A little over a year ago professional mountaineering guide Peter Von Känel had an idea to summit all the 4,000 meter peaks in Switzerland by only using his feet and a paraglider. Then he thought, “let’s go a little bigger and do ALL 82 of the 4,000 meter peaks in the Alps!” Peter had the mountaineering skills and was a very accomplished XC pilot back in the late 90’s, but for this rather audacious undertaking he’d need a partner who knew how to move in the mountains and could get his wing skills up to snuff. Enter his good friend and neighbor Chrigel Maurer. A year later Peter and Chrigel embarked on an epic adventure to link all 4000-meter peaks of the Alps with a continuous track. The style was simple- move only by foot or by paraglider, allowing for the possibility of going back home from a village in case of bad weather, but only by using public transport. The project required a combination of expert paragliding and mountaineering skills, and they carried ultra-lightweight gear to travel in an alpine style. They faced challenges with weather conditions but were often able to fly above the clouds and make unexpected moves. The team dynamics were strong, with each member supporting and motivating the other and relied on their “fun” rule- ‘as long as one person was having fun they would carry on’! They had to carefully manage their resources, including food and rest to maintain energy and make good decisions. The project was a mix of fun, adventure, and improvisation, and they unexpectedly successfully completed their mission in just 51 days. In this amazing talk they share their most elegant and memorable (and sometimes scary) moments, including flying above the clouds and landing on remote summits. They also discuss the importance of risk management and embracing uncertainty. Enjoy!

Takeaways

• The Xpeaks 82 summits project involved linking all 82 4000-meter peaks of the Alps with a continuous track, combining paragliding and mountaineering skills.
• The team faced challenges with weather conditions but often found opportunities to fly above the clouds and make unexpected moves.
• Careful management of resources, including food and rest, was crucial for maintaining energy and making good decisions.
• The project was a mix of fun, adventure, and improvisation, with strong team dynamics and mutual support. Chrigel and Peter successfully completed their project to summit all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps and fly between them using paragliders in 51 days.
• They faced challenges with weather forecasting and had to adapt their plans based on changing conditions.
• They experienced elegant and memorable moments, including flying above the clouds and landing on remote summits.
• Risk management and embracing uncertainty were key factors in their success.
• The project has reignited their passion for flying and they are excited about future flying projects.

Titles

• Managing Resources: Food, Rest, and Energy
• Team Dynamics and Mutual Support in the Mountains Reigniting the Passion: Future Flying Projects
• Risk Management and Embracing Uncertainty: Keys to Success

Sound Bites

• “We basically wanted to link all the 82 -4000 meter peaks of the Alps with a continuous track.”
• “The best moves we did when we had the knife to our throat.”
• “We did not eat enough… Whenever we had the possibility, we went shopping.”
• “Our plan for this day was to fly direction Grindelwald and then climbing direction Mönch from the north.”
• “The weather forecast change or the calculation, it’s every three hours something totally different.”
• “The first day really, really blew my mind. Being on 3,800 meters, starting below a cloud base of about 17 to 1800 meters.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Xpeaks 82 summits project

02:01 Weather conditions and flying above the clouds

07:07 Training and preparation for the project

11:37 Gear selection and weight considerations

17:22 Mission and approach of the project

19:29 Adapting plans based on weather and conditions

23:19 Decision-making and resolving conflicts as a team

25:46 Food, weight loss, and managing resources

30:13 Maintaining a sense of fun and teamwork

39:37 Choosing the right wing and the first day of the project

45:14 Planning and Adapting in the Alps

54:55 Memorable Moments: Flying Above the Clouds and Landing on Remote Summits

58:16 Challenges and Risks: Navigating the Lee and Turbulence

01:02:59 Life After the Project: Reflections and Future Flying Projects

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:15 — 68.4MB)

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