Yannick Boissenot, when alpine skiing meets paragliding

Excelling on skis, whether it’s a descent or an ascent, hasn’t stopped Yannick Boissenot from also excelling behind the lens, whether it’s a camera or a video camera. Over a thousand meters above sea level, Yannick is at home in Chamonix on Mont Blanc and portrays it as one could portray one member of his own family. Being at home on the highest and most majestic mountain in Western Europe, however, does not make it immune to the charm of ever new challenges and, at the age of thirty-eight, Yannick has achieved another breathtaking adventure where, this time, he has combined alpine ski and paragliding. The search for new routes is Yannick’s driving force, so preparation is essential: this kind of missions start in fact months in advance. Even before the end of the summer, the ski mountaineer and photographer began to study the possible routes to follow and to put together the equipment he would need: when combining two very different disciplines, alpine ski and paragliding, it is essential be prepared to face weather conditions that can change very suddenly, so what Yannick brings with him is always studied in detail. For missions of this kind, a crucial aspect is lightness: that’s why the ski mountaineer has been collaborating with the Salewa production team for some years, which has a line designed and created on the needs of those who practice alpine ski and which debuted on the market this autumn/winter 22/23.

Alpine skiing and paragliding: what led you to put together such a challenge combining these two activities?
In the last twelve years I have achieved undertakings on the Mont Blanc massif and accompanied expeditions all over the world: Peru, Pakistan, India, Japan and Alaska, always on skis and always on very difficult routes. I’ve always had a weak point for extreme skiing, especially for very steep and exposed lines. That love for extreme skiing remains, but today I’m a father of two, which means I pay a little less attention to my projects in the mountains. However, the combination of paragliding and skiing is a new challenge for me, which gives me as much pleasure and satisfaction as extreme skiing and which fits better into my current life.

When did you get into paragliding?
After the lockdown, in 2020. I don’t know why, but after being deprived of my freedom I felt the need to fly. In addition, global warming is having an ever greater impact on our environment and, in the long run, paragliding could become increasingly practical, if not essential, to reach good altitude lines and then also to return home. This would save me long descents on foot, if you want to see it from a conservative point of view it also prevents me from straining my knees.

Which of the two disciplines do you love the most?
Skiing has been my passion since I was a child: I love the research part and then the pleasure of tracing new lines on powder. Paragliding is something new to me, I’ve only been flying for two years and I still have a lot to learn. It’s something different, but after a good flight I feel the same satisfaction as after a day of skiing.

Can you tell us about this undertaking?
The idea was to take off from Aiguille du Midi and then land at the base of the face, start the climb and finally ski. After finishing the descent ideally I should have taken off again with the paraglider and then finished the day with a landing in the backyard. So I set off with a first flying attempt towards the Periades, where, however, there was a very strong westerly wind, with a speed that reached 25 mph at an altitude of 11,800, which prevented me from taking off. I therefore had to reroute the start at 11,150 feet, so I was able to cross Vallée Blanche and land a few hundred meters below the take-off point, in an untouched couloir with perfect snow conditions which allowed me to successfully complete this first test. I waited a long time, hoping for a window of weather with good conditions that would allow me to start from Aiguille du Midi and ski the north face of Dome du Gouter, at 14,120 feet. The combination of a very dry winter like I’ve never seen in my entire life and wind conditions too demanding for my level of paragliding made me give up. The mountains will be there again next year, at least I hope, so I have decided to prioritize safety during this project as the paragliding part is still relatively a new territory for me.

How do you prepare for such a challenge?
The fundamental part is the observation, which already begins in summer, when the mountains are not yet covered by snow, then it goes on during the fall, when the first snowfalls begin, and ends up in winter: it is essential to be on site as often as possible to understand the conditions. This in general, since I have now also included paragliding in my adventures, preparation and research need to be even more meticulous: in fact, I have to find the right areas for both take-off and landing to able, then, to reach my destination on skis.