Skye " The Magic Isle"

Just a few more pictures of the week on Skye

A week trip back to Skye

The week up in North West Scotland had everything to offer me weather, flying , sea kayaking  and mountain walking.
The flying Shots were taken by Ashley Franklin Photographer, check out his web site below.

Trotternish Ridge

                                                            www.ashleyfranklin.co.uk

Funny who you meet

Having flown from Bir to Mandi and landing in the dry river bed, it is funny within minutes of landing you are surround by Holy men from the local temple, and the local youths.

Early Morning flight

 Early morning flying in the Yorkshire Dales, wind forecast to get stronger from 0900 onwards so myself and Dean crosby CFI of Active Edge (web address below) bivied out the night and in the air for 7.30-7.45 and by ten the site was blown out.

If you would like to try Paragliding, be it a fun day, tandem or learn right up to club pilot check out
www.activeedge.co.uk

Borne along by nothing other than the wind, an experienced paraglider pilot can remain aloft for hours on end, flying great distances and discovering a vantage point on the world shared only with the birds.

Active Edge Paragliding & Paramotoring is a British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) registered school based in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It's run by one of the most experienced BHPA Senior Paragliding Instructors and multiple British Paragliding Champion pilot, Dean Crosby. He's the only pilot in the UK to compete at National level in all three soaring disciplines, paragliding, hang gliding and gliding.

We're fanatical about flying and have been teaching paragliding, hang gliding and flying from the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, for over 25 years.

As well as Fundays we offer various exclusive BHPA approved courses for those that want to learn to paraglide and fly 'solo' to the highest standards both in the Yorkshire Dales and overseas.

All the teaching is conducted by Dean Crosby with help from other carefully chosen instructors.

Whitby to Scarborough Cleveland Way Ultra Lightweight

Our pitch at Robin Hoods Bay early in the morning with the fantastic view of the East Coast

The view from my bivi bag 

Ultra Light Backpacking Yorkshire Dales March 14

Ultra lightweight backpacking, using the Trail Star from Mountain Laurel designs of America and the ultra lightweight bivi  both tarp and bivi made from silnylon.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com

Kenya

It was a privilege to meet Mo Farrar after his training session today

On take off, surrounded by locals just before taking a local  on a tandem flight

Kenya Rift Valley Paragliding

Myself and a few friends set out on the 8th January to spend the month in Kenya's Rift Valley, we are flying a very small section which is a 200km stretch. The length on the Rift stretches from Tanzania up through kenya and into Ethiopia.

Over the last few years kerio near Iten has become a mecca for international paraglider pilots from all over the world. Item is also famous for kenyan long distance athletes, it has an high altitude training camp for long distance athletes from all over the world, over the last week we have bumped into Steve Cram, Mo Farrar , Laura Weightman the Chinese team and British team.

Locals in the landing field after a long tandem flight.

Part of the Rift

Enjoying a tandem flight with a friend at about 3000m huge grin

Iten home of Kenyan Champions

Kerio View where we stay and other international pilots take off 100m away Altitude 2354metres

On landing your always greeted by local children  

India Pic's

This is the local bus station, seemed very caotic most of the time the noise was incredible. 

The cows were as common as the people in the local square seeming oblivious to the caos around them. 

Picture of the prayer flags, Bir where I stayed in himachael Predesh  is a Tibetan Colony.   When the Chinese invaded tibetans came across the border and settled in this area.

The area has a number of Tibetan Monestaries.  

On our way back from Manali to Bir we came across a burning ghat, this is where the person who has died is cremated on a pile of wood on the side of the river as everything is burned it is just washed away by the water. A Hindu religious  
ceromony.