6050 m above sea level
In 2017 Thomas Schilter's father Franz Schilter and team made the first paraglider flight from the 6050 m high Yayamari in the Peruvian Andes. Thomas' big dream was to do the same one day, and he had been working towards this historicachievement since he learned to fly in 2021. In 2023, he made this dream come true, again as a team effort: only the second paragliding flight in the history of this mountain.
Weather conditions in the Andes can be difficult and often unpredictable – very high alpine, in fact – but the period between May and June offered us the best opportunities. To try this project alone would be out of the question, so I teamed up with Kinga Masztalerz, Miguel Alem and Ulric Jessop. Filmmaker Max Taylor and my father provided support from base camp.
Getting to base camp at 4900m had its moments. We had engine trouble, our car got stuck on the primitive roads and we had to cross a lake in boats.
Next day was another heavy-duty slog to
the high camp at 5400 metres (18,000ft). It took four hours, heavily loaded with paragliders and our high mountain equipment.
At midnight, we set off towards the summit, making our way between huge crevasses in complete darkness and experiencing a breathtaking sunrise. Six hours later, we finally stood on the ridge at 6000 metres (20,000ft), just below the summit.
Conditions were perfect. We decided to waste no time and take off from this ridge as conditions might deteriorate quickly, as often happens in these mountains.
Our takeoff site was small, a gaping crevasse waited below – not a place to get it wrong. After a check with base camp I took off first. The sensations of flying at this altitude were overwhelming.
Not long afterwards I landed safely at 4900 metres (base camp). Meanwhile conditions at the takeoff became increasingly difficult, but eventually everyone made it. Years ago, my father was the first person to fly from the summit of Yayamari, while the rest of us had to descend on foot. That was the moment my dream was born. This flight, the second in the history of the Yayamari, was proof to me that with perseverance and dedication you can do just about anything.
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Thomas Schilter
Thomas is a passionate cross-country pilot, alpinist and ultramarathon runner. In his home country Peru, he enjoys realizing challenging projects such as the flight from Yayamari (6049 m).
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