SAFA Skysailor Magazine

9 SPRING 2026 | September-October-November SKY SAILOR Screen grabs from ‘Peak Stoke’: Brad Harris Within 30 minutes of launching, we had left the safety of Scotts Peak Dam Road which skirts Lake Pedder, and committed to at least a day’s walk. The feeling of not knowing where I’ll end up at the end of the day is one of the most appealing aspects of cross-country paragliding. As pilots, we look at the weather, read the conditions, and rely on our hard-earned skills, but sometimes things don’t line up and we land short, while other times we blow past our expectations for the day. After a few thermals and long glides, Ben and I had crossed the Arthur Plains and were hunting for lift at the eastern end of the Western Arthurs. The stunning mountain of West Portal was beckoning us to keep going, but we couldn’t stick any climb above 1600m. The upper air mass was fizzy and we had to be patient, taking whatever climb we could until we fell out the bottom or were spat out the side, then losing our height to find the next one and repeating the process. Just as Ben pushed a little too far north over the plains, a wisp formed above me and up I went in something consistent while Ben, in a lower more stable layer, glided through hot, still air all the way to the ground. Now two days walk from the closest road, Ben encouraged me to keep going with the objective, so I turned south-