Following yesterday's devistating end to Team GBR1's X-Alps race, the only thing to do was to fly from the launch site they had intended to use next in the race; Sta Maria Maggiore.

Steve and Richard would like to wish all the best to the other teams in the race and finally to thank all those who have supported their involvement in this epic adventure.

Walking up to a take off above Locarno and Richard thought this cake might

help! It does :)

Richard supported me all the way into the Bodengo valley today, with a

significant amount of road hiking. This video was taken on a bridge standing

above the valley. We are both very tired now (me having a long walk and

Richard driving round the long way to meet me).

The route Steve is taking to cross to the next valley.

Currently climbing to a small village called Bodengo, which leads to the

Noturo pass. Only 1600m of climb to go! !!

Took off about 1 hour later than i hoped this morning, due to underestimating the time to hike up a valley! By launching late got myself and the wing soaked but more importantly missing a descent flight:( photo of glider drying inside camper.

Was hoping to fly this SW facing ridge above Cottons, but win is NW so having to walk down :(

Cottons should read Cortina damn predective txt.

Richard, enjoying a well earned dinner having chased around several vallies looking for me due to poor gps tracker coverage around Tre Cima.

Climbed up above the town of Maloja with the hope of flying down the valley

towards Chiavanna (IT). Took of just above 2500m, as a layer of cloud was

closing the valley in. Managed a 20k glide which saved a steep tarmac

descent. As i write the forecasted rain has just arrived. My plan is to

cross the Notaro pass and head for Lucarno.

Gnasher lands at Stampa

Was gonna post this yesterday but had issues with phone. After walking from

Bolzano to Meran for most of the day, i was faced with these steps for

hundreds of meters to a small town called Tirolo. They were tough!

Currently walking in the direction of Meran from Bolzano. Hopeful that the

weather will improve and allow me to fly. Got so wet yesterday in a proper

downpour that most of my kit is still soaked. Richard is doing a great job

of trying to get stuff dry, but i keep getting it wet!

Whilst walking though St. Moritz today, i have been approached by more

friendly people following the XAlps online than anywhere else so far. In the

pic, Andri (a local speedflier) came to give me t/o advice, then he found me

later with the offer of a beer!

Our camper now has its own indoor washing line. At top of Gardena pass and

it is still pretty cloudy. Gonna have a brew then try to fly down, if it

clears a little.

Walked up to passo Gardena, was too cloudy to fly and wind howling in wrong

direction. Had a cake and contemplated options: walk down more than 1000m OR

find a way of taking off then a quick turn and run into the valley. Choose

the latter and got a good way down the valley. Helped by three local pilots.

Have now been walking towards Bolzarno for hours! Still able to smile in the

hope that we connect being in the right place with the right conditions to

fly. Finally, thanks to everyone who...

More walking....

On way up to Passo Di Gardena, looking cloudy at the moment but thermal

forecast is poor!

Gnasher lands at Stampa

Waiting at the Malojopass for Steve to assend Pix Lunghin and then fly down

to Chiavenna

STEVE TAKES A SHORT BREAK AND SOME CAKE BEFORE PUSHING ON UNTILL 11PM

Team GBR1 keeping their feet tasty.

Gnasher having a shower in the rain outside the van tonight.

Cortina d'ampezzo take off

Just took off from centre of photo, saving my feet many hundreds of meters descent. Second backwards landing of the day! Less than 2 hours to go till i have to stop.

Just got grossglockner to followed by rock& roll flight down. Nice to be on an en c Nova Factor 2 :) making tracks towards Lienz now.

Prev entry should have read grossglockner tp.

Wet start for climb to grossglockner. Feeling ok.

Steve and pawel

Steve and pawel (pol) look back to where they were this morning!

Looking back to the dachstein

Richard and steve looking back at the dachstein

Walking up to foot of Dachstein before big climb to 2700m, with a via ferrata thrown in for good measure

Shot this short video on the phone today. Steve

Didn't have the greatest of starts today, as mistimed the launch, had to

land lower down and walk back up. By which time the thermals were gone!

Eventually launched but didn't get far, the rest on foot.

Team GBR1 arrived in Salzburg last night to be greeted by an amazing electric storm which lit up the Alpine sky with a fiery display of lightning, setting sun and angry clouds.

Today we started off from from Mozartplatz (race start location in less than one week) in the centre of the beautiful city of Salzburg to see the route up the North side of the Gaisberg Mountain (1288m). The path up is a steady climb to the top, with a rewarding view of the city from the western side. This is also...

Today I have been flying the lightweight NOVA FACTOR2 that I will fly in the X-Alps. Spending most of the afternoon above the Snowdonia mountains in North Wales with my flying friends was a great way to round up my training before leaving for Austria next week. The wing oozes confidence and is so much fun to fly, its also rather light :)

Last week I was out in the Italian and Swiss Alps with 2-times X-Alps competitor Max Fanderl (CAN1). We were there to see the RBXA11 route from the air (whenever possible) and from the ground when the Foehn wind was howling. We travelled west from Merano in Italy towards the turnpoints of Piz Palu and Matterhorn.

Along the way we got to sleep in the bike shed of Bellinzona Youth Hostel, as they were already full; Eat some of the best Tiramasu on the planet at 2800m; Hitchhiked in convertible...

Yesterday I went to collect the equipment and clothing from one of our sponsors V12 Outdoor in Llanberis, North Wales. The shop is located at the foot of Mount Snowdon in the centre of Llanberis, the hub of Welsh climbing and mountaineering.

The equipment has been carefully selected by V12 Outdoor with strong emphasis on choosing the best quality combined with the lightest weight. Some of the technical kit supplied includes clothing from Mammut, harness and poles from Black Diamond, climbing...

Having spent this week scoping out the early part of the 2011 X-Alps route, Team GBR1 got to the western edge of the Dolomites. Despite the not so great weather throughout the week, it was possible to fly around the turnpoints of Dachstein, Grossglockner and Tre Cima. The trip has provided them both with lots of valuable information both in the air and on the ground. This will enable them to refine their equipment, strategies and cooking for the actual race.

Team GBR1 are in Austria looking at the early part of the RBXA11 route. On Sunday they flew up towards the Dachstein (the 2nd turnpoint), then on Monday they launched from the awesome Dachstein take off. Later on flying near Zell am See they took a good look at the Großklockner (turnpoint 3). Today they are moving south towards the Tre Cima.

On Saturday, I took part in the Sandstone Trail Challenge which is a 55km race with 1100m of climb from Whitchurch to Frodsham through the Cheshire countryside. Running with a paraglider got me some strange looks and plenty of questions about what was in the bag. Thanks to Helsby Running Club for organising the event, which saw 120 people start. I finished in a time of 7 hours 12 minutes putting me in 43rd position.

This weekend Steve and Richard have been competing against each other in a UK team paragliding event called the North South Cup. After a hard fought battle which included an XC flying task, a speedflying race, tug of war and a dance-off, the North were defeated by the stronger team from the South. Richard flew 116km in tricky conditions to win the XC task and Steve scored the only airborne win for the North team in the speedflying...

Despite having some really good flying conditions in the UK during April, this has now been replaced with consistently windy weather; as shown on today's pressure chart.

After seeing Richard last weekend, we have both been busy acquiring equipment that we will need for the event. The list of stuff to take with us keeps getting longer the more that we think about the preparation in meticulous detail.

A short clip of X-Alps Team GBR1 (Steve Nash & Richard Bungay) training together over the Bank Holiday weekend.

This weekend I have been training in the Dinorwic Slate Quarry. This is a large former quarry, which is located above the village of Llanberis in North Wales. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world covering more than 700 acres (2.8 km2); until it was closed in 1969. Internal tramway systems connected the quarries using steep inclines to transport slate between the different areas. These inclines make for excellent X-Alps training; with the aim of starting in...

Thanks to a change in the UK weather, I was able to enjoy 4 days of back to back flying in North Wales this weekend (my local flying spot). I started off at a large soaring site near Llangollen, this provided me with a good chance to check and adjust some of the new gear that I am flying with. The next day, I moved into the Snowdonia National Park, starting with an 800m sprint climb up Moel Siabod, the thermals were weak resulting in an extended glide across the valley to the foot of Moel...

I’ve been out running most days this week and my trusty running shoes have finally given up. These shoes have run quite a distance since I purchased them 2 years ago, but a split in the toe area means that they are destined for the bin. These are simply the best off-road running shoes I've used, so just as well I have a number of new pairs lined up for the remaining 14 or so weeks left before the X-Alps start!

I have been mixing my regular hill runs with some interval training; where you vary...

This week I have had to concentrate on my ‘day job’; I work for a major chemical manufacturer and am responsible for the electrical engineering on a number of different production plants at their site. For the past 2 weeks, one of these plants has been offline for its regular overhaul; this is when I must spend lots of extra time addressing issues that arise. This has meant fitting the training around my extended work hours, hence the cycling on a turbo trainer in my garage having arrived home...

Yesterday, I competed in the SIS Lightning 12 which is a twelve hour off road running event for solo runners & teams. The course was set in the stunning grounds of Eastnor Castle Deer Park in the heart of the Malvern Hills between Hereford and Worcester. The course was both challenging and enjoyable, taking in the scenery as the 10km route weaved its way up and down the hills and through the dense woodland. The event format was simply how many laps of the course you could run in the 12 hours;...

This week I have been in California on a snowboarding trip with some of my mates. We have been staying in South Lake Tahoe, but have been riding wherever the snow and conditions have been best; these have included Mt Rose, Squaw Valley, Heavenly and a road trip to Mammoth Mountain.

I have had some amazing training runs whilst over here, but probably the most memorable was whilst staying in San Francisco; a run across the Golden Gate Bridge first thing in the morning. A truly stunning location...

With less than 5 months of preparation left now for X-Alps 2011, my training is ramping up accordingly. Since being accepted into the event on the 25th October 2010, I have been training to a schedule of increasing duration, distance and pack weight. My training is varied in that it consists of running (mainly off road in the local hills), interval training, circuit training in a gym, on & off road cycling (which has included using a turbo trainer in my garage through the cold and dark...