Himalayan Odyssey 2011

At this very moment, a couple of paraglider pilots are doing something special. They are truly exploring areas of Western Nepal that have not been seen from their perspective - or with the degree of difficulty.

I knew Bay Area pilot, Eric Reed was headed to India for the trip last month, but I had not stayed on top of events because frankly, these guys aren't the 'PR' kinda guys. I tuned in today to find that Brad Sander and Eric are the only pilots continuing East on their quest to "Vol Bivouac" from Himachal Pradesh, in Northern India, across Nepal to Pelling, Sikkim, India. I can (and do) only imagin the amazing scenery and epic struggles as they fly-hike-camp-repeat their way across the most imposingly beautiful terrain on the planet.



View Himalayan Odyssey Paragliding Expedition Route in a larger map

This is serious adventure and I wish I was there. To stay tuned, go to http://www.himalayanodyssey.org/ and explore their site -

Eric Reed's Track - Click image for larger view

The live-tracks are using SPOT units to broadcast position information. I am very glad to see that these units are working reliably in obviously extreme conditions. I recommend SPOT units for anybody flying XC.

Here is Eric's Live-Tracking Page, which can be viewed at http://www.himalayanodyssey.org/spot_eric.html


Good luck Brad and Eric! I'll buy the beer to lubricate the best stories this summer.

Tim