Gregor Haas

I started flying back in 2000, as a student. Paragliding was simply the easiest and cheapest way to get airborne, and it stuck with me. I've had my ups and downs over the years, but very early on I got hooked on Hike & Fly as the natural extension of my mountaineering. Reaching a summit on foot and then flying back down felt like the most complete way to experience the mountains.

Since 2020 I've been competing in Hike & Fly events on a regular basis. Being part of the H&F community and measuring myself against others has accelerated my progress enormously. There's no better teacher than good company and a bit of healthy rivalry.

My most memorable adventure so far was a 120 km flight across the Utah desert during the X-RedRocks 2025. Floating at 5,000 m over that immense void showed me just how vast and beautiful our world is, and how small and unimportant I am within it. Another flight that stays with me was from Gemona to Camp Gabrije, in the Soča Valley, where I got to accompany my brother on his very first solo XC flight. That’s the kind of shared moment that means far more than any record.

My current goals are Getting better, getting faster, staying safe and having fun. That's all I'm really chasing up there.

I love flying Niviuk gear because it's reliable and performs when it matters. Above all, it gives me that direct pilot-to-glider communication (and back again) that lets me trust the wing completely, wherever the mountains take me.