This page contains teasers and links of a three part series, More South American Adventrues which was published in the Janurary, February and March 2009 issues of Hang Gliding and Paragliding Magazine.
More South American Adventures Part I
Nothing But Cross Country in Peru
No one can say I didn't know better. With my share of "There I was" stories from Peru, I know how awesome and intense it is to play in the high Andes. Almost dead from pulmonary edema camped at 20,000' when I was seventeen. Dangling from ice tools, thrashing onto a high mushroomed ridge, solo, when a minivan size block cut loose, leaving my feet swinging below me. At first light, watching a corniced ridge collapse thousands of feet above. A full minute later the avalanche debris arrived, leaving me half buried and bleeding in the run out zone at the bottom of the face. I have found my share of adventure in these mountains. And all before I learned to paraglide.
Another field turned for potatoes; building a wall on the Jangas Launch above Huaraz, Peru. Photo: Julio Olaza. 
Flying over the Jangas launch with sticks and plastic bags in the lines, again. Photo: Julio Olaza.
July 2007 was a busy summer back home in Colorado and not the best time for a long trip, but my Peruvian born wife bought the tickets and we left. After a day of coastal flying, the trip started with a quick jaunt up to Huaraz, visiting friends, looking for property and of course flying.
Flying from Jangas, above Huaraz, Peru, the Cordillera Blanca across the valley.
On a short cross-country flight from the nearby launch above Jangas, I found cloud base above 15K and struck off cross-country. With several nice climbs, flying down wind, I passed the city. My next glide took me toward a sweet looking knob, several thousand feet above the valley, facing the morning sun and prevailing valley winds. As I climbed over this perfect trigger I saw a new road switch backing up the far side and wondered if this was what friends had told me about as soon as I got to town; a possible new site near town with a new road to it. After all these visits my friends, none of whom are pilots, know just what I'm looking for. Sure enough, this was perfect.
Flying from the Jangas launch with the Cordillera Blanca across the valley. Photo: Julio Olaza
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More South American Adventures Part 2
Adventure, New Friends and Lots of Flying in Bolivia
After a month playing in Peru, my wife Ursula and I left for La Paz, Bolivia. Our last trip through Bolivia was at the end of three months traveling and paragliding throughout Argentina and Chile. That trip, when we finally made it north to La Paz, we stashed the paragliding kit and went for a nice trek. This time through we had just finished a nine-day trek near Cuzco and I was ready to check out some of Bolivia's flying sites.
Women selling bread in the morning in downtown La Paz, Bolivia.
Our Bolivian adventure began in La Paz. We met with local instructor, Edgar Martinez, who put us in touch with a whole gang of active pilots. We spent almost a week hanging with the wonderful group, meeting early morning, driving out of town to fly, and going out to eat after.
Setting up on launch north of La Paz, Bolivia, across from Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real.
A couple pilots from Maine, Reggie and Roberta, teachers at an international school, were fun and motivated. Of the half dozen regulars, Huascar Cardona was our best La Paz contact. He understood paragliding as well as any of the locals, was motivated and wanted to show us the best La Paz had to offer.
Glider launching in front of Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real, Bolivia.
La Paz, an unusual and interesting city, sits in a huge bowl at 11,000' with beautiful views of the Cordillera Real. Locals have a couple regular sites, but they chose to go explore with me, as they are just discovering the potential flying in the area. We drove both north and south of the city. The sites worked well and I spent hours in the air every day. We hung out with the local pilots after flying, went to fun restaurants and got a good feel for people and place.
Flying north of La Paz, Bolivia, in front of Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real.
Our first site, north of town, had only been flown once. Everyone was anxious to get off, though it was early and not very thermic yet. One by one pilots flew off towards the valley far below on nice long sled rides. When there were just two of us left on launch I clipped in to go. The take off was flat and not much wind blew through my wing. Across the valley, the snowy summit of Illampu 20,892' (6,368 M) sits majestic against a blue sky.
Flying north of La Paz, Bolivia, in front of Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real.
The last pilot had waited to launch and was very nervous. Fairly new at the game, he hadn't flown for a while. Because of poor kiting skills, he chose to forward launch. After several aborts, running blindly off the hill with his glider not inflated or wildly off to the side, he finally made it. As he left the hill he pulled the brakes down past his hips. His wing buckled and stalled. Fortunately he was only a few feet off the ground. He crashed among rocks but was luckily ok though his wing tip caught and ripped two feet of fabric. He seemed relieved he wouldn't have to try again.
Flying north of La Paz, Bolivia, in front of Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real.
I got off in a good cycle but immediately saw that we were launching in the lee of a long ridge in light rotor. I flew straight out to cross the valley and after a long glide reached a soarable ridge a thousand feet over the valley floor. Below, I saw where the others had landed after they described their LZ over the radio.
Glider launching in front of Nevado Illampu, Cordillera Real, Bolivia.
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More South American Adventures Part 3
Back To Peru, the High Andes and a Serious Accident
During the summer of 2007, my wife Ursula and I visited Peru and Bolivia. In Peru I pioneered an incredible new site near Huaraz and got a long cross-country flight in Cuzco, almost breaking the national record. In Bolivia we met and flew with pilots in La Paz, and Cochabamba. It was a busy and successful two months.
Passing the ruins from the earthquake along the southern coast of Peru.
Leaving La Paz, we hopped on a bus expecting a quick twenty-six hour ride back to Lima. During the night the coast just south of the capitol experienced a large earthquake. The next day we slowly made our way through the destruction. It was moving to see the collapsed buildings and scary to see the power unleashed by the quake. After an extra six hours we made it back to Ursula's family home. I was left asking: what really separates me from the unfortunates who happen to lie under the rubble of collapsed buildings? Was it just a matter of time before I joined them under a pile of bad luck?
Passing the ruins from the earthquake along the southern coast of Peru.
As always there were things to get done in the city. The errands, mostly visiting the main immigration offices over and over took a few days, and then I was off to the hills again. This was my first trip to South America in four years without a client. I felt relieved and free. Just watching out for myself seemed so simple. Ursula wanted a couple more days with family, and planned to join me in Huaraz.
Flying the coast above Lima, Peru.
Sharing the air above Lima, Peru, with a couple other paragliders.
I spent my first summer in Huaraz, climbing in the surrounding Cordillera Blanca, in 1981. I still have friends from return visits in the 1980's, and every time I go back, feel more at home. Since that first expedition, I have dreamed of moving here. Again this trip we searched for a small piece of land, partly for my fear that the United States will be a less desirable place to live in the future, and partly so that Ursula will have a connection in her home country to bring our family to in the future.
Looking down on apartment buildings in Lima, Peru.
A hang glider lost among the sea of buildings in Lima, Peru.
In the last couple months, flying competed in importance with a long list of other things we were getting done. With less than two weeks left I realized I was going to have to focus on the land purchase or not pull it off.
A hang glider over Lima, Peru, looking for an LZ.
Hang gliders, paragliders and the Costa Verde launch in Lima, Peru.
At the start of the trip I found and flew a new launch just above town. It immediately became my new favorite site and I even met with the owner. For years I watched as the best launch in the area went from a perfect lawn style grassy patch, to freshly plowed and planted with potatoes the next season to sprouting corn a couple years later. I dreamt of having a dedicated field maintained with grass, free of rocks and with a rake left to clear sticks. Too many times I had launched with wheat stalks or plastic bags dangling from my lines.
Hang gliders flying over the Marriot hotel, Miraflores, Lima, Peru.
A paraglider soaring over the cityscape of Lima, Peru.
Now I was heading back up to the mountains to fly. I was in my element. It didn't seem like a big deal to hop off the night bus from the coast, drop my bags at my friends at seven in the morning and head for launch. At twelve thousand feet this is not one of the higher take off's around here. It does have one of the most spectacular views though.
My old friend Julio Olaza and his brother Tito (www.andeanexplorer.com) told me about this spot. Our first day exploring here we invited a photographer along. Julio brought a bike as he owns a local mountain bike guide service, (www.chakinaniperu.com) and I of course had my wing. Beto Santillo, our photographer friend got some great photos that first day. ( www.andesmadness.com ) I flew here a few days since and was sure this was a place I could come back to again and again.
Scenic from near new launch above Huaraz, Peru.
Click here to go to the full article
Go to More South American Adventures Part 1: Nothing But Cross Country in Peru
Go to More South American Adventures Part 2: Adventure, New Friends and Lots of Flying in Bolivia.
Go to More South American Adventures Part 3: Back To Peru, the High Andes and a Serious Accident.
Below are links to several Articles published in 2006:
Go to Forty Days Over Mongolia: A Paragliding Expedition to the Lands of Ghengis Khan.
Go to Dateline Kurai, Altay Republic: The Russian Paragliding Championships.
Go to A The Celelstial Tien Shan of Kyrgyzstan: Between Mountains and Sky.
Go to Paragliding In The Callejon De Huaylas.
Go to Paragliding Huaraz Peru.
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