Paraglider Antonie Girard needed just two weeks back in Pakistan to break a new flight record: the first ever 400km-long triangle flight, done despite stormy conditions and with the Hunza region and Karakoram peaks at his feet.
Girard of France and regular partner Veso Ovcharov of Russia reached Pakistan’s Hunza Valley, their usual summer playground, two weeks ago. They began acclimatization flights immediately.
“As soon as we arrived, we headed up to spend the night at 4,300m, but thanks to paragliding, the ascent was quick and efficient,” Girard reported.
The pilots are breaking ground in cross-country paragliding, in which they take advantage of natural atmospheric lifts, such as thermals and ridge soaring, to gain altitude and cover long distances across wild terrain.
That first week, the pilots improved their acclimatization by combining cross-country flights below the clouds and day hiking and ski touring from their 5,500m+ base camp at the foot of 7,388m Ultar Sar.
Record day
Then, on Tuesday, Girard set off on a world record flight: a 400km-long FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) Triangle, something never done before.
“Veso and I teamed up to increase our speed on the course,” Girard told his sponsor, Ozone Paragliders. “The strategy worked perfectly, until heavy rain interrupted our progress.”
“I chose to wait it out and then skirt around the rain zone,” Girard explained. “While this decision cost me almost an hour — leaving me to navigate very weak and disorganized thermals after the storm passed — patience finally paid off. The flight concluded with the first-ever 400km triangle and a new world record in one of my favorite playgrounds!”
Ovcharov drops out
Ovcharov set off with Girard, but eventually dropped out of the challenge.
“While the start of the flight was simply stunning, with blue skies, small clouds rising above 6,800m, and temperatures dropping to -15°C, I was struggling to keep up with Girard,” Ovcharov reported.
Poor acclimatization and a glove battery issue, together with tough conditions during the second part of the flight, led the Russian pilot to land safely.
“Antoine, however, continued on alone, fully motivated and navigating skillfully between huge clouds and rain,” Ovcharov recalled. “In the end, he managed to escape the weather and complete the perfectly planned route. Despite losing an hour because of the conditions, he still broke the record.”
The Russian pilot says the record triangle would have been wider if not for those storms. He praised Girard as an “incredibly talented pilot and mentally strong man.”
Data and stats
Girard took off from Karimabad in an Ozone Zeolite 2 and flew west over remote peaks toward the Afghanistan border, then took a sharp turn toward Gilgit. He then maneuvered back toward his starting point, flying over it and beyond. He was in the air for 11 hours and 32 minutes.
Antoine Girard’s 400 km FAI triangle flight in northern Pakistan. Map Syride.com
Girard flew close to peaks like Shispare, the Batura range, Ghamubar Zom, the Thui group, and, on the way back, Leila Peak and Masherbrum.
Another view of Antoine Girard’s triangle-shaped flight. Map by Syride.com
The flight stats below were compiled by XC Magazine. The pilot’s track log is available here.
Distance: 400.5km FAI triangle
Maximum speed: 90 kph
Average speed: 35.8 kph
Ceiling: 6,746m
Gain: 2,455m
Flight time: 11 hours 32 minutes
Maximum climb: 5m/s
Why is it so difficult?
Triangle flights are extremely hard, and a FAI Triangle is a stricter version, with rules established by the FAI to ensure the flight covers a true tour and not a “needle-shaped” triangle that would provide a return trip to a point and back under similar conditions. This makes all the difference for a pilot, since in a triangle flight, the pilots have to maneuver in three different directions, often confronting headwinds along one of the triangle’s sides.
According to the Ad Nubes blog, to qualify as an FAI triangle, the shortest leg of the triangle must be at least 28% of the total distance of the triangular flight. Also, the distance between the final turning point and the starting point must be less than 20% of the total triangle distance, so the triangle is not too “flat.”
Girard has broken records worldwide in cross-country paragliding. In 2021, he became the first to fly up and over the summit of an 8,000m peak when he soared over 8,051m Broad Peak. While Girard returns to Pakistan’s Hunza Valley year after year, in 2025, he made an exception and crossed the United States and Canada, covering 3,000km by paragliding and bivouacking along the Rockies.
Paragliding flights can be combined with climbing and skiing, and open endless possibilities for exploratory alpinism in remote areas. As in all aerial sports, the activity has its risks: Two years ago, a member of his team, who was, however, flying independently, suffered a fatal accident in the Baltoro area.
