Paragliders release never-before-seen footage of K2 in Pakistan

By Noor Fatima
10:22 am | Mar 3, 2023

For the first time in history, two professional paragliders have flown close to the summit of K2 – the second-highest mountain on Earth. The Belgian and Spanish paragliders Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens, respectively, captured never-before-seen views of the K2 on camera.

Champions of acro-paragliding, Llorens and de Dorlodot, were accompanied on their daring trip by their friend Rámon Morillas, when the trio embarked on a journey nobody would dare to. Now that their mission has been accomplished, both daring men have come forward with their own film, Flying Between Giants, that shows the marvels of this world. The documentary was shot by the athletes themselves high above the Karakorum.

The two paragliders initially made the flight in July 2022, but the video of the trip has just been released. Both men made a base camp at Baltoro Glacier, 10,000 feet above sea level, and practiced short safe flights there for a period of 4 weeks. This was followed by a dozen 60-mile flights lasting between 5-6 hours because flying at 28,251 feet was a huge risky challenge.

During the flight by K-2, they went up to a height of 24,858 feet but could not reach the summit. The pair spent four weeks on the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range, making several 100km flights in their quest.

Talking about the project, Dorlodot said, “This kind of footage has never been seen before. To shoot this quality even five years ago would not have been possible,” he says.

“Going from 5,000m to 8,000m in an hour is extreme,” says de Dorlodot.

“It was just us – no camera crew of helicopters helping out – they don’t even go above 6,000m in this part of the world!”

“These scenes will always be etched in my mind, it was the first time a K2 had been flown and recorded,” said Tom de Dorlodot.

“It really motivates me to try to open new lines and to do things that have never been done before,” Dorlodot says. “It’s like going to the bottom of the ocean for the first time.”

“A little raw taste of what’s flying at the Baltoro glacier!” Horacio Llorens tweeted.     

“Dorlodot and @acroracio became the first paragliding pilots to reach K2 and soar up its face to 7, 577 m,” read another tweet.    

“Pilots make history by paragliding to #Pakistan’s highest K2 mountain. For the first time ever, two paraglider pilots flew to #K2 & glided within 1,100 yards of the summit. They brought home never before seen views,” stated another tweet.
 

Flying Between Giants

Paraglider pilots Tom de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens flew past four of Pakistan’s peaks in just one day, including K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, in a spectacular high-altitude feat.

Bodies of Ali Sadpara, John Snorri and Juan Pablo Mohr found on K2

Social media users lauded the paragliders for their courageous and adventurous feat.

It should be noted that the record for the highest paragliding in the world was made on another peak in Pakistan, Broad Peak when a paraglider from France reached a height of 27,582 feet in 2016.

Bodies of Ali Sadpara, John Snorri and Juan Pablo Mohr found on K2

Noor Fatima

The writer is a staff member.

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