Cross Country

Cross Country is the world’s leading voice for hang gliding, paragliding and paramotoring pilots. Ten times a year, our magazine content reflects our obsession with flying, and we express it by packing each issue with the most imaginative, inspirational photography and writing we can lay our hands on.

CHOOSING SAFETY

CONTRIBUTORS

Cross Country

OPENING SHOT

IN THE CORE • People, news and insight from around the free-flying world

FREE-FLIGHT FIESTA • The 52nd Coupe Icare saw good weather and plenty of visitors over six days in September

FABI BUHL AND SERENA RONCHI WIN XCONTEST 2025

MAKING THE LEAP WITH JBC

TRUE NORTH ANDREA CECCHETTO • The new Paramotor World Champion is heading only one way – up

ON LAUNCH WITH PETE THOMPSON

PÁL AND RILEY WIN SRS 2025 • The concept is proven. Organiser Brett Janaway looks back on the SRS’s first three years – and to the future

THÉO DE BLIC WINS ACRO WORLD TOUR (AGAIN) • ‘The best ever’ – Bastienne Wentzel reports on the upside-down action from this year’s AWT

UNFLAPPABLE: A MEMOIR

BACK IN THE DAY

FLYING IQ • Helping you fly better with expert advice and know-how

THE HEAD GAME BENJAMIN GAUDRY MENTAL PREPARATION • Benjamin Gaudry is a pilot and trail runner from France. He is a mental coach at Font Romeu, the specialist sports school at Font Romeu in the Pyrenees where paragliding is on the agenda

INSIDE THE CHAMONIX PGHM • The Chamonix mountain rescue service is the busiest in the world. Jake Holland gets a unique inside look

WEATHER PAUL WINTERS AND AMIR JINA HOW AI WILL TRANSFORM FORECASTING • Paul Winters is professor of sustainable development, University of Notre Dame, and Amir Jina, assistant professor of public policy, University of Chicago. The main article here was originally published by The Conversation (theconversation.com)

GORDON BENNETT • Pilots covered 1,300km in three days in this annual long-distance balloon race

ON A WING AND A PRAYER

DESTINATION L‘OISANS

IN CONTROL • After a lifetime in the air and a decade flying competitions at the highest level Baptiste Lambert is the new FAI Paragliding World Champion.

CONSTANCE METTETAL • Charlie King talks to the new FAI Women’s Paragliding World Champion

The North Coast 200 • “See the steep mountain way out in the distance? That’s Ben Nevis. That’s our heading.” Joe Dart and friends headed to the remotest part of Scotland to attempt a never-before flown crossing of the Northwest Highlands.

THE ART OF THE X-ALPS • Felix Wölk has been an official Red Bull X-Alps photographer for 20 years and has seen it evolve from remote mountain adventure to social-media driven firestorm. A purist always in search of the perfect paragliding image he selects his six favourite images from this year’s event

OFF THE RAILS • Photographer Jeff Hamann heads into his own backyard to explore the historic San Diego & Arizona Railway – from the air

Hanging with GRANT • Ten-time British hang-gliding champion Grant Crossingham took up hang gliding 30 years ago and has been paragliding for five. Tarquin Cooper meets this master of the air

KITLIST • All the latest reviews, gear and technology for free flying

COUPE ICARE EXPO 2025

HARNESSES

TECHNOLOGY

PARAKITES: UNDER DISCUSSION

IN BRIEF

MY FLYING LIFE TORSTEN SIEGEL • The competition pilot and designer on what matters most