Episode 97- The 2019 Red Bull X-Alps (Installment 1)

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Relive the Red Bull X-Alps!

This is a special episode of the Cloudbase Mayhem to give all of the fans of the race a little insight into the greatest game on Earth directly from the perspective of the athletes. Live Tracking is amazing, but it misses a lot of the emotion and the background, and these interviews with the athletes take us behind the curtain. In this first of three installments we hear from Nick Neynens (NZ 1), Kinga Masztalerz (NZ 2), Aaron Durogati (ITA 1), and Gaspard Petiot (FRA 2).  Most of these interviews took place just a few days after the end of the race and if you dig the Red Bull X-Alps, or have aspirations for some day taking it on you’re going to love it. And…you’re going to learn some pretty interesting techniques for staying awake in the air! Enjoy.

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Show Notes:

For all the athletes we hear:

  • What did you most underestimate?
  • What was your best and worst day?
  • What was your biggest mistake?
  • Will you do it again?
  • What was the most critical support you got from your team?
  • What was the coolest fan experience you had?

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Nate Scales, Damien Lacaze, Antoine Girard, Tom De Dorlodot, Ulrich Grill, Christoph Weber, Simon Oberauner, Michael Witschi, FlySkyHy, XCTracer, Nelson De Freyman, Ozone, Gin, Niviuk, Skywalk, Advance, Neo, Tom Payne, Aaron Durogati, Alex Robe, Primoz Susa, Chikyong Ha, Willi Canell

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:53:37 — 78.1MB)

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Transcript

Episode 97- The 2019 Red Bull X-Alps (Installment 1)

00:00:17 - 00:05:02

Hire everybody welcome to a very special episode of the cloud base mayhem. I'm recording this about three weeks. Post race sitting in a hotel beneath anthropoids in Italy had a great day of flying yesterday with a a couple of upcoming guests Alex Roby and Prima Susa aired her God he was also in the sky and also a whole bunch of other really really good pilots and got shot at that beautiful triangle here that they do down into the DOLEMITE's which has been on my hitless for many many years but this episode is I went to a whole bunch of the athletes. This is just a few of them and ask pretty much the same questions best day worse day advice for people thinking about doing the X. APPs biggest mistake jake we do it again. I changed a little bit. You know what we hear from Maxime Kriegel and Paul Gusenbauer and the whole bunch the athletes this one is nicknamed and King Master Alerts Air Endure Guiding Gaspard Patio. A bunch of the day are all big fan favorites thought we kick it off with them. We've got about seven at least hours of content here with all the interviews that today's about ninety minutes. We're GONNA put this one out and Dan listened to the feedback and decide if we should put the other B break the other ones up at least two more episodes and but you know I'm obviously weighing in the red black snaps and I know many of you are but many probably aren't in this'll so be redone in some ways so we'll either put their other ones out is like bonus content or as regular shows depending on what we hear so but for now I think you'll really enjoy this. These folks perspective on what is most definitely currently the greatest game on earth. This year was was physically unbelievable with that stability at the end with the last three days in the middle days we had all those thunderstorms and never really heard beep out of our various but an exciting race very cool course although you're here you'll hear some thoughts about how it wasn't with so many more way points. It didn't allow us a lot of freedom to make big moves. We basically followed each other around because there wasn't enough distance between the way points a to get very creative with our route so we've given that feedback to rebel. Hopefully that will change election zoom. That'll change in the future but yeah it was. It was an epic race at has always is tons of fun one little bit of having a little bit hell and everything in between as I've said so I hope you enjoyed the show. Let us know what you think pigmy afterwards and after you've listened and let me know how what you think we should deal with the rest of the content. We've got a whole bunch more like I said at least seven hours content here with a lot of the different athletes so and I know you wanna hear from from Kriegel and some of the other so we'll release it not sure how do it but for now enjoy the show and give you really of the rebel ex house house okay now. Everybody's fan favourite nicknamed the guy who claims he doesn't train does it in channels. Everybody loves nick included. We've had him on the show before of course and nick is just awesome. He had a really slow start art in this one at a at a at a rough first day and but we kept saying to my team like you can't count nick out. You can't can't count nick out. He's GonNa make magic moves. He always does in he did. He fought from the back and had some good days there. You're in kept moving up and kept moving up kept moving up ended up in fifteenth place did really well. He does it most of US Abbey's big R._V.'s creature comforts and he does it in like a little Subaru with his mom and his brother and tents so hats off opted neck incredible to watch Super Fun to watch and does a great job of social media's. I'm sure you all saw a bunch of his post and stuff but here's nicknames. I've Nick so-called document. I appreciate you take some time out on one of your your transfers era understand your in Bangkok with mom and but it's been I think three days now upshur. You're like me. You're still pretty tired and recovering but congratulations on yet another epic race you and I got started in all this madness that same year in two thousand fifteen so this was your your third one and you're a you were as I knew you would you had a slow start this one and I need make some terrific moves which he did so but congratulations on another race.


00:05:03 - 00:10:04

Thanks giving inside T._H._e.. To it was good rice with you next time I'll try to rex a little bit closer and it's probably the main thing after the rice is catching up on slave block. I didn't feel so todd during the rice but afterwards as soon as I realized that either need to catch up yeah yeah your gun hard for for twelve days I in one point I remember number because you've done the expert I haven't I remember at one point. I was thinking it was like day savage of that our day eight it was like call me and we we still have the distance left of the entire expert else like Oh man. This is a a big slog gig. I guess that's what luck accepts. His Ex. Pay was fantastic adventure as well but the luck especially. If you coming from Australia New Zealand you coming Sotho to to have the whole arrest like once they did escape basically in three days. It's like excessively you can get you take stuck in and really have good good slow. Gum Saud's Ola briefings in who transferred stuff shirtlessly get some time sure on the ground stuff nick. I'm going to ask you the same questions. I'm asking everybody else. I'm not sure this first one is all that relevant because you have done it twice before. But is there anything you underestimated about this race in retrospect well. I guess it's basically what happened. This prices slipped behind that I made a few mistakes that Kasit up got me off the pace a little bit then really sunk the boat at crump lots with those afternoon storms ever had a really long thought toward Silk Spitzer and discussed why behind because they still in the next night took. I just to get guy in his role so it's getting bit holiday to catch up again. Please ruins the quality. The Standard is pretty hot so if you make mistakes punish pretty pretty hot. What was your biggest mistake? Yes I well on the first Ahah bummed out but that didn't affecting rightly at I think because it was really cloudy must people hit land bit further anyway but it just walked quite a bit and there was a little behind . I just lost maybe a maybe less COUPLA sales said the next day under pressure in las couple more scratching away somewhere but then I was lucky with low side but really what I I should've done better is flowing all the way to uh Shelton point con of didn't talk about with hot and I should've bicycle landed short of cursing and ahead to if the latest tags at Shell that not and then flew with evaluations and that's what I wanted to do like Dubai did the easy proud of the floodway had developed wins behind you and you just wrecked up some easy case mountains and because of that are was just several els was behind that meant that the the window closed with the storms crump lots and couldn't get through complex basically said that the the biggest setback was not getting through crump lots and that's because I might Q.. Him stikes just put me a little bit off the pace in maybe being one alia to crump lots of buttery before the Ryan would have been falling now is critical day because it was really good getting a crown plots for so you know the top kind of fifteen and and in escaping they're leaving there was was starting to get pretty scary. This guys were getting big and the you know those that we're about an hour or so behind me really got the hammered and they were they got pinned on that side and that was that was that was a big difference in the ball game 'cause it was it was quite good still on the north so yeah I was that was that was one of those areas where the speed thing thing was really critical London and those things way because I was a little bit behind was trying to sort of cut. A few Cohen is in Boston catch up in because of that too few risks set basically even further behind right right best day in worst day well. I'm not sure I guess I I was one of the worst is because I only long enough on that I look in the GAASBECK and it was relatively short that it's not that much happened. It was nice ahead of to God's on a .


00:10:04 - 00:15:13

Maybe the best I in terms of tactic Somme was the last full day his started at Maggio League close mom blunk. That's the data everyone outlandish blunk and managed to stay in the high mountains a couple of times land and walk over the past to the facade but it was a little bit of Nagoya struggling at on on the in the and Boesch foot further out to the small hills to the west who ended up having to walk out the sweltering heat that that was my best I technically in terms of gained few places but I think most of the rice oh is slowly clawing back places most of the rice felt pretty good about the whole thing it was just sort of mocked it up at stat as as I didn't think had a rough rough start in two thousand fifteen you came roaring back with the same I we we certainly did not right you off nick in the beginning as like we we know nick it'll be back right back here in the end and what you were so nicely done even said this I think on your your bio and that you know that kind of map of all the athletes that we get you know you you famously quote unquote. Well you know don't really train for threes which you talked about in the last podcast that we did but if you could if you could rewind the clock in no knowing what you know now about the race that just happened bend. Is there anything you would do differently in any preparation or strategy or stuff with your team or anything that would be the you would change yeah. I think if I had if we had been with it in the pre wake it would have being fun. I got voted in by my very first h-honestly during the prologue and die before flew for a couple of hours but still sort of adjusting things sorting things so I was thinking maybe it'd be cool too little bitty before the event starts and disgusting sorted some said hitting the ground running because bicycling everyday through the you've been felt better just fiscal ups on the first few days. Let me down authority was pretty efficient in productive in in a maybe it was just because the people around we're in as fast as the laid pack but it felt like getting the most out of the degenerates but he he kind of already answered this at the very beginning but it sounds like you will do this again. Will you do it again. I mean is I lock it and if if if I get a chance dirt again pretty Cain just depends on what what is going on office. What advice do you have to someone who hasn't done the ex house who's watching this race is millions of people were they get inspired and you know like the idea of it? What what advice would you give somebody who hasn't don that want to do well you saying that doesn't try him but I do a lot of obeef which I think is really good training and the last thing well vobis prepares with a lot of a huge part of the experiences that you face the excels probably the thing doesn't pay for that always lacking is just the competition flying aspect where you have to the Big Cape up on those classic good dies well Yep? I think fitness may wasn't really problem but you need to be able to make sure that he can get yourself to tyco several times h so there's lots of other Hawk and fly events that I would definitely WANNA try before Sony out for the Excel people get the glossy always been I think the excel and I just WANNA sign up and do it. You better off making sure that you ready with Olas. smaller rises I that's the way I did expert than ex peer and indeed on top of Omega Obits ease phobic experience. You Bet accelerate especially now that the prices so fast that if you have a crack you might not get another chance at it so you WanNa have a pretty good cracks accent like it's it's one of those things where people WanNa do it one day in day probably just take any chance that can get but I guess sometimes you might only have that option because lighter.


00:15:13 - 00:20:23

You'RE GONNA have kids famine you how can have time Oh the the second stances on the line up but you don't really want to have go before you ready in do Poli in tried again in two years later. Maybe it's too many other people on the wedding adding this ready to go August. Yes lots of pocket boss before you off excels cigarette. That's good advice. I can offer some insight there twos. I spent some time with folks that are it's not like on the committee year. In the race committee. I mean not Kristoff but that kind of know how the whole selection process works which I still don't really know but they did offer some some advice air well they basically A._C.. Told me that you're absolutely right if you do it I think a lot of people you know sign up. You're not really expecting to get in and but just they wanna go through the process and they sign up then they do get in and if you're not prepared very well and you don't do very well you will most likely get skipped the next time you know if you get eliminated or you don't do very well or you make a decision that they see kind of dangerous then your chances of getting selected are pretty low. They're they're definitely looking for people that can can threaten the Eagle which I don't believe many people can do but we just saw bourbon this just so many good people from for them to choose from that. It's happened just before giving you the guy in the seventy other people at a qualified as well exactly exactly and you're gonNA enjoy it a lot more. You have a good crack at Luck Yup aside for fun but it's Tiffany more fun if you're doing well say absolutely totally once the most critical vital support you got from your team that was so on the bowl is time I mean they were on the bowl last time as well but the first couple of days I mean asking me before the event saying Oh. What do we do what we do like say Murray? We'll figure cleared out. I'll tell you everything tonight but then we just sit fell into place in a windfall inside a said this time when I say native battery pack asking me again at least fulltime and there was one time during the rice with us it came throughout your ass both arms now a how our complain that you will not be enough but yeah let's say that was really good. Luck was always taught that with Pale and the always really lost efficient funding in probably got more assistance this rice than I did last rice hotly because there was a lot of time points in those Lotta. Stop Stop because but yet the support was really good oil ahead tame on what set a couple of different towns that our just ask the information every now named luck sometimes scrutinize what the other policy so. It's a doing especially a nice hot stabilize if anyone's managing to stay up on facebook decided to take off and hot April starting and stuff like that so it's really hard to get that information teaching because a lot of time the reception was hopeless. If you can just get someone sinuous grain shot it really helps and just give you a little commentary on what's going on that was sound good as well in united talks about this yet. Totally unit talked about this little bit before the race but I the whole race. I don't even look at the weather. I never pull up. You Know Windy. I don't I don't do I mean that's totally in my teams. Teams hands and I get like a weather briefing every day or I get it when I'm in the air but you your meteorologists and I'm assuming that your your brother and mom don't have you know nearly the whether knowledge that you do how how do you guys handle that on your team. Are you doing it or are you taught them enough that they're passing it on to you or you not even rain about your S- looking at the sky and figuring it out a lot of time I'm just is looking at school. I'm figuring it out on looking at windy along because it Scott local nate sometimes I was asking the Gos- To Send Me United Writer Lettuce right out which it on windy now or what else is I asked people how often I'll just look at the upper wins on the media Graham on windy and ahead some some didn't really have taunted look released different things but yes someone my what rick would often bay sending being may look at any Graham like a sanding focused which is basically eight to nine.


00:20:23 - 00:25:02

You can get off of getting that myself windy sometimes as well so that destroys a how much moisture there is what stimulated there is an mixing tots. You can expect them so I didn't look into a lot of detail making get more detailed article different paragliding specific weather the episode of just didn't really have time for and also identified that much difference because you didn't really have that much choice to do the best good anyway and yet for example when I went up titlists just looking around you could say Ola all in the Valley Hayes in just sort of look stable took office felt stable and a scratchy on these huge big bluffs spiciness on later couldn't get up says like Yep it is stable so it kind of figured out anyway but I guess where where the Mike some differences. If it changes you decision making was actually really lucky on one of those stormy days where it it was raining fairly heavily in the morning so I slipped in a couple of hours in a hot that when it was basically stop brining influ just reports started brining and then I got up to that passed the Davos and there was some really heavy Ryan when I was walking up to pasta as I go to the past stat of the clear it was pethick just applaud in and I am time to penalty David. I think that came down a lot to luck. We were looking at the right hours hours. Well all those another diarrhea just squeaked into such a disproportionate storm storms came so yeah that that we were looking at the right and that was like a system that was moving through it wasn't storms that would developing likely so if it is now costing checking at what's like against the one lanting's is with whether you gotta decide whether you go to woke up the hill law or just kick book in the high because a mob a stolen that makes it impossible reply shots the whole Asimov's thought of a hill yet didn't get any way the holdups like that this time and yeah I I found that I was when they announced of course. I was really excited about it. I think it was a great core. It was an awesome route but I would totally agree with you that with the with the shorter with the more turn points in the shorter distances you know there was the big decision point joint leaving krone Platz you could go east you could go west or you could go the Brenner and walk you know you basically had those three options there and then leaving the Zouk spits you could go the northern route or the south southern route and other than that there really really wasn't Kinda had to put your head down and keep moving there. Wasn't there wasn't the flexibility in the route or the creativity that we had in the last couple that I really enjoy I. I hope they back that off off in the future because it's it really was there. There were a few little option changes going up the Rhine in terms with pat which pass you walked over whether it be the overall for one of the earlier ones. which most people did you know the there wasn't really like like flying wise? I mean nobody really flu Davos to to titlists except Kriegel but but you know there there you go up the reiner you could go the northern side but it really there wasn't that many options like there has been. I like the big gaps where you can really see some creativity and what people do yet totally. I think for the fans that's one of the really exciting things too. 'cause you say people died different toget- which one's bid some of the most exciting parts of the rice may were still choice related so there was still simmer choice even though that had so many ten point squashed together the Western dimples were I mean having August and then titlist with the airspace directly in between them in no way round it that was a hope they don't do that again yeah that lives standpoint so the rice and they they got S._p._I._C. which Roy between them and it just depends. You're there in a weekday or before off the whether you can get through not yeah that was that was really luck. I mean God you know that was there on a Sunday. I didn't have to worry about it at all. You know one and now I was just terrific.


00:25:02 - 00:30:22

He got up there and I waited through snowstorm and then I got a little window and got the flout enough to worry about it but yeah that's. I tried to do that when it was on in training it's basically impossible. You know as so yeah I I hope they changed that as well. Although I think they're turn point partner for awhile so I'm not sure but nick thank you very much man. I'll let you get back to your your sleep before your next flight and give your best year your mom seven and your brother was great to see them again and congratulations on yet. Another EPA grace felt like this year was was epic in every way we we had a little bit. Everything's fantastic so much fun and it was good rationing with union you too. Thanks for NEOM WON'T BE TOM kept competitor. There you go cool mud talk soon. See a cloud base chess king amassed alerts New Zealand to another fan favorite eh one of the female athletes this year long Dominika unfortunately she was eliminated near the end and after really epic battle with the Korean those two went all night as she talks about that added making the little mistake in the morning which cost her the elimination but a great first effort from this rookie. I'm sure we will see her again. She has not been flying very long and share some really cool thoughts about the race in the future her here's King King Ah welcome to the mayhem really excited to have this conversation with you. We didn't see much of each other in the race so I was watching on live tracking whenever I could in the mornings when I was walking and stuff and I washed your epic battle at the end so I can't wait to hear about that but I'm sorry the acts man man got you there after a few days but I know it was still an epoch adventure and in no matter where we place in these things sir you you're owed a huge amount of of congratulations. I know it's an it's an awesome effort and so so yes I off just congratulations in your rebel X. APPs campaign pain Thanksgivin at it's also to to talk to your hair and also it was also to to pay in red bull accepts it was quite an adventure and we didn't see each other much because he would just just way too to ahead insurance so you know but you know it was the first time I'm breath inexperienced by soda every bang there and learning from from some of the pilot in the world was in amazing experience seeing old lies that other pilots twos and in different conditions that decisions that's others make it's it's such a stickler confidence amazing. I learned a in a week. I learned probably more than I would lunch in a year of Flying Solo somewhere in cruising through the mountains so I'm completely blew my mind what you can do with the paraglider personnel even would not all on them what better pilots can do. In what I can do a target much capacity which I don't usually use and you need this particular surrounding logistics and support and safety net and on the pilots around rebel accepts gives you it gives you to yet just dig deep and and to get access to two hundred percent of your capacities so it was super inspiring experience. There's my buddy needs scales who who's really really a mentor mine and guy fly with at home and just an exceptional pilot. He did the ex house in two thousand seven. His saying is always. There's only one way to get to that place in in the X. APPs. You're going to get their guaranteed quits like that's hard to describe people that that who haven't done it but you're going to get to a very special place in your in your mind in your body that you just almost can't even train for but we'll let me let me run through. Let me run through these questions wins and you know you don't have to answer quickly but I'm just kind of asking the same questions of every everyone and seeing where we go but what was the number one thing you underestimated and when you when you look back the race in your training and the preparation what what was the biggest thing that cut you off guard that you would have you know maybe done differently. I say that's hosting that comes to my mind to fake especially when it comes to my mind is is team. How important is meant because usually think about the woods athletes do and retain decisions they make and then the team is there to you know to follow the car to feed you help you make some some decisions potentially but there's so much more dynamics of the team especially after a week into the rice when everybody tired you really see in this race what you are made of and it's not on about US athletics? I despise really pulled out all the best and all the worst Y._M..


00:30:22 - 00:35:01

but also but also the whole team changes in and they not exchanges and the yes now. I understand better what I should have what they shouldn't have. Maybe maybe which type of people is good for this adventure sure and which not necessarily because after a week under pressure when people get tired it can become a little bit difficult so I did appreciate enough departs. I kinda thought that as long as we are just I know a bunch of France it will rural itself and suddenly it didn't because I guess maybe I I didn't British Tim precisely enough. Maybe I thought that they not makes will sort itself out but after week of being I'm tired and under pressure nothing sorts itself out anymore so maybe yes maybe the fact that I was inexperienced in such a long rice and and it's so much pressure into the team that I have chosen and that convert grateful the decided to go through this adventure with me but the dynamics didn't go as well as I hoped for if they could make sense so this is definitely I didn't appreciate it. It's such a such a team race such a team adventure we usually just think about the in about the absolute supporter and it just didn't appreciate how many people are involved into the end of the sexes of our failure of particular Sheila outlets and they also saw it during the rise out some other outlets how especially like McDonalds a couple of times already are few times. How well sorted is everything around them? Sotho they can focus on what they focusing up all the logistic. The real key for me is is that I don't have to think at all. You know that the team does all of that. I mean obviously when I'm in the air you know you're you're you're trying to kind of go on autopilot just flyer glider in and make good moves in in that certainly thinking but but yeah this. It's really the support. Your Support Team in this race is just so critical in a lot of ways. They're working harder than we are so I think now maybe it was a little bit of my own insecurity that I may be. I felt about people who really suitable for my team but maybe I was too shy to ask who I am to ask has been you know just like you know just Disa- tourist here and now I think it's was completely silly because the better it's like you know like failing to prepare is preparing to fail basically and and it has it had a huge impact at the end might at before must obviously it's not look Ted. I'm not saying at all you know it's Mike from us. That's annotate the fault of my team onto saying that I myself might have prepared better around the kind of Kim Logistics and and and now I don't know as rookie team. I mean in two thousand fifteen when I did my first time it was there. There's pages of stuff at the end of the race my best placing but it was for your first before we did but it was wildly yeah we did. You know it's it was it's the it's there's the second good yeah second thing that I think that the kind of maybe not maybe didn't surprise me but it sounds being defended to work on for me kind of consistency that units to have every versus industries because you have one day that you're out of focal something happens completely like you know the tube out of focus and and then the the racist basically running away on the field is running away so so so it's relatively is to keep this focus for a few days but here we are bracing for twelve days and it's a long time I think I didn't appreciate long this raise as you know because the different when you theorizes other races let's say the take up to six days and he after six years halfway into the race and it's getting started so so I didn't appreciate the F.. I think it was like Oh.


00:35:01 - 00:40:54

It's still a little bit overwhelming. It's long grays flood long journey enter so many think things will happen at the end of you feel like the beginning say you know imams ago because so many things happen Capri Sun intense intensity for mandates in the role with the slip I didn't appreciate as but I guess you can't really imagine it on the list because it can also tell you just for my you know. This was my third campaign. The pace you know got a lot faster in twenty seventeen and then it just got a lot faster twenty nineteen at like everybody's getting more pro l. more fit better in the air better organized better support Cruz. It's it you know it's gone from proper adventure race back in twenty three two thousand three where everybody's carrying pots and pans and you'd wait ten K. for your buddy to catch up and you were just having one in the mountains to like a real you know tour France type pay pace but with parody and so it's you know it's it's it's really hard. I think for people to come into it now without a lot on experience and a lot of background. It's the pacers vicious. I've never seen me. It was so fast this time it was just mind blowing. I can't believe how some of these out best teams room so wait next question which you may be of already answered but what was your biggest mistake. I guess my biggest mistake was on the maybe four day had cyrano fourth or fifth day a a listen to advice of very good cross contra pilot ver- experienced pilots who live in the area when I was at this moment and I didn't realistic my gas and and I was I I was thinking about it for too long. Just kind of was able to made the decision instead against like what I thought against I guess what this experience pilot who really knows better in ever since so I finally listen to him and it was a disaster I ended up wasting the whole day running around in circles energy and the defender progress and the this was very interesting lesson for me just to to really stuck trusting myself. I suppose because you try to always difficult difficult parts in this raise that you you have your own feeling in your own you know look at McMurdo at the weather conditions and the topography number than you have some some some some some support tells you to do something potential advisors you the best they can and then there's there's the other doing particular thinks that may think that may be a good idea. Maybe bed just you have to center yourself in all this and for for me it was quite a tricky part and then once amen this mistake and actually made this wrong decision which screwed up the whole day day and they might have made Mike Quite the progress I think myself in the with a little bit started stressing out and then you know influenced the next next decisions couple of next days and Betas yeah exactly this one was was the biggest part of it because once you make mistakes okay it's done and you have to just cut it off and and think about the future and and this is also something that we I mean we learn with experience. Some people are born this way a brother born in the verdict I have this. I'm elliptical approach land from mistakes but it also miss analyzing the mistakes and it's like there's no time for it in this race or cut it off and and and keep going and I myself in this whole for way too long and the yeah so it was totally can through mistake but also I guess you know this is something that you learn equipped with experienced. It's IT'S WHO USA Trust are basically trust yourself for civil. There's a reason why you are participating not some in other advisors. You know what though I mean. The other thing I mean I would I would like to say to you is that they you know the mistakes are so inevitable and they're in there just part of the game and you know without him. You can't learn anyway so it's you know your attitudes great. Yeah you just you're you're GONNA make mistakes. That's inevitable and absolutely in the main thing it's just learn from it you know and so they're all I found like in two thousand fifteen. We made more mistakes than the other campaigns by far but I found that they were all acceptable mistakes. You know they were all like yeah. I mean how how could we have known and how would we know different them hate so let's let's keep things moving just briefly best day and were staying why best was probably the last day when when I I it was flying for upper upper in ballet and the and Crossover Davos and chasing the Korean Korean effort and Ed older way basically all the all the or today all day long and it had a I finally after after digging myself a little bit into misery and stress I am I came came back to the light and and and it was I finally felt how it should feel.


00:40:54 - 00:45:04

I guess how race can fail when you when you just I race and keep going on the high pace and good energy and the and have the direct target of chasing someone in this case the the the Korean athlet it doesn't have to be necessarily surly ranking about winning both this or dead. It's just there's particular energy created around the the finally filed on wow this is like how accepts fizz like it was so high pies and and so it so such a good flying and energy and also motivated and after the last after last flights I was frictional matters behind the mandate Korean Korean and and and I stopped chasing him on food and I felt like I can run forever you know and it was nothing before the race on we don't usually run with hiked the rise and then off. I went running the no ten kilometers per hour from explorers orders and overtook A._M.. And for like nothing as possible so that was definitely defendant yeah the fine for definitely for best this moment in the family folks. This is how accepts shoot fill allies pills for for top guns somewhere the already in front but you know was your worst day. The getting cutter was at one of the other ones the was they I mean getting cut it tools obviously heartbreaking but I I it was very short. You know it was just an hour in the morning and getting cut obviously without breaking because I just can't it but I also felt like everything I could have done and race was just you know my support. It was next to me with a phone staring in this fall life talking et Cetera so it couldn't it would never come to my mind does he will take me to the wrong ballet that will get close on the on the road so so I just didn't fresh you know it was a mistake of course and I don't think it's his fall because he during the older the days far he's in managing so much and trying to put all the team together into so stressful for him that I can understand that he might very simple silly from outside mistake steak so I within different say that that was the worst because of course it was that eliminates attend was heartbreaking but at the same time I felt it's you know I I got . I did what I could hear and again another lesson always double check and they always do double check trek after my support or whoever always actually always choose my ruth myself is was the one single time when they didn't because he does okay. I got that you just run like okay. No problem I run straight roads. We couldn't get ED. I said I would say that the the worst the worst day was probably. I don't know that was quite a few lows. You know stacked so in Kansas highs are so high those lows are so long but I guess maybe this mission that they mentioned when when I advise and then I started like they can myself this Robert Hall instead of just Yeah just like shaking. It sounds like okay. Let's let's let's let's act like nothing happen and I started getting a little stress because I slipped in the ranking. I was doing quite well until until the small man so and then just after a little nervous us so yeah Brundtland is day but I would say that for me personally the that I won't and quality of positive moments complete like incompatible that there was a few her low loss but at the end as it was such an amazing experience.


00:45:04 - 00:50:03

It's you know even in the in the in the worst moments that was my gotTa love to do it again. You know it's I was completely somewhere in the in the rain rain when I come to call because screwed up before an undisclosed like freezing smoke and the and the completely miserable and just like yeah we'll do it again. 'cause I'm learning so much in Seoul's experienced that said that's actually the next question and and and I know that you know we've only had a few days to process this but it sounds like yes you will do it again. Our you'd love to do all if I have a test though it again absolutely and I want to do it again. This is completed addictive addictive and I absolutely love experience in much also understood. How much can I can on home? Some you know I can hang on for years and its intent it's been test. That's real short time to compare to to to some some other outlets that you play with during this rise and and to to understand all these areas where I can progress in the ways I can progress and and get better the pilots outlet is a person I'm in its its mind blowing. I'm completely talked with a whole. Even of course I would love to do it again and I will be better prepared and you know I think it would be even more fun because of it because I won't be so stressing stressing so much because I want a will I will also be able to solve team. a nominee logistics better and you know you'll learn so the thinks on the way and then you have another two years to to to use this lessons on progress my even fun in the last question. What was the best fan experience experience you had on the way or you know like just person on the side of the road or be quite a few quite the shoe also also molen with Kipah? Turn me up. I guess I guess the most beautiful fools man I was in the this like during this day when I was chasing Korean outlet in the evening when I was running after him he was is like still a few kilometers ahead a couple of kilometers ahead hours running he he he was hiking so closing this and and then some some people who who saw it online tracking just came in and join me in running and they have the whole whole from team when running with ms like free free free guys running ensuring from and it was it felt so magic because they just you know they just leave their cars behind just went on running which for kilometers and and and there was so much energy that I wasn't even working in more on you know my wasn't even burning sugar Bernie pure energy pure pure magic and then there was this moment when we're when we were when taking Koranic man not let a going uphill and he was very tired he could be responsive to sky king he has your crazy completely crazy respect also fine awesome thanks so much energy and they and they said on it and I said on their energy and yet pure magic happened there so I think that was beautiful. Do the the full unexperienced and finally when we go what's the place when we when newer night just realize Oh our car is like twenty kilometer awesome so yes one of my support them there so the question shop precision Yan hats hats off to the Korean we keep saying that because his name so hard to pronounce but God showed some tenacity. I mean a couple days before that the pictures here's of his feet were just they look so bad and he just kept marching. I was yeah he shows is Hachi his here's a warrior that's I've thought at this point even said it's a way running that his such a warrior have respect for him and losing with him within their defeats but winning fins better and a despite. I thought those course I'm right now. I'm winning him because I'm harbor. The I'll come with ahead head count lows at this hour in in the morning.


00:50:03 - 00:55:01

I just can't let it slip my head from ahead. It's an awesome Seles on our disconnect. Keep keep folk. Keep stay focused and just don't trust much in two others. You know make your own decisions. Even if it's if it's simple and if it's been super straightforward especially Sean I I guess from that tra- mom left trucking what the hell are they doing because it's so obvious but where in the middle of it like running on the road and five o'clock in the morning you know Augie then yes oh so good coming less than tonight extinct focused in the end and the pushing copy king thanks so much I really appreciate it and he's asked Alexa Yeah thank you and best of luck end. I wish you great rest and recovery and hope to see you in twenty twenty one for the next one if not before but thanks very much for your time thank Kim thank you to one of my favorites had an incredible run in twenty seventeen until yet little crash and got pretty injured Gaspard Petiot amazing pilot definitely one of the best pilots in the race ace consistently and he came back furiously this year and had a really good race. I was hanging onto him through day eight and he was one of the one of the ten who got to got to Monaco Bill had an incredible race talks about being as best. We don't know we'll see him again. He talks about that in this episode but a great little chat here with a good friend of mine and amazing pilot mazing exiles pilot Gaspard video will gaspard. It's a real treat to talk to you and has just been a few days since the end of the race. thanks for coming on the mayhem and I was terribly disappointed to lose you guys day eight hours just behind. You and Tom and I think one other person when you guys bumped into the road and I had a really bad day in that kind of I stable day and in went nowhere so sorry to to lose you guys that was a fun pack for quite longtime but congratulations nations on an epic race man. I know that was that we had a little bit of everything in this one and also very physical for for you and I with the older guys that have bad knees and stuff but we got to walk a little bit together. I think that what day one day to but but yeah congratulations nice job. I thank you very much but you need an awesome job to yeah. No it was a terrific race wasn't it. I I really enjoyed this one. That was a lot of fun yeah. It was very alpine very they just as I think it was the most beautiful one in the sense that we were always in the pine range. Always walking in the snow in with glaciers was super nice yeah yeah. I wish they hadn't put the Saint Hilaire turn point in but that one was a bitch. Jesus was stable when we got down there. You took a really deep line going in there. I think you're the only one in the air that that evening I was watching as I was walking through Shawnee and announced that was a good move well. Actually I was trying to to find some mom unstable air in the altitude that this day I think anywhere you would go. It was a stable everywhere so my didn't work the way I I expected to work but at least I didn't I mean for me. There were snow away. I could work on this concrete for all day especially with this heat so it was a way to avoid this now that was that was smart. If have you ever seen. I haven't asked anybody else's yet but if you ever seen stability like that because I we just that's not something we deal with at home at all. We never get stable days. You know we get more stable than unstable. It's all on a scale but I've I've never seen anything like that. That was just unbelievable. Yeah it was it was pretty pretty unbelievable. It happens sometimes especially Sant`Elia but usually we get a lot of stability down there. I mean on the lower of . Oh you know the lower lower basis but then when you go up I mean up to two thousand five hundred meters. Normally you have some unstable unstability. This was very especially in a way that it was stable everywhere at every altitude and amine even even even Chamonix was stable in this very very uncommon yeah yeah that was that was crazy. It was like flying in soup. How'd you couldn't wait for my vario to make some noise other than burn going down? Yes wait so I'll I'll.


00:55:02 - 01:00:07

I'll go to these questions answered them. However you like and and you know take your time if you if you want to jump into a story or something go for it but you know you've done the race now twice before the the same years is is I I did but it did you underestimate anything coming into this one anything anything really catch you off guard? Actually when we came to this one it was we wanted to end this race again and we wanted to go go to the to the end of it. I mean we were we stopped last one on on the injury and we wanted to do end this race but I was really scared about my buddy. about my my ability that physically I would be able to end this race in so we were a bit scared when we started to race in actually fortunately my body could keep up could make it. I mean all the way because as we had this race was really hard in the sense that we are really weak. Turmoil leaks condition for for the Alps I was expecting I mean huge storm Olsen Nevada wind in we had almost no wind and really the release Moose in week conditions yeah what was your what was your asking. I was watching you guys on that final leg into Monica and remember that one from from twenty fifteen and of course. I I wish I was sharing that with you but in that heat and the O. R. slogs down there with those winding roads but yet anyway congratulations of those it was fun to watch get in well actually even getting to Monaco Monaco I mean we were probably the most aw the most exciting operating area near central today which is usually huge place with a lot of the great terminals in I mean it's really unstable Blair in this year we were there it was really hard and week end in it. Yes it was not usual conditions in we had to be really patient and take time in in . Even even flying in goggles was not that easy because the thermal where's the week so even getting to Monaco was hard until the last bead of of of flying in this is quite unusual than actually I I chose choose the wing this year I had the you know my my weight is just between the two ranges between a small one medium small and I and I said Okay I'll take the small wing because has it's usually superstrong with a lot of Wayne and I want to be secure with swallowing and I mean it happened totally the contrary. It was really week with no win at all in for sure. I got the wrong wing. I if I had to do it again I would probably take the big one or a huge wing to be able to to use those really weak turmoils. It was like competing in Brazil like you very flatlands. I mean it was fairly unusual and you're on Zeolite. As I was correct. Yes I wasn't but it was really small in for example in day to we were flying in goggles and I could couldn't keep up with the goggles because I couldn't fly. I couldn't I mean lift myself from the thermal with the right amount of speed and I was is always left behind and that's why it took me a longtime to come back from the back of the ranking. Yeah we can talk about that in a bit because I was watching you keenly on on live tracking on the walks guess my what was your biggest biggest mistake in the race I don't I don't think that I made big mistake. for me probably the the big mistake was to yes. I'm is that one is probably the I ran win. I believe that the condition I thought that the condition would be really strong. Usually I'm a pilot that is usually my my abilities my my my my state of Mike Tricks my e._M._i.. Astrology think what I know how to do is flying in the wind in strong conditions. I I'm not . I'm not a super good. P._W.'s pilot because I don't like it when it's really smooth in week men this year I mean it was it was not a race. designed for me in the sense that we had to talk a lot. We had to hike without meters every day which I'm not I mean as good as the youngest guy we have in the in the field and we had to fly in this really weak thermals on this is not what I'm Super Gouda but in despite all this we could stay with the group and we could keep up in make good race and I think after all we believe that race was was pretty pretty nice for us actually absolutely best day and worst day are the best days for sure they three.


01:00:07 - 01:05:19

I think when I come back from the back of the ranking when I I'm thinking I'm twenty two Oromo. Maybe twenty at the beginning of the day when I am a new era Niaz show coming back from show from Utah One two three three or four and I'm and I'm heading to crump lattes and I'm really backing the ranking in I choose when I'm heading back north from cuts to succeed so I choose a left line out in this allows me to come back in the ranking and I and the day on Monther position than this is. This is a great . This is great because I believe in this option from the beginning but I was the only one to choose it and at the anti word so so it was it was really a it was fantastic. That was so amazing how people can influence influence you but I I that was my first option was going the route you did. I really wanted to go that way and and then of course the second option was to go the east line. which is you know Meyer often? which is the way ended up going in the third option of course is is going to Brenner if the weather was terrible and walking across the airspace but right before the race I was sitting chatting Decree Eagle and I was asking him about that and he said I you know if you I really liked the west line? It's a little bit shorter like that but the problem with that as you always run into the Bavarian winds in in the way they have the Zouk spits align off to the northeast. It's going to be really hard to get up through there after you leave the solden in so I like the east line and it was crazy. When I left chrome plots about fifteen minutes I was in good position? I left it was just starting to blow up and getting Kinda ugly you know and I left in good like fifteen minutes behind those guys and it was very easy crossing the spine again and getting into kind of Zeller and Meyerhoff area but it's area I don't know at all and I get completely stuck there. In the valley wins for very long time and I didn't land I stayed in the air but then a big sell blew up off to our east down the pins Gal and in the Gust Front the dropout just just got me and I I sat on the top of the mountain trying to get off. It was blowing over the back hard and I couldn't get off couldn't get off enough and I so I was watching Jingyuan live tracking Glenn. I should've gone that way and you're flying. I think with Willie through there too yeah yeah I mean at the beginning when we got crump. That's willing arrived arrived in complex just few minutes before when I got here he said Okay I guess for. I'M GONNA I'M GONNA fly with you. I want to follow you a bit so I said okay. Let's go on the left side and so we'll Ian is started to do aim the west side but here sure it was not really engaging because the first part was just blue-sky with no no cumulus at all so we know we had a lot of valuing coming in would be tricky to go through but I was confident in I in I was leading with a leading Um yes Sir William behind me and when I started really to engage myself he I think he didn't trust it. He said that finally on ice but couple days ago he's. I don't know why left him and I said you never leave Gaspard Bard ever never leave him. He made this mistaken then he got stock in this value in I think he I mean this was a bad decision but luckily for me work really well okay so worst day worst days probably even if you won't believe it minutes probably the day when we started a three thousand meters on a glacier near seal valley and we try to reach semi low offer you guys exactly it's not that bad because at the end of the day we reach finally Shamanee but I mean we we pain. we plan so many many we had so many plants in her head and we decided to aim this this this valley chatting with the forecast and we were sure to do something riots in we I mean we fought for it really really hard. We hike this huge glacier. We found a takeoff takeoff. It was super hard and then we took off and it was really stable. In we fought for hours to to reach the Martini Valley the end here I- I landed and suddenly I could see many of the wings that we're far behind me like Joel Markel Konia Minor Nubile and Simon over our under just pass me over. My head was like dame. I did all everything I could. I clan so many so many ideas and it's not working though I was really pissed off down in the valley and yes I was I was really I mean I think I was really really mad and even with my eighteen I mean they could feel that was not really happy about was was was happening.


01:05:20 - 01:10:08

Fortunately I didn't let go on. I came back in the second part of the afternoon was much better and we command far away but for for a couple hours I was really really down there. You know feeling really bad in really annoyed in Iowa's even not really nice with my crew yeah well. When I was in the Air I was right with those guys at the shelled Horn and and Reveiz kept calling me because I really thought you guys made a magic move that night getting up to that coal and getting high and and it it wasn't it was stable where we were as well but he kept calling and saying hey those guys are moving really slow? Just stay in the air and you're going to get him today. Stay in the area in the night didn't of course I got the against the Nissan Ridge to low and I just struggled golden the stability for hours just a nightmare. That was my thousand my worst day for sure but I think it's it's it's it's it's or worse day. Because these place usually works super well this day we could see huge huge cumulus beautiful cumulus cloud. I mean all the signals where green and I mean actually when you were flying actually in this area it was it was hopeful and this is why I think it's it was super annoying. Is that mom why right this blaze are not working today. I mean shoot work in. It's not working in. That's what really annoys if you could prepare again you know Kinda rewind the clock for the last nine months. Would you do anything anything differently knowing what you know now while choose a different wing. I mean different size. That's the only thing I mean the preparation was really hard for me because of the old injuries I had in I I have to to say I if someone would tell me that I would ended the to Monaco in the seventh place I would have signed. I mean no would have signed with no with no. No I mean for sure would be happy so I think I cannot change many things for sure the guys in front of me I stronger they were more trained. There are younger. They fly better so I think that I I would wouldn't change a lot if I couldn't do much better I think you told me before the race. There was no way you do it again. But what do you think now is anything changed or you done for sure. I mean if if I was twenty five are I would do it again for sure I mean my mind is is full into it and I like really did adventure in what happens around the race but now I'm. I'm not twenty five thirty eight in I have to kiss that are now pretty dirty old or seven and nine in I have a lot of injuries and it's every time getting worse and worse than I mean. The preparation is always a nightmare. So if I'm smart I quit but then we'll. We'll see if I'm smart enough but I sure if I'M SMART I I shouldn't be there in two years well if you need some inspiration. I'm forty seven buddy so you still got many years. Yes yes but I probably go train on like you. Do I dunno but my buddy is not. He's not is not a good good shape. I think was that was the injury in twenty seventeen race was quite severe. No it's not about the crash Ashley had in two thousand seventeen. It's more about older stupid races. I've done since I'm sixteen like Belov from running in this kind of ultra trails and old all kinds of races that many different races in biking skiing in all the stupidest thing I did when I was a kid so I think my knees are just a bit old now. I mean all that training in and it's it's like football player. Quit when you're twenty five twenty or thirty five so that's pretty logical that my buddy is now a bit of old. I think it is it takes takes a lot more time to recover as well what advice received done you did two thousand fifteen twenty seventeen twenty nineteen what millions of people watch this race pilots all over the world and they get really inspired by what they see. what advice would you give to someone thinking about participating in the red bull excerpts while the first the first saw advised and I do quite a lot of conferences to explain.


01:10:08 - 01:15:08

This is not usually people at washes the race in the that wanted to do it believes that it's that you need to a good pilot in you'd be unit to be trained to do the Straits and this is true for sure but it is not the only the only thing that you need to be to be a to be tough in this race. I think it's a lot about thinking in a lot about strategy she and about planning and preparing the race and I think it's it's it's a really good thing to trying to do some maybe some small race but some kind of racist that are just hiking fly racist like this one to be able to train how to make decisions in not to make stupid decisions because he can be the best pilots in the world and you can be the most train guy in the world you can still do a bunch of mistakes in in in your race can be can be destroyed. Just just one little mistake so I think there's a lot of thinking allow strategy. It's a sport like like like like I mean it's a really he it needs to be learned. It's not it's not just cannot can't stop you. Three is not yeah not just imagine this. I mean the after learn. It and I think that's the best advice usually when you are trained when you're too tough underground you. This is where you make the biggest mistake because you believe that you'll always be able to keep up with your legs with his wrong sometimes you can you can do really smart moves the with with a lot with a little hiking in you in a good flying young and I even I believe I'm not I'm by far not the best pilot I'm by far. I'm not the best runner but I can steal tailplane the fraud because I think that I I try to think as much as I can to to make the smart moves in try to keep to make some economy I mean on safety initiatives but to preserve my why buddy on my strength. What's the most critical vital support you got from your team? Actually I think that my team is I mean. I'm saying this. It's it's one of the best into in the field healvets the team that I've been I've failed to fifteen radiation. It's almost the same team that I had for three racists in the they know perfectly what they have to do we have we have a fool team with a lot of people in the they all have very precise task and there's a lot of teen stat where depending on mine actually during for example glacier we we could I mean thanks to us. tomato dollar deal in Marcus Anders could cross glacier because we have Monte guides for example when gotcha Monaco it was Super Hot in when I lended in the middle of the plateau before niece in we were almost is dying with the heat a my team with their water in Amina Martin Simon Ober honor could drink because of my team in address the four athletes on at least the Swiss Guy Bumpkin no tomato dollar one. I I mean where we could eat drink. Thanks to my team. I mean they were always there when I needed them. They knew perfectly what they had to do and they know where the new perfectly where to be where to settle where to where to be the Zach time so that I mean I almost never hiked alone. I was always with one of my partners. I mean in any helps a lot. What mentally to keep your motivations? Okay I could you know avoid caring leaders waters so might teamers really always there when I needed them inanities in it's it's remarkable. I mean I up. I I give them a huge. Thanks because they were just marvelous. What was the best fan or you know locals experience you had along the way I have tiny ninety one? When we came to a high I mean my brother has been living there for five years? I know a lot of people there so we had a lot of people coming in kids. was super nice to share this with them. we have so many people during the race that that I mean open their doors and gave us you know just a shower or are bring some food or some water. I mean during the whole race ace we were like pushed by all those guys all those persons that that that would just aw in courageous than this.


01:15:08 - 01:20:07

This was just a marvelous. I guess I haven't asked anybody else this but I would like get your take on it you you said before the race that you know the the French this year and I know some of the French that applied the didn't get in or incredibly strong like Damian Leka's who did the Pakistan trip with with with a Antoine this this last year Maxime showed that he's definitely unbelievable pilot in really really good at this game he had a little bit of practice with the expert last year and did incredibly really well there but still goes way out in front. I mean is do you see that anybody really has a chance to be honest. I've been racing sing with critical for four days on a Swiss competition September and at the opportunity or a chance to follow him in to see how this guy works in how the how he manages edges to be always in the fraud and I have to say that there's no way for me that this guy would be bidden on the next few years why I mean. I think that a guy like maxine mm is is is extremely good pilot and I think is even could even better than Creek Eagles but the problem is critical is that he doesn't have any weakness so he's probably the best pilot one of the best pilot but is also so one of the best on the ground we could see the product for example is is is even better than Coconino on the great days. I mean he's he's a machine now and he's training for this in what people don't don't see is all the preparation in all the knowledge he has. I mean this guy knows the odds. Just like you know you regard and he knows knows everything every every yes he knows every all the places isis when break for example. He hasn't information like there's twenty KS this valley while he can. He knows exactly that means that on these other valuated will be eighteen and not on the other one it would be twenty five and he knows the offs like you would know your you're you're paragliding site your personal wriggling site and is also so that's that's the field knowledge but he also now is not a people inside those areas so he knows local specialists everywhere he knows Oldham the parameters that you have to watch watch out for example the the winds values. He knows where to pick them. what do they mean in in so it allows him to make good decisions far ahead far in advance in all this guy like maxine. That's probably one of the the only one that could creek keep up is far from Tom Getting all this knowledge for now so that's that's why for me. There's huge gap in will continue for some for some years. as long as Kriegel stays really focused into that eighty. We have to say that spent his whole day summing day after day in how to be better in high confi flying I mean this is his whole life in he spent whole this time checking every parameter in I mean giving his best on on on every parameter which is really different for me. I mean we have a half kids. I have a doll I have many things to do in. I mean he's only is he's only yes. uh-huh matter is to be better. Hi can fly high can fly a pilot. Every day in his is Fisher in the sense I I don't see how in the next few years could be baited. I agree angry Gas Barr. Thank you man. I really appreciate it. we're going to have to do a real show mayhem show just with you one of these days and get all your thoughts on on this and a lot more but this'll be great to put with all these little pieces together with a bunch of the pilots so I really appreciate it. thanks for your time and and and again man God dude you crushed it congratulations the really really good race very much. Thank you very much for for asking in hopefully we can we can fly bit together in a race or or or not I mean in a naval baby. Stop or something more softer. Yes soccer author software sounds good right now my feeder singing they thank you very much.


01:20:08 - 01:25:56

Though K the Italian stallion air under God he had incredible race had some real real bad knee problems after the last one after twenty seventeen and he was pretty questionable on into this one but was able to get get his knee back together a good enough. He did no running whatsoever. This is usually you darren Tuesday person who does a lot running but can't run anymore and ended up doing something crazy like only eighteen kilometers on pavement which in this race is remarkable but so really kind of took it Moore's an adventure mountaineering mountaineering objective had a great support team and he also said this was by far his best race not his best result but he got to you got to Monaco he was a ninth and did some really cool flying in some made some amazing moves in the air. Please join this talk with era Gotti Aaron. Thanks for coming on the mayhem. I've been excited to talk to you. Sorry I didn't see you in Monaco. I DIDN'T WANNA go down and bear the forty degree heat after those last those last three stable days. I hope you had fun at the party but I congratulations on an awesome race. I I was cracking up a couple of days ago. Mattie showed me footage from the start back in Mozart Platz in you know everybody ran by and then there you were walking you know and and and she said he didn't even look like he was trying and I said no no no that's he was he was the first take off at the guys Berg you know he can't run anymore on on the pavement but you dress me he's really fast up the mountains near incredibly fast man and it showed in the race but great great job at thank you it relative. It's heart for me to to accept the Faulk to thrive with the other because usually was used to be really strong in running but now a heff to save my niece. Oh Yeah I yeah I just don run the exiles the Bronco and the start of the exiles which was somehow not easy because these moods in the people and everything you want really to run but I was focused on my strategy and I say I run so I was kind of walking and everyone was kind of laughing about the bar asked and there was thinking I in good for holiday or something but yeah the the Mountain Steve then I know I can Bouchette yet and I- overpass many outlets and Indiana arrive off I think I don't know five six seven. I don't know adjust prepare myself and I took a fan was while I'm diverse. Turn those great will end yet quite a scary moment this last year right with the doctor. You went to very very good doctor in Italy you were telling me on when we were hiking up to that launch and the WHO basically said new like Erin you're done you can't you can't keep doing this stuff anymore. Yeah actually it was Austrian doctor okay yeah it was an innsbruck they send me data from the Redwood Training Learning Center to have yes some feedback from him and yeah it was British shocking because after a kind of hard fan our Dole and checking out my m._R._i.. M._R._i. and stuff you basically say yeah search a nice job in office because it's over with the sport crazy and then you got another opinion in that that one's it's well no. I think it's okay or know. Anyone told me it's okay but I mean after the yeah I mean after I was to this doctor and outside was yeah yeah for sure I was having want two weeks three really heart but then I was thinking okay. It can't be bad or I mean it. You should be something I can do so I find another doctor pretty famous in Italy which when he save for sure your your your niece has done a lot and dr not it's not as new but he decided to do a surgery to me last year in June and then I did some plasma therapy like Blah's mind filtration in the knee and some other treatment and than I start to do some very specific training in Innsbruck on on a training center to build up some are muscle which can give me more stability than I was working with the doctor which I'm used to work in Toronto then I did another kind of therapy here around home so basically my last one and a half Pierre was working on my knee basically so for a week would focus to to get my need in better shape.


01:25:56 - 01:30:50

Obviously it worked so congratulations but I mean the X.. Alps put your knees through hell and you you you made it so congratulations and I know you're you're. You're strategy in your attack was was quite a bit different than had been in the past. You know the instead of running and doing a lot of ground game you really tried to fly as much as possible and it really really paid off well. Let's get into these questions Aaron and these these go pretty quickly but the first is what if anything in you know you've done this race now four times a believe before what what if anything did you underestimate about this race. What actually this time was for me far domestic best because I was basically enjoying every single day I could been the race and I was able to do that what I'd like to do which is basically flying at being in the mountain so disdain for me? I mean it was kind of perfect. I mean I'm I'm also somehow happy with my resume because I was one in which was hiking ness everyone and in the air was flying Itin creamy good yeah. I'm really happy with my my expediter insider a little bit fucked up the last day in a way but I I'm still happy I did. It's like I did because I was. I want to try to get to Monaco monocle on fly also by flying and so the route I choose it was the one which give me the biggest chance to be in bailed on my glider by flying but it turns out to be pretty bad because I have a thunderstorm behind me which was giving me a lot of headwind and that was for sure like my worst flight accepts because I was getting many collapses was very very law. I was about two hours flying without having any landing spot just three below me and the yeah well. It's a little bit not super cool but other it's I really enjoyed all time and I did a lot of vertical meter but I almost never work on the flats and they did all in all less than thirty case on the asphalt on the oil executives so that's amazing. I did that just on the morning going to Saint Hilaire. That's amazing that eighteen kilometers on asphalt in south dealer and I did this this bit more than eight nine kilometers towards Monaco the last day when I get on the on the on the Gore on paid and that's old asphalt I did so wow that's amazing amazing God. That's that's incredible well the you said you had this kind of fuck up on the last day but my next question is what was your biggest mistake was at that one or was what was what was the what was the worst mistake in the race. I did a big mistake on after the voice but the I was in a way lackey and after the bad luck I was lucky let's say because when I did divorce was third and two I hike up really fast on the day cough and where maxine took off it will adinda the shade for me so I couldn't take off so I went all the way up did this valley which is leading to core and I was basically just missing one legal reach so maybe twenty minutes to walk do fly basically these bodies which is going straight to core but I mean there won't thunderstorm coming but on the physically on the world east lit bit it was blue-sky clouds on three thousand five hundred meter so I was hoping dinking that maybe the thunderstorm will be just they in that area of core and so I decided okay fuck it.


01:30:50 - 01:35:06

I'm going to take off and fly basically ninety degrees from the route. I should fly but my Adia was to fly it on the on the sunny and blue skies fought weight bearing the Air Behi- and then fly back that extra core but what's in Indiana happened is that I do coffin. I got like about minus four two minutes. Five Minna seeks basically till the ground often and I would think okay now and super fucked up like part of living Don thousand thirty meter in fifty minutes for notting. I was like twenty five kilometer on the unmoved but than what I was lucky because basically I was hundred meter above the valley floor above a church and I was pointing this church in the last ten minutes of my super sinking flights and exactly there were I want to have determined where I suspect that they're Mar.. I got it but it was hundred mitten above the valley and I went for whom dog meter above ground which plus the valley floor deal three thousand three hundred to all the way and yet then I climbed there to the cloud I make one transi shown on on the same side of the valley and then I mean it was visible. fucking thunderstorm was just going in my direction so than ahead to fly towards the thunder storm and land in the mountain waiting Donaldson Pass and then I was again on the on the on the right violates a but that was I mean you can seem drake log in the loss. It's pretty stupid stupid side. I mean I was thinking at the moment it was a good idea and not affecting or meter all the way down in the valley floor. I had one of those as well. I think they three. This is the worst okay. Maybe that's your best an worst day together but best day and worst day what the best day was for sure did stir day when I flew from kids bill to chrome plants and deliver malls and early bit for also so I think it was I never it really check it but it should be more than two hundred and I crossed visit the the main reach of the odds. Do is yet there. I starting the morning I think I was like twenty twenty something or something like that and I finish dirt of in levels so that was for shared the best day and it was actually a beautiful flight than S- I was the flying really smart like once passed the value of Inspir- it was thunderstorm in Kara vendor so I fly a little bit more nor days fat is e was a convergence dence. I could follow it and that they I flew really well and both the worst day I don't like for sure. The worst flight was my last light but also that Indiana turns to be cool because I mean I like. I told you I wasn't his valley without any lending chance for two hours. I was pretty sure I'm GonNa land in the tree and basically by fighting fighting fighting.


01:35:08 - 01:40:02

I see one lit landing field on the lease side of the village. It was like thirty meters time dirty or something like that but then just before I managed to get there I I have to pass one little rich and I got the huge collapse which that I was almost sure to crash because I was like fifty meter high and basically the or glider disappear so I was already thinking okay. I have one second if the glider open good if not open I'm during the rescue and I and I hope you've got to open the rescue but we'd fifty meet the speratist catching and Indians the glider justice appear but to second after after its without having crowd saw that was really good. I mean I was lackey. I was maybe doing everything perfect but I think the border between in nothing happen and being crashing in the tree was very very diet and anyway managed to lend that feel in that kind of field and then my support their came and I will feel like seven seven hundred meter high so and for sure the worst for me. It's the work downhill some . That's really bad now so by told me okay. Let's try to high read on the Dolphin then maybe we can cut some three and in some way you can take a game but then we start to walk in on the street. I see like the chance to think of from the street so I took off a but my supporter was standing arm what they're doing. You know it's no landing here. It was almost crying last two hours so I think NCA- again as I say yeah because I don't want to work down and I see there was like to riches which I couldn't see in front and physically I'm optimistic guy and I was. I was sure that behind the dirt reach it's GonNa be something to lend so I took of walk finding and after the third niche it was like a dent time centimeters verse lendable so land there than again I was still five hundred meter high from the valley floor so I won't do kilometer and then I did the best ever took off of the league's because a rom like it was the only thing which was I mean it was not even think about it but the the street was full of cable and there were three everywhere so my supporter went on the case and there was some little weight and though yeah say okay let's try and then went on the Castillon. I took off from them and I fly all the way down before Miss Awesome Aaron the you know you're you're kind of in a similar position to me now with your little one you had you had a little boy. I think he's three now. I had a little girl right after the last ex house. How has that affected your because I see you know you're doing these huge expeditions to Patagonia Patagonia and tons of ice climbing in in? I know you're very very good at what you do and careful but the how has having a child changed how you approach these things that we do and things like the X. Alps in a way it didn't change and in a way change just in a better way because and when I come home I know I have my kid. It's my Nice girlfriend I feel more peaceful but I'm not doing less of the thing I like to do because of a kid in the end I think to be good for them. I need to be happy and if I don't do those things.


01:40:02 - 01:45:27

I'm not happy so so I'm just following that. What's my my facial are and ride not I'll it's still flying and climbing? I'm really more and more into climbing and yeah probably from normal point of view. It's not three good that what I'm I'm doing but I feel okay and for my girlfriend is okay so we are and she's a she's a pilot to . She gets it. okay if you could prepare anything indifferently again you've you've done. The X. Helps now a number of time so you know how to prepare but if you could do anything differently than what you did what would it be yeah. Probably I would have to go back. Maybe twenty years saving my knees okay and the question what sorry about of these you could always prefer bit better like this Google Raritan knows even better than valleys and stuff but I'm not the guys which like so much to land and to be in front of the computer so I think I did this time way more than what I did the other years so I was not so much lost like other years because normally I was really lost its time. It was lost but not that much Aaron. Do you find you and I now have done it together. Three times new did at once before before the new didn't twenty thirteen gene as well but the I found the pace this time just unbelievable. You know I mean we had we had an in a lot of ways pretty good weather. We weren't dealing with a lot of wind. We definitely had plenty of thunderstorms and stuff but I found that at this was the kind of the easiest flying weather of the three that I've done but the the the the pace of the of the teams I have found just an incre so much faster than it was in my first one in twenty fifteen I mean in two thousand fifteen made so many more mistakes and still got the Monaco in good time in a better place than this time but this time I felt like you know at least for me. I was really doing better than I've ever done and and still there's ten people out in front. I just found that the pace is getting really fast. Is that something you're noticing as well yeah yeah definitely I think I think this year accepts the weather was it was not a difficult weather because we didn't have to deal with strong wind or a super ugly thunderstorms stuff but in in in the average the weather was was not that good I mean we have a very with the the day where I flew chrome plots and lemos and then we had like three good days and then we have really kind of bad days in a way because like when I was in sweets it was raining. When I was in French it was super stable yeah moons and even if that we was covering like about ninety two hundred ten case air distance today which what really impressive like or like say? I didn't work on the asphalt but I was doing a lot of vertical meter my I think I did. I didn't check it exactly but awfully I I will say I did like forty five thousand vertical meter so means. I was doing like more than four thousand day Yep. That's kind of where I came as well. That's it's a lot lot and yet I think that the the level was at least of the first fifteen was like super high because on a exactly if I think back two thousand thirteen or fifteen by bad days there was a day I think in two thousand thirteen I did all in all like forty kilometer which is less of a bad day of these these republics up so yeah I think everyone become faster her and the way more efficient like in the in the way of choosing the rule in the way of high confli never lending really down and a gain hike A.


01:45:27 - 01:50:15

B. and than riot in whatever ever so yet delivered is definitely super high. I mean I if I think with the weather we were having in two thousand thirteen or fifteen. We might have finished his accepts in seven days or yeah eight days yeah I I agree angry. will you do it again. I think so defense what my knee will say about Audi but for manipulated yet like like I say after the from the beginning this time for me was excellent than I really enjoy and might deem was also really really cool. It was the first time I was having out by DA good friend of my which was walking out with me and we was doing will sometimes really million joining like the first day we went up on these digging Gambhir and we were sleeping in the sand and in the morning having US burn is sunrise taking off at six in the morning we was having realism Nice Mountain experience and the the general abroad of the deem was really. I'm in a positive attitude because I was very out to say like I didn't come from his damn that I'm GonNa Wean or whatever I say look for me. It's it's it's amazing. That's my knee. Let me start again this ray so let's try to our bags and let's try to have fun and you guys were having a heck of a battle down there between Mondovi so and the end that was that was really fun to watch was in the soup going into Saint Hilarious. I had plenty of time to just watch watch live track it see the battle going on. It was a lot of lot of changing places those fun but I didn't longer allies because I took off with them and then we had to top lance and I'd upland differently than I was alone and then I see Agus Bar and Dom I flew a little bit different than I got three two good so than overpass them and Iden- so anyone deal deal the nor did the next day basically weekly. I was flying alone. Actually that day it was it's happened something really funny because at the beginning it was really stable and it was super difficult to climb but once I climbed bought the before Dekalb the day was good. It was some headway but the day was not too bad so once was higher was feeling safe and I was cruising pretty fast were Bryan Song and and then I start to be tired and I'm starting to almost fell asleep in the air. Ele thinking I start to seeing but that was not enough the Internet connection and I basically went on Youtube when I start to watch music video the mind and singing nine hundred songs way yeah that's of never heard that one ear well. Hey that thank you very much again. Enormous congratulations you really the overcame a pretty serious knee issue to to finish in style that was that was awesome to watch an awesome to witness. It was so fun racing with you again sharing some of that time with you the first day and man that was a blast but I I wish you the best in Renata and your little boy and and good healing with the knee and and who knows maybe we'll see each other again in a couple of years this crazy wacky race again.


01:50:15 - 01:53:00

Thank you my months. The is okay if you find the cloud base may have valuable you can support it in a lot of their for ways you can give us a rating on. I tender stitcher however you get your podcast that goes a long ways to help spread the word you can blog about it on your own website or shared on social media. You can talk about it on the way to launch with your pilot friends. I know a lot of interesting conversations have happened that way and of course you can support US financially. intially this show does take a lot of time a lot of editing lot of storage and music and all kinds of behind the scenes cost so if you can support US financially all we've ever ask for as a buck show and you can do that through a one time donation through paypal or are you can set up a subscription service that charges you free show that comes out of new show out every two weeks so for example if he did a buck show and every two weeks that'd be about twenty five dollars a year so way cheaper than a magazine subscription and it makes all of this possible D- do not WanNa find this show advertising or sponsors we could asked about that pretty frequently but for a whole bunch of different reasons which I've said many times on the show I don't WanNa do that. I don't like to have in that stuff at the front of this. Show an awesome want you to know that these are authentic conversations stations with real people and these are just our opinions but our opinions are not being skewed by sponsors or advertising dollars. That's a pretty toxic business model so I hope you dig that. You can support us. If you go to cloud Mace Ma'am Dot com you can find the places to support you can do through Patriot dot com for slash cloud-based mayhem. If you WANNA recurring subscription you can also do that directly through the website tried to make it really easy and that will give you access to all the bonus material little video cast that we do and extra little nuggets that we find in conversations that don't make it into the main show but we feel like you should here. We don't put any of that behind a paywall if you can't afford to support us than just let me know an offset Yep with an account of course that'll we'd lifetime and hopefully in your being in a position some day to be able to support us but you'll find all that on the website all of you who have supported us or even joined our newsletter or bought cloud-based mayhem merchandise t-shirts hats or anything thing you should be all set up. You should have an account and should be able to access all that bullets material now. Thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate your support. No Seond the next show. Thank you yeah.



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