My first flight here, after spending a month and a half looking for people who could help and advise me, was an incredible experience: take-off in the teeth of the wind (35 minutes south of La Paz), at 3850m. Higher becomes more and more difficult without oxygen. After rising on thermals of 6 metres I have Illumani on my left at 6439m, on my right Illampu (6331m), in front of me a maria ( a type of vulture with red head, black and white plumage, the size of a royal kite). At 4900m the panorama is incredible, flying over the Valley of the Moon, looking down on La Paz without hearing a single motor-horn, in short - perfect peace and tranquillity. landing in the middle of a zoo/a zoology lesson, all the kids, big and not-so-big, rushing up to me shouting "Hé gringo, gringo, dondé estava?" (Hey, "gringo", where were you?)
Flight of Colliana, hard going on foot climbing for 30 minutes up to 4350m, if you're not used to it, but the surprize at take-off is of a rare beauty, because the view over the Melssa valley is simply full of colour, green and gold...Eagles enjoy themselves in this décor, and condors occasionally say Hi if and when they feel like it. Here you have to fly before 11.30; after its for flyers with blinkers. You land in the Rupa valley, where, from here, you can go soaring in the evening to end the day, or even in the mornings, to get set off well, but at 12.30 or 13.30 this site isn't adviseable for people who like their +9m/second followed by -7...
Taking off from L'Antenna towards Colliana - a bit lower down but just a nice - the landing is at the zoo - a green backdrop: we have them in
the Auvergne, but more spacious. A very good option when the wind's a bit strong and clouds cover Colliana.
At 8 hours south of La Paz by bus there's the Capinota site, with its 1200m of slopes: a green mountain surrounds the city. It's a beautiful region: the thermals are better than at La Paz and you breathe more easily. But the ambiance here is different. Here there hides a Christ like the one in Rio de Janeiro, but the Bolivians will tell you that theirs is 4m taller: hard to tell when they're so far apart...or after flying!
More than a lake, a whole history, Titicaca is one of the most magic places in the world: here begin and end plenty of legends. The colour of
the water and its transparency are amazing. The highest lake in the world, surrounded by the cordilleras, and the water's cold, but diving
into this crystal-coloured water is simply unforgettable and frees you from all sorts of inexplicable things.
The water can be salty, sweet or soft, depending where you are: I've never experienced anything like it. On the Isla del Sol and the Isla
de la Luna you find interesting people who have maintained the culture of their territory in all its purity without changing anything.
Flying is a soaring flight because in the daytime there's a rolling breeze like a sea-breeze, with at times a few thermals over Copacabana.
Time to enjoy the view and the air - a really relaxing,care-free flight with a landing on the beach awaiting you and some fresh and well-cooked
trout to give back your energy and over 100 potatoes of different colours to make you hallucinate!
Thanks so much to José for making me want to begin this adventure which will stay engraved on my heart and my wings my whole life.
Thanks to Thierry and Martine for encouraging me in my projects, and a lot more besides.
Thanks to all those who have helped me and who have been involved in the creation of "ALTIPLANO".
Thanks especially to Christophe for having inspired me in this plan. Thanks to the whole Bolivian team.
Timothée
