Tom de Dorlodot was gearing up for a year packed with adventure: travel, expeditions, and breathtaking flights, but a snowkiting accident changed everything. His busy life as an adventurer and pilot came to a sudden stop. How would he cope with it all? He tells his story.
The surgeons will fix it quickly, I thought. A fractured tibia – what the hell! But then a stubborn infection set in. Even worse than the infection, though, was the uncertainty. What if it drags on forever? What if my leg has to be amputated? What if I can never fly again? In the end it took nine cleaning operations and a transplant from my hip bone. After that, my leg was immobilised externally for seven months. I had little sleep, lots of painkillers and so much longing: to finally take off again, feel the thermals, soar into the silence, float above it all.
Time was a gift
The accident also shattered my dream of taking part in the tenth X-Alps. I had to cancel all my current projects indefinitely. “Dad, when are we going tandem flying again?” I couldn’t give my kids an answer.
The grounding changed my everyday life. Slowing down was a foreign concept to me. Now the clocks were ticking differently. I had time to think – about my family, about flying, about my adventures. I thought about my flights in the Karakoram, soaring along the flanks of K2, climbing higher and higher. Up there, I experienced a unique sensation: feeling humble and free at the same time. I realised that flying is the only thing that makes me feel like a bird. It’s my favourite way to completely unwind. For me, flying is a unique blend of meditation and adventure. It clears my head. It gives me a wider view and pushes me beyond my limits. It helps me grow.
Grounded but not dow
Could I grow without taking off? How? Just like flying, progress takes time, patience and humility. I planted 150 fruit trees on my property – on crutches or hopping on one leg. I became a beekeeper and made my own honey. I started taking meteorology courses and finally improved my Portuguese. My longing to fly made me explore new ideas. I wanted to reach for new horizons, even while still on crutches. I spent hours on Google Earth and XContest, imagining routes, visualising thermals and searching for peaks I hoped to climb one day.
Back at the takeoff point
Finally, I was standing again at my home takeoff point in the Azores. It was just a short soar. I flew off and had tears in my eyes. It felt as if I had never done anything but fly. Everything was there again: the feeling of freedom, becoming one with nature and floating above it all. It’s hard to describe what happened. The experience was so intense that I know I will never forget it. It was like all my flights rolled into one.
And then it was time for the X-Alps! This race has been a part of my life since 2007. I would have been the pilot with the longest tenure in this edition. I would have been, but I could hardly walk, so starting was absolutely out of the question. Instead, I attended the race as a reporter and witnessed a unique competition. Never before had there been such speed, mental strength, and so many top performances. As an observer, it hit me how lucky I’d been to share the skies with such brilliant pilots over the past X-Alps editions. I also realised how much I had missed my paragliding family during my grounding. Okay, taking part was out of the question, but I was able to share a flight with Aaron, Simon, Lars, and Chrigel. It was the last flight of the race, and it was an overwhelming experience. My struggles and doubts were swept away. My confidence was back. I felt a sense of adventure and immense joy at being in the air again.
Du entscheidest
It’s up to you You chart a course, and then life shifts the winds. Bad luck, or a chance to grow? It’s up to you. This time, the challenge wasn’t in the air – it was on the ground. I couldn’t take off, but my thoughts could. And that’s what matters. That’s what kept me going during my grounding.
I’ve experienced so much friendship, loyalty and support. I missed the pain in my legs after long hikes, the cold nights in the bivvy sack, and the nervousness before taking off. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve developed new ideas, set my sights on new goals and found a new rhythm. And yes – even some peace of mind.
The Equipment
More about Tom
Tom de Dorlodot
With 9 participations, Tom de Dorlodot is one of the absolute X-Alps veterans. In recent years, the Belgian has also undertaken countless VolBiv expeditions to Pakistan and founded the Search Project. He travels around the world with his sailboat and visits exceptional paragliding spots.
Discover more