Hike up, fly down
Francois Montuori talks about the unique sport of “hike & fly” and how he sets himself up for a great race.
Hike & fly competitors complete multi-day routes through a combination of hiking and paragliding. How one makes it from one turn point to the next is up to each individual. Mountain athlete and Haglöfs ambassador Francois Montuori says it’s kind of like sailing.
“These adventures are really thrilling, you go through a lot of ups and downs, and it requires a huge mix of mental and physical skills.
How did you know that hike & fly was for you?
“I have a background in endurance mountain sports and when I first started hiking and flying the link between my new passion and my original DNA was immediately obvious.”
How do you prepare for a hike & fly race?
“There are two sides to the preparation. First there is physical preparation for the time spent on the ground, which is basically endurance training like trail running and cycling. Since we carry rather heavy backpacks that put a lot of mechanical stress on the body, we do some strength training too. I focus on uphill training, because we rarely have to run downhill with our flying gear, we usually prefer to fly down!
“Then, for the flying training, I try to spend as many hours in the sky as I can, in different conditions. It is important to face different conditions in order to develop your intuition and be able to make good decisions during the race.”
What is your mindset while competing?
“I know that I need to gain more experience to be able to really play at the front, so for now my main focus is to race safely and make wise decisions, while doing the best I can!”
