Profile – Pierre Fornes
Pierre Fornes introduces himself in a few words
I was born in the Pyrénées-Orientales; this mountain range shaped my imagination: I dreamed of becoming a high-mountain guide, a ski instructor… and, of course, a paraglider.
I particularly enjoy the tranquility and the quality of the time spent in the mountains, rather than the name of the peak I’ve climbed or the number of kilometers I’ve covered in the air. I’m always looking for a poetic path to a meaningful mountain experience.
I currently live between the Pyrenees and the Alps. During the winter season, I work as an alpine ski instructor at the Briançon Ski Club, and the rest of the year, I work as a guide.
How often do you go paragliding?
PF: Whether it’s cross-country, bivouac flying , or even recreational flying and paragliding mountaineering, you could say I practice paragliding in all its forms.
I have a very mountain-oriented approach to my sport. I like to use paragliding as a way to travel between peaks. Combining different sports, crossing mountain ranges, landing on peaks… In short, I like to mix things up.
Do you have a memorable experience you'd like to share with us?
PF: October 8, 2023, is shaping up to be a scorcher. The plan is to take off from the Col de l’Izoard, land at the summit of Pelvoux, and then go cross-country skiing in the Écrins.
This day was simply incredible—full of joy, excitement, and magical scenery.
Reaching a peak at 4,850 meters on October 8 left me lost in a daydream tinged with worry… Flying over the Les 2 Alpes glacier, which won’t open for All Saints’ Day, seeing the constant rockfalls at Roche Brune, seeing the tents of environmental activists on the Grave glacier, watching temperature records fall one after another…
It was an incredible day, both in terms of sports and on a personal level, but one that makes us question our practices.
What are your upcoming plans (paragliding and other activities)?
PF: I’d really like to do a traverse of the Dolomites similar to the Pyrenees traverse I completed this year—that is, linking together major mountaineering routes with my paraglider, as shown here: bivouac flying.
