Full Film
The full Offtrack Athletes film with Bruno Gies – watch it now on YouTube.
Flying in the Lauterbrunnen Valley
The Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland is one of the world’s best-known places for basejumpers, speedflyers and paraglider pilots. The steep rock faces, the differences in altitude and the unique landscape attract air-sport athletes from all over the world every year. One of them is Bruno Gies.
Even as a child he came to the Lauterbrunnen Valley regularly and watched the wings and jumpers above the mountains. Today he flies through the same valleys and along the same rock faces that fascinated him back then. For the first episode of Offtrack Athletes we joined Bruno and talked with him about his passion for flying, his connection to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the fascination of speedflying.
The way into the air
The enthusiasm began with a tandem jump. After that very first experience, Bruno knew he wanted to fly himself. The first jump turned into more. Training courses followed, countless hours in the air and different disciplines of flying. Alongside skydiving, Bruno later discovered paragliding and finally speedflying — a sport that combines high speeds with precise control and often takes the pilot close to terrain and mountain flanks.
“After that, I basically knew right away that flying was my big passion and that I absolutely wanted to do it myself.”Bruno Gies
Why Lauterbrunnen?
Anyone involved in air sports can hardly avoid Lauterbrunnen. For many years the region has been one of the most important meeting points for basejumpers, skydivers, speedflyers and paraglider pilots. The combination of mountains, altitude differences and flying options has made the valley famous worldwide. For Bruno, however, it is not just a famous spot. It is the place where his enthusiasm for flying was born. “I found it incredibly fascinating even as a child. At some point I knew I wanted to do it too.” Today the valley is one of the places he keeps returning to.
What makes speedflying special
From the outside, speedflying often looks like pure adrenaline. Those who practise the sport usually describe it differently. The flight demands full concentration. Decisions have to be made quickly, conditions change constantly and every flight is different. “A lot actually happens intuitively. In that moment everything goes so fast that I can’t even say exactly what I’m thinking.” For Bruno, that is a large part of the fascination. Experience, preparation and instinct interlock. During the flight there is little room for distractions.
A sport that is never the same
No day in the mountains is like another. Wind, weather, light and conditions change constantly. Every flight requires new decisions and brings new impressions. Maybe that is exactly one of the reasons Bruno keeps coming back. Not because every flight has to be more spectacular than the last, but because every flight is different.
Offtrack
Athletes
Offtrack Athletes follows people who live their passion outdoors. Athletes, explorers and outdoor-sports people who spend their time in the mountains, on the water, in the air or on the trail. Every episode tells their story. Bruno Gies opens the series — with a sport that seems extraordinary to most people but has long become a fixed part of his life.