SAFA Skysailor Magazine

26 SKY SAILOR July | August 2023 Monday, 12 June: Day Two The race has seen some fast starts, but nothing close to the relentless speed at the front this year – in a single day a gaggle of 15 athletes cleared both TP 3 and 4, Chiemgau Achental, and Lermoos, in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. Conditions exceeded expectations with thermal development starting earlier than predicted, allowing athletes to make TP 3 in record time with the first athlete to land Aaron Durogati (ITA2) around 10am and, for the next 10 minutes, the athletes came thick and fast. Tuesday, 13 June: Day Three The leading athletes were hoping to reach the Swiss town of Fiesch, situated at the base of the mighty Aletsch glacier, but the notorious Oberalp pass, famous crossroads of the Alps and watershed for the Rhine and Rhone rivers, put a stop to them. First Frenchman Pinot (FRA1) tried his luck around 13:30, but turned back in the face of strong headwinds funneling through the pass. Patrick von Känel (SUI2) was next to try with athletes desperate to clear the landmark as the next stage to Fiesch is relatively smooth. Wednesday, 14 June: Day Four Athletes took full advantage of good conditions late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday to cover huge distances – on foot and in the air – as the leaders now set their sights on crossing Mt Blanc to Italy. In just 72 hours since the start on Sunday, several athletes had crossed almost the entire north-western half of the route across Austria, Germany and Switzerland. By mid-afternoon they were poised to cross the French section – arguably the most challenging part of the route. Pal Takats (HUN) at the Kantertal close to TP Frutigen, Switzerland, 14 June Photo: Sebastian Marko, Red Bull Content Pool New records fall at the 2023 Red Bull XAlps