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Valley of the Brave '23

By: Tyler Bradt

By KAVU

January 10^th, 2023

I have found myself coming to Valle de Bravo for the last five years in a row. The proximity to the US, amazing flying, great friends, unbeatable lifestyle, and abundant sunshine are the perfect recipe for an endless string of KAVU Days.

This year was no exception!

Since my first trip here in 2017, my flying has also improved quite a lot. My horizons have quite literally expanded from barely being able to make it from the Peñon launch to the lake, about 10 km as the crow flies, to logging 80 - 100 km days while flying some classic lines around the Mexican countryside.

Though... I must say, a major highlight was… twice on this trip, being thanked for creating KAVU DAYS '22 , which apparently had inspired people to come check out this paradise for paragliding!

Any opportunity to get other people fired up on life is something I'm grateful for!

I have never before dedicated so much time to paragliding. My goals for this trip were to breakthrough the "intermediate stages" of paragliding and actually try to get good at the sport that's captivated me for over a decade now. (I’m not sure I’ve accomplished that yet, but I’m certainly putting in the effort :-)

This time, instead of a six day trip like my first to Valle, I spent almost a full month here. Relaxing our schedule and the need to fly everyday…. and trading it for a balance of great days in both the sky and on the ground while soaking in the beauty and joy of Valle de Bravo.

The trip began by linking up with a good friend from the States, Isaac Levinson, who is a super athlete and great pilot. Together, we flew to places I had never been before on a paraglider. Aguila Ridge, Moridor, and the Butterflies, to name a few.

Combined with Divisadero as a turnpoint, these places can all be flown on the same course, making for some of the biggest flights possible from the Peñon, and a new personal goal.

Isaac pulled off the 100+ km FIA triangle from Divisadero, to Moridor, to the Butterflies and back shortly before leaving back to the U.S, inspiring a benchmark of flying that I also hoped to accomplish on my trip.

Joining me on this trip was the beautiful Whitney Fisher, and although she is not yet a pilot, through her eyes, I was able to see that Valle is just as enjoyable from the ground as it is from the sky.

Another highlight was having my mom and aunt come down to join us over Christmas. They also fell in love with Valle de Bravo and thanks to our friend Rico, even had the opportunity to do tandem flights from La Torre which overlooks the city.

Alejandro and Estefano, great local friends, continued to show us that classic Mexican hospitality is second to none, going far out of their way to make our trip here one to remember. They have become incredible friends over the years, and I now find myself coming back here as much to visit my good friends, as I do to visit the sky.

In the end, I did fly the route I have dreamed about, coming about .5 km short of completing the triangle, but managing to link all the turn points in one day. At the flight’s finish line, I was left with a decision to push low over a ridge into a valley which I knew had high tension power lines and complete the triangle… or land in a beautiful green meadow. Alas, I reminded myself while flying over the endless trees that no flight is worth excessive risk, and that we’re here to have fun.

“Goals” are no reason to end up dead or broken. There will always be another day if we give ourselves one. After all, keeping healthy margins is essential for staying healthy, and the green meadow turned out to be one of the softest landings I’ve ever had.

Besides, now I have yet another reason to return to Valle de Bravo!

Tyler Bradt

Tyler KAVU

Footnotes

Tyler is one of the brightest lights on this planet and brings good energy, a huge smile, and a lot of positive vibe to any and all adventures. If you see him out there, go say hey!

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FootNotes

Tyler is one of the brightest lights on this planet and brings good energy, a huge smile, and a lot of positive vibe to any and all adventures. If you see him out there, go say hey!

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