running after work when it has cooled down a bit – maybe to 29°C, so it’s still hot, but lovely conditions. I can work out at gym at any time. It’s a hard slog to get back into shape, but I'm starting to enjoy it!”

It's a world apart from Peter Gebhard, who sent us a photograph of him training at night in the snow of the Dolomites (see gallery).

Iñigo Gabiria meanwhile was a recent star of the International Mountain Film Festival in Bilboa. He promises to send us his film, ‘EL PARAPENTE Y YO’ (‘Paragliding and I’) as soon as it has been translated into English from his native Basque language. Here is a sneak preview, which is worth viewing for the footage alone.

Jon Chambers has been hard at work too, although behind a computer. He's currently applying the finishing touches to his book ‘Hanging in There’ about the last Red Bull X-Alps which will be published in the coming weeks. More details soon! He'll also be speaking at the Cumbria Soaring Club in Kendal (UK) on 23 February.

Argentine athlete Claudio Heidel has announced Jordi Tosas, a professional Spanish mountain guide with more than thirty years of mountaineering experience, will be joining his team as a second supporter.

Next week we'll be making an important announcement on the Red Bull X-Alps website. Stay tuned...

What training are you doing?
I train in Nepal by hiking up to the take-off site with my tandem equipment on most days. I will also be part of the Wings of Kilimanjaro Expedition in February which will be great training for me. My supporter Alex Ledger is also coming out to Nepal in March so we can train together in the Annapurna mountains.

How are the challenges different in the Alps to the Himalayas?
I spent two months in the Alps last summer and did very little flying due to the terrible weather. In Nepal we don't have pressure and frontal systems like in Europe, it's either sunny or cloudy! The weather changes very quickly in the Alps and this is something I am not familiar with.

Tell us about summiting Mount Everest?
I had never done any mountaineering before but I knew that as long as Lakpa [Tsheri Sherpa] was with me I would be ok. As you can imagine I found the lack of oxygen a major challenge, especially as someone stole one of our bottles! To make sure we took off safely Lakpa gave me the oxygen mask and turned it on to full power. This gave me enough energy to forward launch quite easily. The amazing thing was going 90ft up above the summit immediately after taking off.

Any scary moments?
Crossing the glaciers over metal ladders wearing crampons!

You were named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for the epic journey, which also involved kayaking to the sea. Was that a big honor?
Both Lakpa and I were very honored to receive the award. It came as a huge surprise as we never thought anything like it would happen. It has changed our lives.

Are you looking forward to the Red Bull X-Alps?
Yes, I'm looking forward to the challenge and am very happy to have been given the opportunity to do this.

What will be your strategy?
Last summer I met Chrigel Maurer who gave me lots of good advice. Alex and I will discuss everything in March and hopefully devise a good strategy for the race then!

What most interests you about the race?
Meeting all of the amazing pilots from around the world and the chance to make it to the casino in Monaco!

Will the gamble come off?
I know that anything is possible and there is always the possibility that I could overcome the odds!

There'll be no Christmas turkey, for example, for Stephan Haase (USA2). He has just begun a super strict diet that involves no animal proteins at all.
"It also involves no alcohol, whatsoever," he says.
So as you tuck into that bowl of Christmas chocolates, he'll be juicing raw veggies into superfood and pounding the asphalt in the rain to toughen himself up.
"Physical fitness comes much faster than building mental stamina," he says.
Haase is not the only athlete now training hard for the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps.
Fellow American Honza Rejmanek (USA1), pictured bottom, has just taken part in an annual 10k and reports that he was only three minutes slower than last year. However, he's keen to point out that he was carrying something that made the challenge a bit harder — his 16kg four-year-old son!
"Martin was a good sport about the race. It was rainy and windy but I dressed him well so he stayed warm," says Rejmanek. "His mom Barbara was encouraging but says for the sake of my back I should not plan on it next year!"
The winter period is normally a down-time for paragliders in the northern hemisphere. Some, like Haase, who has gone off in search of South American thermals, have migrated south.
Other athletes meanwhile are staying north to take advantage of the cold. Lars Budack (GER2), pictured main, recently ran the Seven Mountain Marathon in heavy drifting snow and -4°C.
More 50km and 100km runs are on the horizon for the German athlete this winter before the thermal season begins again in the Spring.
We can't say the same for the Red Bull X-Alps team. We'll be off for the next week, eating and drinking with abandon, but we'll be back in the New Year with updates on the race, athletes and an interview with Babu Sunuwar (NPL). Until then, feliz Navidad, merry Christmas, frohe Weihnachten, joyeux Noël!

The TEDx talk series invites people who influence lives through Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) to present their ideas to the world. In the fascinating talk the Red Bull X-Alps pro team spoke about their love for the contest, the difficulties of strategizing and the factors for success.

Such is the experience level that it does not seem fair to label anyone a rookie. But when it comes to the Red Bull X-Alps, even the most experienced can expect to be humbled.
Many of the new line-up are world class adventurers. Of particular interest to fans this year will be Babu Sunuwar (NPL). Last year, with Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa, he was named National Geographic adventurer of the year for his epic journey paragliding from the summit of Mt Everest, then kayaking to the sea.
(Babu is currently training in Nepal but has promised to give us a more in-depth interview when his feet eventually touch the ground.)
Frenchman Antoine Girard (FRA2) has also spent a lot of time in the Himalayas. He has notched up numerous 8,000m ascents, without oxygen, including  K2, Broad Peak, G1, G2 and Cho Oyu.
Other athletes with impressive climbing credentials include Stephan Haase (USA2), Iñigo Gabiria (ESP), Max Mittmann (GER3) and Victor Sebe (FRA3).
But as any fan knows it's what you can do in the air that counts. And every athlete in the new intake brings an extremely high level of paragliding experience.
Thomas Hofbauer (AUT3) is a man to watch. The Austrian has an extremely impressive background in adventure and paragliding races and has some notable podiums to his credit. Among them is a first place at the 2012 Crossalps. Could he be the man to challenge Maurer?
Peter Gebhard (ITA2), a member of the Italian team, also has a strong background in competitive paragliding with numerous Worldcup results. This year he also set a Triangle World Record — 277km.
Other first time athletes are Aaron Durogati (ITA1), also a member of the Italian team, Claudio Heidel (ARG), Lars Budack (GER2), Shoichiro Tadano (JPN2) and Pil Pyo (KOR).
Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1) is a reminder that previous Red Bull X-Alps experience is no bar to doing well. Although a rookie in 2011, he finished in third place, stopping just 9km from Monaco.
With such a new intake, it looks like the fans are going to be in for a treat. Check out their profiles on the athlete page.

Such is the awe with which Chrigel is held that even many of the fellow competitors acknowledge they have no chance against him.
On his application form Max Mittmann (GER3), himself a brilliant pilot, wrote that arriving two days after Chrigel would be enough satisfaction for him.
"I know my limits and I know Chrigel," he wrote.
So what exactly is the secret behind Maurer's success?
"He is simply one of the world best pilots," says race director Christoph Weber, "with huge experience of the Red Bull X-Alps".
Maurer entered his first Red Bull X-Alps in 2009. The former paragliding world champion smashed the opposition, reaching Monaco in less than 10 days, a record for the event. He took preparation to the next level, famously bringing ring binders of information about the course with him in his supporter’s van, and even laying stashes of food and drink on various mountains before the race.
He followed it up with an equally dominating display in 2011. But Chrigel himself says he takes nothing for granted.
"There are some well known as well as new faces which gives a lot of motivation. I know what to expect from the old hands but from the newbies…? Anything is possible, and it's going to be an exciting race."
Weber says there are still some potential challengers to Maurer, among them Thomas Hofbauer (AUT3).
The 40-year-old is definitely a name to watch. Although this will be his first Red Bull X-Alps he has an extremely impressive background competing in adventure races and paragliding events and has achieved several paragliding podiums including a first place at the 2012 Crossalps. He's currently working out with a trainer 12-14 hours a week.
Other athletes who could still cause an upset include Babu Sunuwar (NPL) and veteran athlete Toma Coconea (ROM).
Perhaps understandably, Maurer is remaining tight-lipped about his preparation but he says that each edition requires new tactics.
"The race has changed over the years," he says, "so athletes have to adjust. I'm always looking for possibilities to be a step ahead of the other teams and rules."
He adds: "We have to include various aspects into training — you have to be able to run up the mountain quickly and start safely to be efficient. For this you have to know your body, weather and material and know your limits.
Weber adds that having the right team is vital for success.
"Chrigel is also blessed with a very skilled supporter, Thomas Theurillat. It's an excellent team."
On his part, Maurer acknowledges that a supporter is like a good shoe. "You don’t feel it on your foot until you get blisters, then you know it wasn’t a good shoe." He adds: "Thomas does a good job when I can fully concentrate on hiking and flying and don't have to worry about anything else."
It's proved a winning team for 2009 and 2011. Will they make it a hatrick? What happens between now and next July could make all the difference...

The Red Bull X-Alps is pleased to announce that 31 athletes from 21 countries have been selected to take part in the world's toughest adventure race next July 7 — an almost 900km race across the Alps from Salzburg to Monaco, in which competitors must either hike or fly.

The line-up consists of some legendary characters and many familiar names in the 10-year history of the Red Bull X-Alps. But there is also plenty of new talent keen to take on the world's toughest adventure race — and challenge the two-time champion Christian Maurer (SUI1).

Comments Christoph Weber, race director: "Selecting the athletes was a really difficult task. We received a large number of applications from highly qualified individuals — world-class adventurers with very impressive flying credentials. The line-up promises to be even stronger than in previous years. It's going to be an exciting race!"

Applications came from all over the world and include champion paragliders, Everest summiteers and explorers. One of the main names to watch will be the Nepalese adventurer Babu Sunuwar (NPL), competing for the first time. In 2011, the 29-year-old climbed Mt Everest, paraglided from the summit, then kayaked to the sea, a feat that earned him the accolade, National Geographic 'adventurer of the year'. 

Other athletes coming from far away include Australian gold prospector Lloyd Pennicuik (AUS), back for a third time in his quest for a different kind of gold. Familiar names include Michael Gebert (GER1). Unsurprisingly, he is hoping to spend more time in the air this time around — in 2011 he famously hiked 991km! Another athlete famous for his capacity for endurance is Toma Coconea (ROM) who has competed in every Red Bull X-Alps to date. He is back for his sixth dose of suffering, pain and glory.

Some athletes bring impressive mountaineering talent — Antoine Girard (FRA2) has soloed K2 without oxygen. Others spring from a wide range of professions such as Stephan Haase (USA2) and Iñigo Gabiria (ESP) — both firefighters — to three-time athlete Honza Rejmanek (USA1), whose job as an atmospheric scientist gives him an analytical understanding of the sky.

Christian Maurer (SUI1) will of course be on the start line to defend his title. The Swiss flying ace, a former paragliding world champion, smashed the course record in 2009 and dominated the 2011 edition from the start. Will 2013 see a challenger to his reign?

Other names to watch include Max Mittmann (GER3), who will be competing for the first time. The 36-year-old finished 2nd, just one kilometer behind Maurer, when they raced against each other at Bordairline Interlaken. A big-wall and alpine climber who's run a 2:50 marathon, Mittmann's race strategy is to 'enjoy the torture'. Another is Thomas Hofbauer (AUT3), 40, also a rookie. He has achieved several paragliding podiums including a first place at the 2012 Crossalps.

For the fans following the action, whether on location or via Live Tracking on the website, the Red Bull X-Alps will provide a feast of drama, action and adventure. 

The confirmed entries are listed below:

1. Claudio Heidel (ARG)
2. Lloyd Pennicuik (AUS)
3. Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1)
4. Mike Küng (AUT2)
5. Thomas Hofbauer (AUT3)
6. Thomas de Dorlodot (BEL)
7. Max Fanderl (CAN)
8. Iñigo Gabiria (ESP)
9. Clement Latour (FRA1)
10. Antoine Girard (FRA2)
11. Victor Sebe (FRA3)
12. Jon Chambers (GBR)
13. Michael Gebert (GER1)
14. Lars Budack (GER2)
15. Max Mittmann (GER3)
16. Aaron Durogati (ITA1)
17. Peter Gebhard (ITA2)
18. Kaoru Ogisawa (JPN1)
19. Shoichiro Tadano (JPN2)
20. Pil Pyo Hong (KOR)
21. Ferdinand Van Schelven (NED)
22. Babu Sunuwar (NPL)
23. Pawel Faron (POL)
24. Toma Coconea (ROM)
25. Pierre Carter (RSA)
26. Evgenii Griaznov (RUS)
27. Christian Maurer (SUI1)
28. Martin Muller (SUI2)
29. Honza Rejmanek (USA1)
30. Stephan Haase (USA2)
31. Raul Penso (VEN)

See detailed info on all the athletes here.

Red Bull X-Alps athletes Steve Nash and Max Fanderl recently held a workshop for younger pilots to give them an insight into the world's toughest adventure race.
The pair came up with the idea after being approached by one of the NOVA team juniors (who are under 25), who wanted to spend some time with them.
"Max and I thought more and more that it would be a great way to give something back as the Red Bull X-Alps experience is so unique," says Nash.
The pair gave their time for free while NOVA helped out with transport costs. The three junior pilots were Robert Schaller, Rico Konrad and Moritz Armingeon.
The original plan was to head to Chamonix to hike and fly from Mont Blanc, south towards Monaco, but due to strong winds the team turned their attention east.
The first day they hiked for two hours up the Jaufenpass and then flew to Bruneck. But to give a true flavour of the Red Bull X-Alps, they didn't finish the day on landing but then hiked for an hour down the main mountain road in the dark.
"We wanted to show them the good and the bad," says Nash.
The second day they hiked and flew in the Valle di Fassa, near Canazei, which included a tough 1,000m climb above the snow line.
For the final day the tables were turned with the junior pilots making all of the decisions flying from Feltre to Revine Lago.
During this day they covered 30km linear distance with more than 1,300m of climb.
"It has to be remembered that these guys were not kitted out with the superlight paragliding gear that Max and I had on our backs. This made their determination even more impressive," says Nash.
The race committee is currently focused on selecting the intake for 2013, but who knows, perhaps in the future their eyes will be drawn to one of these young athletes.
To read more about the workshop, check out Max Fanderl's blog.

At the moment the race committee are still going through the applications and an announcement will be made very soon. They received applications from all over the world and would like to thank all the athletes who have applied and who are eager to know whether they will take part in the toughest adventure race on earth.
An announcement on the full line-up will be made as soon as the final selection has been confirmed. Stay tuned to the website and our Facebook fanpage.

The idea for the race began after Hannes Arch saw a TV documentary in which German pilot Toni Bender crossed the Alps from north to south by paraglider, carrying all his equipment, sleeping rough and hiking the parts he could not fly. “What an achievement that was!” says Arch. “I thought it would be cool to base a paragliding competition on this format and the idea was born!" Together with Red Bull, we have developed it over the years to be the toughest and most extreme endurance race in the world.”

In 2003 the first Red Bull X-Alps was launched from the Dachstein Glacier in Austria and with three turnpoints — the Zugspitze in Germany and Mont Blanc and Mont Gros in France — 17 athletes took to the skies. Kaspar Henny reached Monaco first after almost 12 days, becoming the first of a series of Swiss winners.

“Its simplicity is what makes it most appealing,” adds Arch. “We start in Salzburg and whoever arrives in Monaco first wins. That’s it. It’s about body and soul, not about hundreds of rules and regulations.”

Compared to the ultra-lightweight gliders, harnesses that double as backpacks and meticulous preparation that has become the norm for today’s Red Bull X-Alps athletes, things were done a little differently in 2003, explains five-time participant Andy Frötscher of Italy:

“Back in 2003 I thought Red Bull X-Alps would be a flying competition and that we would spend most of the time up in the air. I took my usual flying equipment, put it in a sack and started the race with 21kg of baggage. Looking back it was completely crazy!”

In 2005, Alex Hofer succeeded countryman Henny as champion. He won again in 2007, pipping Toma Coconea to the post by virtually flying over his head. His exceptional flying ability and excellent local knowledge gave him an aura of invincibility. That was until the Swiss athlete Christian Maurer decided to have a go.

In 2009 Maurer, a former paragliding world champion, smashed the opposition, reaching Monaco in under 10 days, a record for the event. Maurer took preparation to the next level, famously bringing ring binders of information about the course with him in his supporter’s van, even laying stashes of food and drink on various mountains before the race.

Maurer followed it up with a dominating display in 2011, when he appeared to skip from peak to peak while the competitors floundered in the valleys.

But among the rest of the field there have been some legendary characters, not least the dogged Coconea, who has taken part in every Red Bull X-Alps and won his place in the hearts of fans with his gutsy, never-say-die attitude and reputation for extreme endurance.

He’s just one of an incredible line-up. Urs Lötscher of Switzerland, second in 2005, was often filmed hiking over snowy mountains in his sandals. Swiss clockmaker Martin Müller’s paragliding skills are incredible but his race campaigns were peppered with massive ups and downs. In 2007 he reached Mont Gros first but had to serve a time penalty for flying through a no-fly zone.
Then in 2011 he had a disasterous first few days but by race end had brilliantly flown his way into the top ten, finishing a superb fourth just 73km from Monaco.

French piano teacher Vincent Sprüngli has taken part three times but has a tendency to end his races abruptly. He dramatically crashed into a tree after take off in 2009 and hit a service gondola cable in 2011. American Honza Rejmanek memorably had to walk backwards downhill and constantly spray his knees with water to keep them working during the 2009 event.
But that's not the only unorthodox medical technique the Red Bull X-Alps has seen. Also in 2009, Jouni Makkonen of team Finland turned up with a portable sauna.

As the race committee continue their deliberations on who will make the 2013 race start, one thing is certain — the line up will include more incredible characters to make the 10th anniversary edition another memorable race.

Applications close at midnight on September 15th. The race committee will then go through all the candidates. To be successful, would-be competitors must not only be very experienced pilots but also extremely fit endurance athletes. In 2011, Michael Gebert (GER) hiked a total of 991km in 13 days! Thirty athletes from around the world will be selected.  

"We've already received dozens of applications and the quality is very high," says race director Christoph Weber. "We expect the line-up next year to be even stronger than in previous years."

The Red Bull X-Alps is a unique adventure race held every two years in which athletes must hike or fly almost 900km across the Alps from Salzburg, Austria to Monaco. The 2013 edition comes ten years after the first Red Bull X-Alps.

Click here to apply.

The Red Bull X-Alps is a unique adventure race in which athletes must hike or fly almost 900km across the Alps from Salzburg (AUT) to Monaco. The 2013 edition of the race promises to be the best yet and comes ten years after the first Red Bull X-Alps.

Dozens of applications have already come in. Some are familiar names and veterans of previous races but there is also plenty of fresh talent looking to take part for the first time. Jon Chambers (GBR) and Paul Guschlbauer (AUT) are both reminders that rookies can perform well too.

To be successful, applicants must not only be very experienced pilots but also accomplished mountain athletes capable of covering up to 100km a day on foot. The best 30 candidates from all over the world will make the start line.

Race mastermind Hannes Arch says: "We choose candidates according to their experience, expertise and motivation. The participating athletes need to be both outstanding paragliders and excellent mountaineers. We are looking for sportsmen who love going to the extreme."

He adds: "When we fired the starting gun for the first Red Bull X-Alps race in 2003, we initiated an entirely new form of adventure racing. Back then, 17 athletes started. Due to the great success of the competition, almost twice as many athletes are able to participate in the incredible experience today."

Each team consists of one athlete and up to two supporters. There are no race or application fees to enter. Athletes have until September 15th to enter. Click here to apply.

5: The number of editions (all of them) won by Swiss athletes — Kaspar Henny 2003, Alex Hofer 2005 & 2007, Christian Maurer 2009 & 2011.

8.8: The number of kilometers Paul Guschlbauer (AUT4) was from Monaco when the 2011 race ended. It was also the average hiking speed (km/h) of Steve Nash (GBR1). 

17: The number of athletes who started the first Red Bull X-Alps in 2003. Only three made it to the finish.

30: The number of athletes who took part in the 2011 edition.

48: The number of hours after the winner crosses the finish line when the race officially ends.

60: The percentage of athletes who are still in the race when the competition ends. About 40% drop out through injury, elimination or disqualification.

73%: Percentage of the race that 2011 winner Christian Maurer (SUI1) flew.

991km. The distance Michael Gebert (GER) hiked in 2011. It was 18km more than Toma Coconea (ROM).

5,350m: The highest altitude recorded in 2009. The athlete was Evgenii Griaznov (RUS).

15,000: The number of people who clicked the Facebook-like-button on the Red Bull X-Alps Live Tracking.

It's been a month since applications opened and the race has already started — to compete in the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps. So far we've seen a number of entries from athletes keen to take on the toughest adventure race in the world. 

And who wouldn't want to do it? For paragliders the race offers some of the most challenging and technical flying anywhere in the world. (And also some of the most beautiful!)

But this isn't just a race for pilots. To be successful, applicants have to be accomplished mountain athletes capable of covering up to 100km a day on foot. The race calls for technical flying expertise, mountaineering endurance but most important of all — good judgement to know when to fly and when to run, not to mention how to outsmart the opposition! 

So challenging is it that only a handful of athletes reach the destination of Monaco when the race finishes. 

Among the dozens of entries are some familiar names from the Red Bull X-Alps' 10-year history. But there's also plenty of fresh talent looking to take part for the first time, which is great to see. 

Jon Chambers (GBR) and Paul Guschlbauer (AUT), are both reminders that rookies can perform well too. 

So whether you're a veteran or have never entered before we'd love to see your entry. Keep them coming! The Red Bull X-Alps is the toughest adventure race in the world and 2013 promises to be the best yet. 

To help them decide, we spoke to Paul Guschlbauer. A rookie in the 2011 edition, Guschlbauer took the field by storm and finished up third. 

"Athletes will get exactly what they want out of it," he says, “a race that will take them to their limits.”

He adds: "It's basically a one-year challenge, because the better you prepare, the easier the race will be." 

Guschlbauer finished the race just 9km from Monaco but was thrilled with his third place result. 

“I was so happy to have reached my goal, to be in the race until the end, that it didn't really matter to me where I finished – 100km or 9km from Monaco. That I finished 3rd in the end was a big bonus for me!”

The Austrian athlete is hoping to enter the 2013 edition and has already started to prepare. 

"Flying is the key to race fast at the Red Bull X-Alps, and as a result an even bigger part of my training is with my wing.”

If you are still undecided whether to submit an application, Guschlbauer says there's only one thing you should do: 

“If you think that you can do it and really want it, apply immediately!"

So to all you aspiring Red Bull X-Alps athletes, what are you waiting for? If you think you could be the surprise outsider at the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps, click here to submit your application!  

The race committee will select 30 athletes from around the world based on their flying ability, mountaineering experience and mental strength needed to complete the 2013 edition of the epic race. 

“We’re pleased to announce that entries are open for 2013,” says race mastermind Hannes Arch. “There’s a lot of talent out there and only the best will be selected. To be successful, you don’t just need to be a gifted flyer but also be an accomplished all-round mountain athlete.” 

The Red Bull X-Alps 2013 will be the sixth edition of the spectacular event. Athletes must journey non-stop almost 900km across the Alps, from Salzburg to Monaco by foot or paraglider.

The format for the ten-year anniversary edition will stay the same and fans will be able to follow all the action in real time with the fully interactive Live Tracking map. However, there will be a few rule changes. The mandatory rest period will be prolonged to six-and-a-half hours from 22.30 to 05:00 while prototype flying equipment will be forbidden. For the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps, only CE certified gear can be used. Due to the increase in communication demands, athletes will also have the option to have a second supporter. 

The 2011 edition of the race was won by Christian Maurer (SUI) for the second time after blitzing the field with an incredible display of paragliding skill. He finished in 11 days, 4 hours and 22 minutes, one of only two athletes to complete the race. On average over a third are forced to pull out, making it one of the toughest adventure races in the world. 

Applications can be made here.

We have begun cranking up the preparations for the 2013 Red Bull X-Alps with a few rule changes. These three changes have been made in order to ensure the further safety of the pilots and to minimize risk: 

In the 2011 edition, the newly introduced mandatory rest period proved to work well and ensured athletes got enough rest to compete safely. In 2013 the rest-period will be prolonged to six and a half hours.

Only certified standard flying equipment will be allowed– no more prototypes will be permitted. Please see the rules below for more details. 

Every athlete has to bring a climbing harness and a via ferrata set to ensure the safety of the athletes on technical sections.

Change to Rule 5.4: The Athletes have to make an uninterrupted rest from 22:30 till 05:00. If an Athlete is still moving after 22:30 or before 05:00 he will be subjected to 24 hours penalty.

Addition to Rule 7.1: All flying equipment has to be certified and fulfill the latest edition of the following certification standards:
Paraglider: EN 926-2 and 926-1 or LTF 91/09
Harness: EN 1651 or LTF 91/09
Rescuesystem: EN 12491 or LTF 91/09
Helmet: EN 966

Addition to Rule 7.2: Every athlete has to bring one climbing harness and one via ferrata set, which has to be CE certified, and use it if necessary. 

It’s the world’s toughest adventure race — and it’s just been released on DVD. The 2011 Red Bull X-Alps DVD tells the story of this year’s epic race. Thirty athletes from 22 countries raced 864km along the length of the Alps in either a paraglider or a pair of mountain boots.

The 52-minute documentary chronicles the exhaustion and elation of the pilots as they battled their way from Salzburg to Monaco. All the action is caught in the film — from spectacular flights past iconic mountains to terrifying take-offs in dire conditions.

Using footage shot by camera crews and the athletes themselves, the Red Bull X-Alps DVD gives an intimate portrait of the mental and physical endurance required to complete the challenge.

Just 11 days after setting off, Christian Maurer (SUI) was the first to reach the finish line of Monaco. Only one other pilot completed the journey…

*The Red Bull X-Alps 2011 DVD can be ordered at www.redbullxalps.com/DVD for €29.95. There is also a 4-DVD bundle including the DVDs from 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, priced at €44.95.

The Best Images from Red Bull X-Alps 2009

The Best Images from Red Bull X-Alps 2007

The Best Images from Red Bull X-Alps 2003-05