family, flying and french croissants

by Jeff Shapiro

By KAVU

May 28^th, 2019

Because of a race in Spain and an adventurous trip to Mongolia last year, it'd been a couple of seasons since I'd last been to France or Switzerland, and the heart of the Alps.

Having had some of the most impressionable experiences of my life there..... when I had the opportunity to go back this early Spring, I was more than psyched.

The plan was to spend some time early in the trip doing some BASE jumping with my good friend, Conor Kahnle and then, head to Chamonix where my wife and daughter would be flying into the airport in (Geneva) so we could visit some dear friends in Sallanches, France.

Lauterbraunnen is one of the most incredible valleys in the world.

Huge limestone walls line postcard-like, green fields and farms while waterfalls pour more than 1000' through the air. The snow was melting and the mountains were starting to wake up from the long winter months.

One of the main reasons we decided to visit France as a family was to try to see good friends who live there. Rob and Annette Heron and their dog, Nannuk live in one of my favorite spots in the world and work to help people heal at their "Heron's Nest". They are both professionals..... Rob a longtime professional skydive and wing suit coach and Annette a graphic designer...... but they've opened their home for helping people find peace and quiet in the "busy" lives we all live.

To us, any opportunity to share time with these two amazing people (and their dog), is time best spent!

Nannuk!

all in the family

After an intense week of BASE adventure with Connor, my wife Kara Shapiro and our daughter, Nya flew into Geneva and showed up at the Heron's Nest. Being that it had been an "eventful week", I was beyond relieved when they finally showed up!

Having them both with me was like a breath of fresh air!

heron's nest

Rob and Annette have become family to the three of us and each morning, we'd wake up surrounded with adventure, good energy and epic French food!!

float

At the heart of the Heron's Nest is the float tank. It's a sensory deprivation or, isolation tank where you lay in water that is exactly the same temperature as body temperature, and is saturated with high levels of salt which makes for a high level of buoyancy.

The result is that you float and feel totally and completely relaxed. When the lid is closed, lights and sounds drift off after 5 mins or so, and in the dark and quiet, total relaxation creates a mental and physical reset. It's crazy how much doing a float helps to promote a quiet mind and relaxed body during a small window within the wild lives we live!

Between climbing, flying paragliders, running in the mountains and especially, BASE jumping....... having the opportunity to float in their tank was a significant healing experience. I'd recommend it to anyone, for sure!

La Montagne du Véran

Véran is one of my favorite peaks in the Alps. One of my best memories while flying a wing suit was from it's peak with two very good friends, Lau and Ellen and I've been dreaming of flying a paraglider from it's flanks for years.

Véran overlooks Lac du Passy and sits proud above Sallanches. Each morning, we'd wake up and stretch in the sun under the mountain, waiting for the conditions to be right for a flight.

Of course, we weren't just sitting around! Trips up-valley to Chamonix for food and to people-watch under the most iconic peaks in the Alps, and to see friends definitely made for some KAVU days! We also explored some of the parks, and the forest behind Rob and Annette's place which had some epic bouldering. It was like an outdoor climbing gym....quiet and a super cool spot to train.

Of course, there was also Frisbee with Nannuk and more epic food!

But when the conditions were right..... it was on! One of my favorite things to do is to fly with Kara. She learned to fly a paraglider last year and being able to hike to a launch in France with her, Nya, Rob and Annette was, for me......what it's all about.

I took off and immediately went to cloud base and had the privilege of taking a flying tour around the valley and toward Les Arvais. After Kara and Rob launched and got established, we all flew together to land in the same field just minutes from Rob and Annette's home.