The Kolibri EVO in Nepal

Team pilot and travel photographer for National Geographic Expeditions, Max SEIGAL tells us about his last trip to Nepal, for which he chose to equip himself with the Kolibri EVO.

Western orientation, beautiful sky over the Catray and the Champfromier take-off

The new Kolibri EVO - the queen of bivouac flying
For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to free flight for the unique opportunities it offers. Paragliding allows you to climb a mountain and fly from the top, to fly long distances cross-country, or to land at altitude and bivouac with friends before extending the flight the next day. I always thought the Kolibri was the best harness for bivouac flying, but the original model with closed legs was a bit difficult to put on with almost 40 kg of gear and water. This was the most challenging part of the day for me: putting on the harness.

Western orientation, beautiful sky over the Catray and the Champfromier take-off

With the improvements made to the Kolibri EVO, all the little "drawbacks" of the original version have been solved! With a detachable thigh, putting on the harness is now easier than ever, even when loaded with all the bivvy gear. I still love the HUGE rear compartment which offers a huge space for tent, backpack, water and many other accessories (I have never found equivalent storage volume in any competing brand!). Other improvements are also very appreciable, such as the new pocket under the reserve parachute to place an external battery to keep the flight instruments fully charged during the whole flight, the stiffened instrument holder and especially the reworked reserve handle which avoids any untimely hooking.

My three friends and I spent a month in Nepal flying and camping. After setting up our base camp near Pokhara, in the Annapurna region, we took advantage of every possible weather window. We regularly found ourselves above 4,000 metres, and once at cloud base we would explore the surrounding area, scouting for potential high altitude landings to set up our bivouac, which would allow us to take off again the next morning. This freedom offered by paragliding and bivouac flying in particular, allowed us to discover many peaks that were unknown to us, but also to spend a few nights on familiar peaks such as Mardi Himal (3500m) or Korchon (3600m). What a feeling of joy and freedom to be able to fly with all the necessary equipment (bivouac material, food, clothes), and to be able to explore a region for several days in autonomy, without needing to go back down to town to restock.

Western orientation, beautiful sky over the Catray and the Champfromier take-off

After spending this month flying-bivouac in Nepal with friends, we were all convinced by the new Kolibri EVO. Even one of my friends (with the original version) said he wanted to order the EVO version as soon as he returned home. The Kolibri EVO makes it possible to envisage new and formidable adventures in paragliding thanks to all the improvements made!!!