Cross Country

Cross Country is the world’s leading voice for hang gliding, paragliding and paramotoring pilots. Eight 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.

WHAT A TRIP

CONTRIBUTORS

Cross Country

OPENING SHOT

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

WHAT’S ON

ANTOINE GIRARD FLIES 400K TRIANGLE

KINGA’S WORLD RECORD

PLONER WINS HG EUROS

“EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER” • Aaron Durogati climbed ‘two Everests’ in a 24-hour hike-and-fly challenge

X-PYR: CHRIGEL MAURER WINS • What a scorcher! X-Pyr pilots endure record high temperatures but cruise at 4,000m for long days in the air

X-PYR: “THE DREAM COMES TRUE” • Chrigel Maurer had something to prove and he did – storming to victory in X-Pyr. He tells Tarquin Cooper all about it

ON LAUNCH WITH ROMY SWEDA

BLAST FROM THE PAST • Pierre-Yves Alloix gives us a history lesson in old wings at a local fête du club in the south of France

THE GEAR WE FLY • Last issue we shared some insight from our recent reader survey. This time, the paragliding equipment we all fly

BACK IN THE DAY

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

STAYING PRESENT IN EVERY MOMENT

COUPE ICARE 2026: THE MAN BEHIND THE MAGIC • We meet Stéphane Grégoire – the aerial conductor behind the magic and mayhem that is the Coupe Icare

PILOTS NEED TO KNOW

WILL 2026/7 BRING A ‘SUPER EL-NIÑO’?

A GLOBAL FREE FLIGHT UTOPIA

SATELLITE EYE • Looking down on our ever-changing Earth

THE DOLOMITES

SOARING THE Roof of India • Photographer Henry George headed to India to join Ben Kellett and Matt Johnston on a trip to explore the Garwhal Himalaya and the 7,000m giants of Trisul and Nanda Devi

big in japan • Jérôme Maupoint has been travelling to Japan for 15 years. This year he returned to reconnect with old friends and local legends for a journey that connected Tokyo’s megalopolis with some of the country’s most popular – and scenic – locations

THE MID-PACK RABBIT •  “Bunny keeps me from doing stupid things…” Andy Brown picks apart the mindset of a sports-class competition pilot – and shares how he stops himself from doing stupid things (most of the time). Photography: Marcus King

GENERATION DUNE •  Parakites first disrupted the free-flight scene back in 2022. Since then, more and more pilots have discovered their potential. Jack Sheard embedded with the Dutch dune-soaring community to see how they are pushing what’s possible – and navigating the inevitable challenges thrown up

Adventures with my SHORT-PACK • Emi Carvalho trades his paraglider in for a short-pack hang glider and heads to a deserted island in Cape Verde to rediscover his passion for free-flight adventure

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

KITLIST

HOW TO: SURVIVE A TESTIVAL • ‘Like a kid in a sweetshop’ – Tarquin Cooper on the joy of spending a weekend test flying new gliders and

DESIGN INSIGHT NEARBIRDS APEX

ON REVIEW FLYMASTER GPS LS2

ON REVIEW HANNSPREE LUMO 7

STEPHAN MORGENTHALER • The XC, competition and tandem pilot on what matters most