West Dorset birdman targets paragliding world record
EDDIE COLFOX has been flying for 17 years. Early on he used to compete nationally and was top of the league, when he broke his back. The earthbound days following left him with plenty of time to reflect, and he decided that exploration was more his scene.
He’s since spent many winters guiding expeditions abroad, most notably in Spain, Morocco, India and Mexico.
He’s also glided through Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains (see my story “Birdmen to help bikeboys”) and, in 2008, he tried to fly in China’s Tien Shen range 2008, but he found the authorities there discouraging.
“On the whole,” he says, “I have found that paragliding has introduced me to the best new and exciting regions, and people.
“It’s an instant leveller. Most people have an interest. Whether they think you are mad or not, they have an interest.
“You see incredible landscapes, sometimes have to be very resourceful and in challenging the landscape you are always fully focused.
“You are never simply going through the motions…”
World record bid
This summer it is Eddie’s intention to go with John Silvester, Alun Hughes and another film maker, called Ray Saunders, back to the Karakoram.
The group’s aim: to gain the paragliding altitude world record AND complete the first paragliding ascent over a major Himalayan peak (Rakaposhi, 7788m).
“We will be filming this and the whole event will be done using tandem paragliders and clearly no mechanical aids.
“It is this trip we’d like commissioned.”
As Mr Colfox explains in the story below, he’s hoping someone may appear at his Electric Palace event who’s interested in supporting this extraordinary adventure.
And then possibly others: “There are so many other films to be made, for instance a vol bivouac trek – that’s flying and camping unsupported along a route where you can’t be certain that you’re going to reach each evening’s destination.
“Then there’s flying from Tirisch Mir, a 7708-metre mountain half in Afghanistan, overlooking Chitral in the North West Frontier of Pakistan, to Hunza, a journey of 250km.
“The route would run along the province of Swat and we’d be bound to meet and probably be treated extremely well by various interested locals.”
For more information about Mr Colfox’s expeditions, and some truly spectacular pictures, click on this link here.
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Yeah! Definitely I will support him by attending his Electric Palace event on March 23rd. But I hope for him and his crew flying over Afghanistan territories that the Taliban will not think there’s another American UAS (unmanned aircraft system, also called drone) and shoot them down.
Me, for my taste, I keep it more with solid soil under my shoes.