The captain announces our final descent into northern Germany as I emerge from the darkness of my jacket.  I have been under its perceived security for the last 8 hours seeking refuge from people coughing, talking, breathing and releasing other foul body gases into this sealed capsule of germs and nastiness called an airplane.  My noise canceling Bose headphones have kept me in my happy place.  I am a full on germ-a-phobe so flying across the ocean, or anywhere in a crowded plane is one of my least favorite things to do.  However, the fantastic experiences that always await in the Alps makes the journey well worth it.

As we descend I stare into the morning air of northern Germany and ponder on responsibilities being left behind….and I am excited to be leaving it all in the rear view mirror for a few days.  I am meeting my old friend Mark, fellow pilot and original member of the DEAF Crew, for 10 days of extensive paragliding through Austria and Italy.  Plus it gives me a chance to swing by and check in with my sponsors at Skywalk.

After nearly 10 hours in the car, driving across the flatlands, and through the Oktoberfest traffic of Munich we arrive in the small town of Grassau, Germany on the Austrian border.  We enjoy a very late dinner with the chief engineer at Skywalk and are thankful for his hospitality and friendship.  It is now I realize I have been awake for 36 hours.

With a shinny new Chili 3 from Skywalk, a car full of gas, and the unquenchable desire to fly, our adventure can now officially begin.

I will not bore you with the full trip details, perhaps just some photographs and captions of a few memorable moments.

^ Kössen, Austria – 2,000 feet above a 1,000 foot thick cloud layer. A site that usually has hundreds of pilots on any given day grants me this magical opportunity to soar the cliffs high above the clouds in complete solitude.  What happens if you sink out?  You make sure you DO NOT sink out!

^ Col Rodella, Italy – The Dolomites!  After two days of bad weather, driving across the Alps searching for flyable weather we head to the Dolomites and are rewarded with three priceless days of XC and unsurpassed beauty.  One of my favorite shots taken from cloud base with a fellow Utah pilot and friend who we bumped into at launch.  Last week there were nearly 250 pilots in the air at all times, today…just six of us.  We each picked a different XC line and ended up scattered throughout the Alps.  I end up six villages to the west where the Dolomites end.  A priceless day!

^ Campitello di Fassa, Italy – Another full day in the Dolomites with nearly 7 hours of air time.  As the sun sets I head back to the valley after a circumnavigation of the Dolomite range…..the so called ‘chicken run.’  Just wish the food was as good as the flying.

^ Stubai Valley, Austria – With a wicked inversion layer and blue skies the day was not looking promising.  However, lift was there to be found…if you were patient.  Spent the day doing circuits up and down the valley via tree skimming XC flights.  We would start at one resort, fly up valley, cross the valley, land, take the tram up at a different resort, cross the valley, fly back to the first resort, take that tram up, then do it again. Each circuit took about 3 hours. The beauty of Austria surpasses everything I have seen in the Alps and strongly rivals even the best of Switzerland.  This place truly felt like home!

^ Stubai Valley, Austria – Mark soaring over the city looking for a good place to land.  Did I mention how amazing this place is?  Oh, how I wish I could find a way to live here for a season.

As I now head back across the ocean I leave behind inspiring places, wonderful friends (old and new), but take with me a heart full of memories and lungs full of Alpine air.  Through limited travels over the last few years I have learned: In the battle for the best of the Alps Austria is the clear winner; Italian food is not what is served at the Olive Garden; nobody in rural Europe speaks english; we live in a much bigger world than ourselves; America is NOT a first world country; no, Europe is not expensive; and life moves at a much different, and much better pace than at home.

The question now begs, when will I be going back? Not soon enough!