November 19, 2025
German alpinist Fabian Buhl comes from a background of climbing and mountaineering and is credited with ascending some of the hardest routes on Earth. A few years ago while climbing in the Karakoram of Pakistan Fabian saw the potential of using a paraglider to access difficult objectives and removing the often long and dangerous approaches by foot. So he became a pilot. But his early attempts were scary and learning was slow and often frustrating. Fabi stuck with it and returned to the Karakoram with enough skill to pull off some solid objectives but he knew to truly take advantage of these "combos" of climbing and flying, and also to be safer he needed to hone his thermalling and XC skills. Fabian's journey from climbing to paragliding highlights the importance of mentorship, the challenges of overcoming fear, and the thrill of mastering a new sport.
This article has been translated for your convenience and was originally written in inglês.