We’re getting ready for Kili in September. It was quite a process to get a permit to fly off Kili, but with the help of Linda Willemse and 10 years of pleading, we can now join a bigger group of Paragliders with a valid permit to fly off the summit.
We have committed to raise funds/equipment for the schools in the area and will be holding a fund raising day on Saturday 20 August. All the details is on our invite on the home page. Please come and support us and get to try out tandem flying!!
We’ll be updating our blog more regularly leading up to Kili, so keep logging on for more info!!!
- Events
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August14th
Kili coming up
Posted in: Events
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April14th
Preparing for Kili
Posted in: Events
The next mountain in season that we can afford is Kili. We’ll join a group of paragliders, 8 in total, in an attempt to raise money and awareness for education amongst the local schools in the surrounding area of Kilimanjaro. At the moment we’re approaching more potential sponsors to continue our adventures after Kili. Pierre is running like a mad dog in his training for X-Alps in July. More updates closer to the time – August/September 2011
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July26th
One down, six to go…
Posted in: Events
We’re back in Joburg. Pierre and I were going to stay on and climb some of the other mountains, but due to some fighting on the Georgian border, we couldn’t get permits. Pierre is also still recovering from his chest infection.
I slept very well in my own bed last night after a very long flight. After a good cup of coffee it already feels like it was much longer ago that we were slogging up that mountain. That’s how these trips go – it’s only real when you’re there. In between we have to work very hard to get the next trip going. And that’s what we’ll be doing from today on. Hopefully, if all goes well, we’ll be in Argentina in December and if it goes really well, we’ll also do Vincon in Antarctica in the same season.
If you enjoy our work and following our progress, please help our cause by donating to The Trust – just click on “make a donation” button on our website that will take you through the process. Thanks for all the support so far!!!
Marianne -
July21st
The day after
Posted in: Events
We got up this morning and packed quickly before the weather pulled in. However, we were sopping wet by the time we got down. Nothing like a hot shower and dry clothes. We immediately went for some pizza and beers and then fell asleep for a few hours. No doubt that tonight will be a big party in the only pub in town….
It’s all starting to settle down. I can think back on the last week and particularly yesterday. I must say, I felt slightly removed from myself. But in a good way. Although the summit was full of people, they were all generally friendly. A couple of them knew about us. Seems that news travel fast in the mountain world. Some guys had read about us in the London Times and other had seen us on CNN. So looks like the word is getting out there.
From Pierre:
“Was fantastic. We got down the mountain. The hardest tandem take off I ever had to do. Congrats to everyone in the team. I’m sick at the moment but am elated. One down six to go.”
From Peter:
“I’ve never seen Pierre and Marianne ever out of breath and they were exhausted – I didn’t think it was possible. Words cant explain how extatic I feel for them.”
From Kyle:
“It was much much harder than I thought. Especially shooting at that altitude was quite tough. I was very relieved to see Pierre and Marianne disappear into the distance. All and all a very good experience.”
From Guy:
“It was tough. But shooting it was amazing – it was scenically incredibly beautifull. We were really lucky with the weather except for the lack of wind. So we had to wait for three hours.”
From Marianne
“I feel very relieved that we’ve done our first mountain. Wish I could do the flight again just to try and take it all in. It all happened very fast. But what an experience – so wild!!!”
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July17th
Elbrus Base Camp.
Posted in: Events
Today we walked our gear up to the high camp. We gained about 800m in altitude and the going was slow. Pierre and Peter flew back down to base camp (Kyle flew tandem with Pierre). Guy and Marianne had to walk down. Tomorrow we walk back up to high camp and wait there for a good summit day.
From Pierre:
“Everyone seems good – had a good flights. It was a good omen. I’m not a man of many words.”
From Peter:
“Life changing! Flying off this mountain is the first time I’ve flown off a mountain outside South Africa. First time I’ve flown from this altitude. There are no words to explain my personal achievement”.
From Kyle:
“Pierre said I needed to run fast so when we were waiting for the wind, I was like a coiled spring while waiting for the wind. When Pierre said “go” I probably dragged him along a bit, especially with the added tension with a huge cloud hanging across the valley. But not a bad place for a first flight.”
From Guy:
“Long slog today up to the next camp, but incredible views. Got some nice shots of the flights too.”
From Marianne:
“I can feel my face got badly burned today – feel a bit like a prune. Tried to bum slide my way back down to base camp and in the process got totally wet. Now back in base camp I feel very cozy in my down kit.”
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July8th
Press launch
Posted in: Events
It’s now official – the 7summit7flight project is in action! Press launch went smoothly. Now we focus on the next step – to pack for Sunday and not forget anything vital!
We will start to update our site regularly from now on……
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July7th
Time’s moving very fast…
Posted in: Events
It’s our press launch tomorrow at 12pm. It’s taken a lot of work, patience, nerves, headaches to get this far but I think the ball is finally rolling. We have a couple of Radio and TV interviews this week (another new experience for me), but so far it’s going well.
After the press launch, the packing begins. I’m sure that will get me into another level of panic…
Marianne
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June28th
Preparing for Russia
Posted in: Events
Currently our passports are at the Russian consulate awaiting visas. We should have that by the end of the week. Then we’ll really start getting exited! This coming weekend we’re off to Lesotho to fly in some cold snowy conditions and do final preparations. We’ll have an official press launch on the 8th of July – will post details of venue and time early next week.
Marianne
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May30th
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May28th
The Mission
Posted in: Events
7 Summits 7 Flights is an initiative pioneered by Pierre Carter, Marianne Schwankhart and Peter Friedmann with the aim of raising funds for Smile Foundation and The Trust, an umbrella charity providing a safe and transparent conduit to various charities, by climbing to the summits of the highest mountains of each of the seven continents and paraglide from their summits. All contributions will benefit both charities as well as the Seven Summit Seven Flights project.
The notion of climbing the seven summits was first conceptualized by Dick Bass, an American businessman and amateur climber, who completed all seven summits in 1985. Since then, more than 200 climbers have completed the challenge, with the youngest being eighteen year-old Samantha Larson and the oldest seventy three year-old Ram—n Blanco. What makes this initiative remarkable, apart from the sheer challenge that the seven summits pose, is that the three climbers will paraglide their descent, a feat that has never been achieved, although attempted. To share the experience as closely as possible, award-winning photographer Marianne will fly in tandem with acclaimed paragliding adventurer, Pierre, to photograph and document the journey and the mountains, thus providing a unique view of the adventure from a new perspective where no one else has gone before. Two experienced film crew will compile the video footage into a documentary that will be screened worldwide.
Apart from the thrill of paragliding off all seven summits, the hope of the South African team, is that the time and effort invested in this endeavor will help South Africans in need; that the obstacles they overcome in their struggles against nature will eliminate the obstacles that many face back at home. For the team, the risk that this challenge poses is a chance of a lifetime to realize the limits of the human body in dire situations “it’s not the mountain we conquer but ourselves”. Sir Edmund Hillary. In addition to enriching their own lives, their motivation for this endeavor is to translate their life changing experience into changing the lives of thousands of less fortunate South Africans and at the same time bringing climate awareness, something highly necessary in light of our current climate change crisis.
The project launches in June, with our first trip to Denali Ð we hope to complete all seven summits within fourteen months. By teaming up with The Trust as the beneficiary of this project, 7Summits7Flights is truly an example of climbing for humanity.
It’s the ultimate adventure!
Three explorers will climb to the summits of the 7 highest mountains on the 7 continents and paraglide off them. No-one as yet has flown from the top of all seven summits and this will raise the bar in extreme adventure and exploration in 2010. They will share their experience via photographs, video and blogs from the most remote and fragile corners of the earth. This will allow others to realise their potential for our planet and will raise money for “The Trust”, a charity aimed at assisting the underprivileged in reaching for their own dreams.
