Adventure
Mathéo on reconnaissance in Langtang
Nepal, October 2021 With Tom Lafaille we left from October 2nd to 18th in the Langtang region of Nepal. Our objective was to explore the place in view of future expeditions, especially on the...
My last Red Bull X-Alps ...
Gavin Mc CLURG, Team Kortel pilot, tells us about his X-Alps 2021On the morning of May 31st, just two and a half weeks before the Red Bull X-Alps prologue, I had my first serious accident in over 15 years of flying. I was on the second day of a solo bivouac flight...
"Be the Change
After 14 years at the highest level of ski-mountaineering, our ambassador Laetitia ROUX wants to change her approach to outdoor sports to promote the local, natural, human and cultural wealth of this magnificent playground that is the Alps.
A Plea for Refuge - The film ...
We are very proud to present the film, A Plea For Refuge, which will premiere at the Banff Mountain Film Festival on November 2nd.Jeff Shapiro and Cody Tuttle, both members of the Kortel Team, have been touring one of the last areas of the film...
Bivouac flight in Norway ...
Norway is not the country you spontaneously think of when you think of bivouac flights ... Julien DUSSERRE tells us about his journey this summer in duo with Antoine GIRARD. Julien flew with the Kolibri, the reference of the bivouac flight. 2020 was to be the year for...
Stéphane DROUIN visiting Karakoram
"On my return from the pwc in Brazil, I learned that an exceptionally well-endowed competition is being held in Pakistan. Neither one nor two: the visa and here I go with the objective of winning the bet. The day I arrived, a serious earthquake occurred the day before and...
"Lost in Karakorum", winner of the Icares du Cinéma 2019
"Lost in Karakorum"... retraces the 1500 km epic in bivouac flight carried out in 2018 by Damien LACAZE and Antoine GIRARD (Team Kortel ambassadors), in the heart of the Himalayas and the Karakorum mountains. This trip is in fact a prelude and an acclimatisation for....
Crossing the Andes Cordillera by Antoine GIRARD
Antoine GIRARD comes back from the Andes Cordillera with a beautiful harvest of firsts ! Antoine is still equipped with his Kolibri harness, the same one that has been with him since the beginning ! 2 X-Alps training flights (2015 - 2017)Round trip (1600 kms) of...
Antoine Girard and Damien Lacaze, a extrordinaire expedition to Pakistan!
The first part of the expedition began at Skardu for a 1000 kilometers flight in Bivouac. Objective of passage, the Nanga Parbat (8 127m), the Afghan border by the south (Chitral), go back to the Chinese border to follow it to Shimshal and...
Christina Kolb and Alain Lehoux make you discover the Magikistan!
Christina Kolb and her partner Alain Lehoux have also chosen the Kolibri and his SaK for their bivouac flight adventure. Place to Images:
World Record of altitude by Antoine Girard
Hello, I made a journey of 19 days and 1260km in flight Bivouac paragliding in solitary in the Pakistani Himalayas. Despite a capricious weather the voyage was marked by several highlights:-crossed the plateau of the Dedurst by flying. A platter...
3000km Bivouac flight in South America!
Hello, the southern Chili exploration part of Santiago is now over. Very few people have ever flown there and no one has done cross-country. The conditions do not allow to hope to walk and fly. The conditions are very stable but the real...
Walk in the country of the Kiwis
Antoine Girard and Benoît Outters have completed the south-North crossing of New Zealand, in full autonomy. Arrived at the end of their journey, and as they had a little time before they left, they took the opportunity to make the return! ...
News Products
Drag chute
Optimize your performance in competition with this drag-chute, which is not just another anti-G on the market ... Come and discover its particularities by clicking HERE. Already available from your favourite retailer!
The Kolibri EVO in Nepal
Team pilot and travel photographer for National Geographic Expeditions, Max SEIGAL tells us about his latest trip to Nepal, for which he chose to equip himself with the Kolibri EVO.The new Kolibri EVO - the queen of flight-bivouacAs far back as I can remember, the Kolibri EVO has been...
Why I chose the Kliff 2 ...
David GOETTLER, professional mountaineer and "The North Face" athlete, tells us about his history with paragliding and why he chose the Kliff II. "Back in the air! I started paragliding in 1994, at the age of 16. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to...
Tandem spacers
Lighten your tandem equipment with these new spacers! Available in soft or rigid models. Come and discover their many features by clicking HERE. Already available from your favourite retailer!
Kolibri EVO, the legend continues ...
"We kept the best, and improved the rest!" After 7 years of existence, the Kolibri remains a reference in the world of lightweight cocoon harnesses. Still at the top in terms of comfort and lightness, it still offers the largest storage capacity...
K40
The Sak family is growing! This 40L Sak has been thought and designed for mountain flying enthusiasts. Ideal for your day trips, whatever the summit you are aiming for! Come and discover its numerous features by clicking HERE.
Koncept
The Koncept has arrived! Unique in its kind, it is the first harness that adapts perfectly to the pilot's morphology, from 1m50 to 2m! Come and discover its many features by clicking HERE. Already available from your favourite dealer...
Kontainer Kockpit
The Kontainer Kockpit has arrived! Would you like to mount a belly brace, while taking your cross-country instruments with you? The Kontainer Kockpit is for you! Come and discover its many features by clicking HERE. Already available from your local dealer...
T-Bone Link
The T-Bone Link: a Kortel Design exclusive! The first flexible connector equipped with the "Konnect" system. Come and discover its many advantages by clicking HERE. Already available from your favourite retailer!
Reversible Sak Ballast
The reversible Sak Ballast has arrived! Carry your ballast more easily. Come and discover its many features on its dedicated page by clicking HERE Already available from your favorite reseller!
Kruyer III, tested and approved in the Himalayas...
At Kortel, we rely heavily on our network to assist us in the R&D process, ensuring that our products are tested and approved. Our ambassador Malcolm WOOD took the last prototype of Kruyer III to the Himalayas for the....
Sak Race II
The Sak Race II has arrived! Designed for the Kanibal Race II and modern competition sails, come and discover its many features on its dedicated page by clicking HERE Already available from your favorite dealer!
Kockpit extension
The Kockpit Extension has arrived! Designed to increase the positioning surface of your instruments on any light harness equipped with a small integrated cockpit, come and discover its many features on its dedicated page by clicking HERE HERE...
Competition News
PWCA Superfinal 2022 - Valle de Bravo Mexico
From December 6 to 17, the best pilots in the world will meet in the skies of Valle de Bravo, 150 km west of Mexico City, for the last event of this year's 30th anniversary of the Paragliding World Cup.El Peñón, Temascaltepec is a site of...
A steaming national holiday!
Last July 14th, national holiday in France, the aerological conditions were particularly favourable to long distance flying, and our Team pilots Justin PUTHOD and François MONTUORI took advantage of it as it should be... They tell us about their 342 flights...
PWC Romania 2022
For his first participation in a World Cup, our Team driver Justin PUTHOD did not disappoint! After an honourable first round (22nd, 18s behind the first), he gradually made up for it by finishing the second round in 4th place overall. A...
PWC Brazil Baixo Guandu 2022 - March 26 to April 2
The first competition to be cancelled when the world went to sleep in 2020 was the Baixo Guandu Super Final. For many, it was therefore essential to return once the sun returned to the beautiful country of Brazil. Baixo Guandu evokes the memory of...
PWC Colombia 2022
The World Cup first ventured to Roldanillo in 2011, with riders from 28 countries competing. It was so successful that 2 superfinals were held there in 2013 and 2018. We return in 2022 with riders from 33 different countries,...
Stéphane DROUIN on the PWC Turkey podium
Stéphane DROUIN, Kortel ambassador, climbs on the 3rd step of the podium of the PWCA World Cup which took place from the 4th to the 11th of September, and which opens the 2022 season. Congratulations to Stéphane!
PWCA Superfinal 2021 - Disentis
The 11th Paragliding World Cup Super Final will take place in Disentis, Switzerland, from 7 to 18 August 2021. This first Alpine Super Final brings together the best of the best from all the World Cups held since the last Super Final in Baixo Guandu, in the south of Spain.
PWC Kopaonik - Serbia
Kopaonik, Serbia: 10-17 July 2021. The World Cup in Kopaonik, Serbia, from 10 to 17 July, will close the qualifying rounds of the 2019-2021 season. For many, it will be a last chance to qualify for the super final. Kopaonik, is the...
530 km fixed goal world record - Rafael Saladini
October 2020 Rafael SALADINI breaks a new world record with a fixed goal, flying 530kms solo. He tells us ...Once again, my team and I are back in the sertão - that's what we call the drylands of Brazil in the South...
French Championship 2020
From 1st to 6th November 2020 the French Championships were to be held in Reunion Island. Unfortunately, the Covid and the global sanitary situation will have been the reason for the official competition. But it was without counting on the relentless motivation of the organizers ......
Welcome to the Team, Yaël!
At the end of the year 2020, which is complicated on many points, we are proud to have a newcomer in the ranks of the Kortel Design Team, in the person of Yaël MARGELISCH. We welcome him and wish him many successes in his Kanibal Race...
Laurie GENOVESE is back in competition ...
Laurie GENOVESE joined Team Kortel at the beginning of 2020. She has taken part in numerous World Cups since 2013, when she even joined the French team. Winner of the overall World Cup in 2014 and 2017, she is also a double World Cup champion....
Pre-World Cup in Ager (Spain) - 01-07/08/2020
From August 1 to 7, the pre-world cup was held in Ager, Spain. It was an opportunity for many pilots to get back to high-level competition, after the troubled period we have experienced, which prevented the development of all the competitions....
PWCA Disentis
Disentis Paragliding World Cup, August 16-22, 2020. Better late than never, the World Cup season will start in Disentis on Sunday, August 16. Pilots will be flying in an area that is strongly influenced by valley winds and where the aerology is very...
A special season ... by Baptiste LAMBERT
All around the planet, the beginning of the year 2020 will have been disrupted. Paragliding activity is no exception to the rule ... Baptiste LAMBERT, a member of Team Kortel, tells us how he managed this period in relation to the preparation of his hypothetical season...
Laurie GENOVESE joins Team Kortel !
Kortel Design welcomes a new ambassador in its Team ! Laurie Genovese will fly in Kanibal Race II for this new season of competition. She comes out of injury, and comes back more motivated!
PWC Argentina - Loma Bola (Tucumán)
The Paragliding World Cup will be held from 9 to 16 November in Tucumán, Argentina. The last World Cup in Loma Bola was held in 2007, so our return is long awaited with anticipation. The takeoff is located in a mountain range....
Baptiste LAMBERT wins the CFD 2019!
Baptiste Lambert, ambassador Kortel, won the 2018-2019 Federal Distance Cup with 1114.58 points, and 3 FAI flights of 376 kms, 370 kms and 369 kms respectively. A great victory that completes the 2 victories on the PWCA circuit in China and Brazil....
Victory of Baptiste LAMBERT in Brazil!
Baptiste Lambert, Ambassador Kortel, wins his 2nd World Cup of the season during the stage of Pico do Gaviao (Brazil) which took place from September 7 to 14. Baptiste managed to keep up the pressure of a very tight competition, where the top 10 riders were able to compete...
16th Paragliding World Championships in Macedonia
The 16th FAI World Paragliding Championship will take place in Krushevo, Macedonia from 5 to 18 August 2019, at an altitude of 1350 m. Krushevo is the highest city in the Balkans and the ideal location for this year's World Championship...
Technical
Thoughts about ... back harness protection (Updated Jan. 2024)
A beautiful summer day, generous thermals, no wind, in short the ideal conditions to fly and enjoy our wonderful flying machines! But now the flying time is coming to an end, after a cross record or a simple local flight. The pilot prepares...
Thinking about ... connectors (Updated Jan. 2024)
This update takes up the main points of the previous version, while adding to and updating the current state of knowledge on connectors, concerning their design, stresses, areas of work, and the various...
Thinking about ... connector resistance
In the paragliding world, we regularly use connectors to link our different supports: glider, harness, rescue risers, rescue, spreaders. They come in a variety of shapes: square, trapezoid, oval, triangular, ... of different...
Thinking about ... the steering position
Position preferences in the harness vary from person to person, depending on their size, morphology, flying habits and sensations. However, it is important to note that the position chosen also has a direct impact on the...
Thoughts on ... The comfort in a harness
Paragliding offers an extraordinary experience, allowing us to escape and sail through the sky. Whether it's a peaceful, contemplative flight, a descent from mountain peaks or an attempt to break distance records,...
Thoughts on ... the packaging of the reserve parachute
When you have to use your rescue parachute, you need it to be as efficient as possible as quickly as possible! But the parachute itself is only one link in a chain that will have to be implemented to achieve the final result: the...
Thoughts about ... the speedbar
Throttle: "A mechanical device that allows the driver to increase the speed of the vehicle. In paragliding, a gas pedal has exactly the same function: to increase the airspeed of the aircraft. This accessory, which can frighten the novice pilot, is a very useful tool...
Reflection on the rescue parachutes ...
IntroductionParagliding is a "risky" activity, and there are a number of risks that can lead each pilot to a multitude of critical situations:- Lack of training- Insufficient experience- Poor weather analysis- Collision with other aircraft-...
T-Bone link, for who for what?
T-Bone links are part of the family of flexible connectors, just like Soft-Links. This type of connection, already widely used in skydiving for many years, is beginning to find its place in the paragliding world, but still raises a lot of questions....
Reflection on light material ...
The current trend in pilot demand is towards a constant reduction in the weight of the equipment. Certainly, it is much more pleasant to have a small, light bag on your back than a menhir! A few years ago, the average weight of a paragliding bag was...
How to adjust your harness (General)?
The harness is not only the "seat" that supports the paraglider pilot under the wing. It is also and above all a technical instrument that allows the pilot to interact with his glider, to feel the air mass, to accompany the movements of the wing...
In addition to the pre-flight, about the harness ...
Man has always dreamed of flying, and to evolve among the birds. Yes, but of course he is not destined to evolve in the air! But for centuries, he has sought all the means to do so. And he has succeeded, with the help of many different aircraft,...
Why and when to switch to a cocoon harness?
There comes a time in a pilot's life when you want to improve your paragliding, and this includes changing your equipment to be more in line with your goal. As far as the harness is concerned, the major change that will make a difference is the...
What's a good harness?
SELETTE (Cf Wikipedia) "In paragliding, the harness is the seat in which the pilot sits. It is connected to the risers by two carabiners. The pilot is attached to it by straps. "In reality, a harness is much more than just a seat. It's the link...
Reflection on forgetting of a paragliding strap
Every year, several pilots lose their lives after forgetting to tie themselves properly in their harness. These are usually not beginners... During a security evening organized by the CDVL74, a quick poll of the public revealed that 15% of them have...
Birth of a harness, the Kanibal Race II
The Kanibal Race II is an exceptional harness, designed for high-level pilots searching for performance during a World Cup stage or a long range cross-country flight. But such a product does not just appear on the market overnight... It is...
Reflection on the aerodynamics of harnesses
Reflection on harness aerodynamics The search for increased performance in paragliding is partly based on the pursuit of drag: Improvement of profile performance by improving the ratio of lift to drag Reduction of the tip vortex...
Reflection on Kocoon Harnesses
Alas, in life we have nothing for nothing; when we improve something on one side we lose something on the other ... Our activity is no exception to this rule ... The cocoons all seem to present a notorious gain in performance but alas it is not without perverse effects...