Mini x-Alps Training in the Rockies

Now with spring at our doors, we are switching from hikes in the snow, x-country skiing and gym training to 5 days/week mini x-alps training sessions. We have decided to train every day for about 2 - 4 hours instead of 6-8 hour workouts once or twice a week.

Most of the hikes are from my house to either www.PanormaResort.com (23 km on the road) and if the weather allows it to fly back, or to hike 12 km from my house up Mt. Swansea (860 m elevation gain). If the weather is good I will fly and if not, I will walk back home. On the days I can fly, I will land about 8-10 km away from my home and walk back. This way I get a good combination of flying and hiking and get used walking with my gear.

New for my flying gear is a light Gore-Tex jacket and pants sponsored by www.Arcteryx.ca. To keep me warm, I use underwear and fleece form www.Craft.se.

Besides training, I do spend about an hour plus a day with Google Earth and Google maps to get familiar with the route. It is really is amazing what technology can do today and I recommend everybody to give it a try. During the race you will be able to download our tracks into Google Earth and you can run the track as a tour. This way you can follow me without getting out of your chair.

In the mean time, visit and sign my Guestbook at www.Redbullxalps.com.
Thanks again to everyone supporting us with the good wishes and sponsorships.

Previous blogs can be viewed at
http://maxfanderl.blogspot.com/

Max & Penny
www.flyingMax.com

x-alps fundraiser for May long weekend

Besides training and working, we are working on a fundraiser for our x-alps project.

The x-alps will cost us $20.000.00 plus for airline tickets, renting a support vehicle, equipment (such as wing, harness, reserve chute, mountaineering equipment, energy food and drinks) and travel expenses.

Frank Kernick (former supporter) is holding a fundraiser x-country competition and party with a live band at his house at Lakeview Meadows for pilots, friends and everyone who knows or is interested in the Max & Penny x-Alps adventure.

The x-country funding competition will be on the May long weekend (May 16th to 18th) starting with a pilot meet at 9:00 am at Frank's house.
Party with live band, silent and live auction is Saturday evening May 16th.

If you have any services or products to donate, let us know.

Here is what we will do for your donation:

• List and link your donation at May Long Weekend x-country competition and silent auction fundraiser party page.
• We will list and talk about it in the www.RedBullxAlps.com blog and our blog.
• Exposure to Windermere Valley locals, Lakeview Meadows community and free flight pilots from BC and Alberta.

Also mark your calendar to come to the party or even confirm at our Facebook page and feel free to pass on this information to anyone who might like to join us.

Easter flying Meet at Panorama

The Easter flying Meet at Panorama was a great turnout.
In total we had 40 pilots and great weather. This year Easter was late and snow was still good and the flying conditions as well.

Friday was the best flying day, we all got at least 2 flights for our "Easter egg drops" and target landings. Later in the afternoon launching at the Cappuccino hut got difficult due the cross wind and stronger thermal conditions. Frank Kernick could sky our after a rather interesting launch. Several us us decided to head up to the summit and fly from there. 7 of us where able to sky out to 3500 m and fly about 20 out to the Lakeside pub (where we host our annual www.LakesideEvent.com for beers.

Saturday was great for egg drops and target landings and in the afternoon the conditions got to strong and started to overdevelop. This gave us some good time to ski with family and friends. The competitions where not stopping as we had our annual "Food Tray" race and Boat races in the bar that night.

Sunday turned out to be to strong and only about 5 pilots where flying and the rest of us had a great ski and swim day.

All in all it was a great weekend for the pilots, family and friends.

Why are we doing this ...

... hiking 20km and further with 20 kg backpacks, hiking Mt. Swansea with a 900m elevation gain, twice up and down in one training session, train 6 days a week in endurance sessions, weight sessions, stair climbing interval sessions, and "dragging" the kids across Europe, and......to do all this........ facing approximately a $20.000 bill!!

We are currently working with a film producer, Greg someone, who will pitch our story to international networks. He believes that the reason we are doing this might be a good sales point to the networks. So here we sit and ponder the question.........why are we doing this?

When we really think about it, we actually don't have a wild and cool story of why we are doing it. I can say though, the x-alps will push me to fulfill my dreams and passions of paragliding, and this time by flying and hiking across the alps. I can't say that I am really looking forward to the long and endless physical stress and bad weather we might face, but this comes with the challenge.
Penny's passion is travel, play and physical exercise. She has always wanted to do an adventure race, and loves any mental and physical challenge. The Red Bull X Alps is certainly going to do this. Our kids are go-getter's, and we believe that this will be a great experience for the whole family (our 3 and 5 year old kids and the grand parents).

We are lucky and blessed to be healthy and all feel that this will be a great experience for everyone.

Our training is going great, and most of the pre-race preparations are well under way. We are however, still looking for some help to finance this project. With a bill of approximately $20,000.00 that we are facing, for the race and prep work alone (not the "holiday" for the kids and grandparents), we are looking for options for outside sponsors. Now the only part we need some help with is to help to finance this project.

As a result, we have come up with the following idea. If we can collect enough Air Miles and Aeroplan points from family, friends or businesses, who have an abundance of points and don't think they need them all, the flights, car rental and gas can be paid for with those.

So if you have some spare points, please log on to your account and transfer some of your Air Miles or Aeroplan points into our account (Air Miles # 8000589 1472, Aeroplan # 723 134 193). The points don't have to be for a full flight, each point you donate will add up with others for the full amount required to book a flight.

Each point helps.

Thanks a lot,

Max, Penny, Katia & Erik