Pilot: Jose Antonio Sánchez Martínez

Nationality: Spanish
Birth date: 04/11/1976
City: Murcia
Country: Spain
Profession: Civil servant in the Department of Justice

Glider: Advance Omega 6
Harness: SupAir Delight
Sponsors:

 

 

 

Assistant: Javier Atenza

Nationality: Spanish
Birth date: 18/12/1968
City: Alcantarilla (Murcia)

43 years old, most of them hiking the mountains and observing birds. Always interested in everything related with the aire. He has been flying paraglidgers for the last 20 years (with a Silverghost), widsurf, kitesurf, kites of all kinds, inline roller skates, mtb, ski, climbing and above all, hiking (whenever his work allows him to do so)

 

 

 

 

Regarding the severity of the mountain, it was the Integral Sierra Nevada in the day … (11 hours) … flying it is make a 86Km flight in Piedrahita with a Sigma 5 … and regarding top level mountains, it was climbing the Cervino in extreme snow conditions … .

It must not be far from 12 years more or less … I started because 2 of my best friends and climbing companions started some 15 years ago (precisely one of them is my assitant in the X-Pyr)… I watched them with their gliders, on that times a Trekking Silver Ghost … and I freaked out so much I made a tandem flight and the fever of flight got me … 15 days later I did my first solo descent flight … .

I started rock climbing with 16  years (I am 35 now). Above all, classic climbing. Bascially on the spanish Levante: Leiva, Puig Campana, Naranjo de Bulnes, …
My 1st 3000 was with  17 in Sierra Nevada … now I have lost the count. I have made them all in Sierra Nevada, even by their north faces, the Integral Sierra Nevada in one day with 70 Km and 2800mt of positive slope (11 hours). On the Pyrenees …Vignemale, Poset, Aneto, Clarabides, Perdiguero, Pig Long, Bachimala….Ice climbings in Bielsa, La Sarra, Colera de Dios,….

4k´s in the Alpes: Cervino, Mont Blanc, Mont Blanc du Tacul, Dom di Miage, Aguide Angertier,…
Marroco: Toubkal, Ras, Akiu….
Expeditions to South America: Equador:V olca Ruminahui, Iliniza Norte (1st 5k), Cotopaxi.
Peru: Cordillera Blanca. Vallunarraju 5700….Chopicalqui 6200….Huascaran 6800 without reaching the peak due to extreme winds … .
India…. crossing of the Gangottri glacier …. Birth of the Ganges, Himalaya Indú…
Colombia: crossing of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta…. We had the idea of climbing 5000 meter peaks almost unspoiled, such as the Simon Bolivar and the Cristobal Colon…. The indigenous population and the militaries did not let us go because of the guerrilla….
And for the last couple of years I made mountain races … not many competitiones but I love training running in the mountain.

In fact I am not very methodical with training … I rely on how I feel … I use to swim a couple of days during the week, 1 day riding the bike and another one running frequently on the mountain of course … fridays I take some rest and the week-ends depending on the plan … but I always go out for something … saturday and sunday… to the maximum.

The worst was a bad food digestion during a 25km. mountain race … and I could not stop vomiting and I suffered terribly … as for the best, I do not know so many there are … each time I have been in the top of a mountain with my people, I have always been thrilled … in the MontBlanc … in the Cervino, in the Vallunaraju, Peru, in the Iliniza Norte of Equador (my first 5.000) … the mountain has always given me the best memories and the best thrills.

Without doubt it brings together my biggest passions, flying and mountains … I think it will be both a physical and a mental challenge, and I like that …

I will try to dose energies and fly to the maximum … this is very long … the days with favorable forecasts, go up high and look for a good take-off … and those bad hike searching for flatter routes …

It is an incredible challenge and the adventure, without doubt …

I will be able to tell you that when I finish the race.

First because of the friendship that unites us and for his excellent knowledge of the environment …he is google Earth… always happy to search new routes, discover new hidden places … he is the best for the strategy and design the best route to follow.

I wish the weather will make things easier and help us go through … and hope it will be one of the most beautiful sportive experiences of my life.