Special sent. - The small canary yellow craft fascinates in the sky of Sybelles, in Maurienne (Savoie), a strange bird with its paraglider wing, its three large spatulas and its propeller in the back. It makes a little drone noise. It looks like a toy. The prospect of experience scares us a little. Isn't it dangerous? The runway is short to take off ... Will we feel the thrust strongly? Will we be cold outside at an altitude of 3,000 meters?
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The questions are jostling as we reach on skis the place where Sébastien Blanchon obtained the right to install his base, with wooden hut and small furnished terrace, to welcome customers for a first flight . Its ULM is located in the middle of the domain, in the Corbier sector, adjoining the red Apollon track, accessible by the Vadrouille 1 chairlift.
Dashing in his forties, Sébastien Blanchon is one of eight pilots in France authorized to drive a pendulum ULM in the mountains. Ex-soldier, the man has the rigor of his old functions and the knack of those who transmit their passion. Initially, he did a paraglider then, to go higher, chose the paramotor and, to go faster, the pendulum ULM. On board he led two scientific expeditions, one to Lake Baikal in Siberia, the other to the Arctic Circle. In summer, it pulls banners or takes temperature or pollution readings.
Sensation of being immersed in the landscape
He wears a helmet with microphone to communicate. And he talks a lot, first to make us forget that we are afraid, then to understand what we see. "Hold on to the handles on the sides or in front of you," he said into the microphone. "Its good? We can go?". Suddenly he pushes on a kind of Wishbone. In three seconds the machine goes from zero to 130 km / hour. Barely time to take a deep breath. And suddenly, nothing. A flutter. The feeling of being immersed in the landscape between the earth and the sky. The caress on the cheek of the wind.
"Is everything all right?" Inquires our host, whose breathing is heard like that of Nicolas Hulot in his late cult adventure show, Ushuaia. "It's perfect!". "So raise your thumbs in front of the camera!" Mouse! Shake hands? ”Laughs the pilot, indicating the GroPro camera on board the right wing. Later, on dry land, you can buy the spectacular images for 30 € like going down a roller coaster.
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In the mountainside, near Saint-Sorlin d'Arves, a herd of chamois is cheering. The pilot pushes on the bar, veers closer to the animals, cuts the engine. The chamois do not move. We're hovering. A paraglider shares our sky. We go higher, go further. Sébastien Blanchon tells us about the mountain, its geology, its history, the six stations of Sybelles: La Toussuire, Le Corbier, Saint-Jean-d'Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, Saint-Colomban des Villards, Les Bottières. Everything seems to us both infinitely large and infinitely small. "Are we going back?"
Twenty minutes of flight has already passed. The prospect of the runway which seems very short at first sight arouses our apprehension. Will we be able to land calmly or will we leap? And again everything is accelerating. Pushing suddenly on the Wishbone the ULM goes down to 130 km / hour ... The speed does not prevent it from placing its spatulas with the flexibility of a cat, sliding on the snow parallel to the skiers. Amazing.
First discovery, every day depending on the weather until April 17,
from 80 € for 10 minutes, 120 € for 20 minutes. Phone: 06 72 25 71 39 and
sybelles.ski
The Arves needles dominate the Sybelles estate in Savoy. V.Sasportas