- AARON DUROGATI -
INCOMPARABILE
Arrampicata e volo in INDIA
“Tamara, come si dice: Avete del paneer?”
“Niente paura, Aaron... vedrai che riusciremo a farci capire”.
- AARON DUROGATI -
BEYOND COMPARISON
Hey, Tamara, how do you say “Have you got any paneer?”
“Don’t worry Aaron… we’ll be able to make people understand us.”
Aaron Durogati and Tamara Lunger are looking for paneer, a typical cheese found in India and Pakistan. It’s made by curdling fresh milk with vinegar, lemon juice, or yoghurt and is one of the best sources of protein around here. “Around here” is a remote area beyond the Rohtang Pass, in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himachal Pradesh Himalayas, in Northern India.
Aaron Durogati e Tamara Lunger stanno cercando il paneer, un formaggio tipico di India e Pakistan. Si prepara cagliando del latte fresco con aceto, succo di limone o yogurt e da queste parti rappresenta una delle migliori fonti di proteine a disposizione. “Queste parti” sono una zona remota oltre il passo di Rohtang, nella catena montuosa del Pir Panjal, nell'Himachal Pradesh dell'Himalaya, India settentrionale.
Dinesh borbotta tra sé, annuisce vigorosamente e sparisce per un momento sotto al bancone del suo piccolo negozio. Si sentono rumori di oggetti spostati e di qualcuno che batte la testa. Alcune mosche volano via irritate. Dinesh riemerge sorridendo, con due grosse forme di formaggio fresco. “Visto?”, dice Tamara, rovistando nello zaino alla ricerca di rupie, “Se vuoi comprare del formaggio, puoi sempre farti capire in un modo o nell'altro”.
Aaron e Tamara si siedono fuori, lungo la strada. Affondano i denti nel paneer. Non è di sicuro una mozzarella fresca di giornata e non è neanche molto pulito, ma in quel momento è la cosa più buona del mondo. Si dirigono a piedi verso Manali. Stanchi ma felici, tornano a casa dopo uno strano viaggio che non era né una vacanza, né una spedizione.
Dinesh mumbles something, nods vigorously and disappears for a moment below the counter of his little store and re-emerges, smiling, holding two large fresh cheeses. “See?” says Tamara, rummaging in her pack for rupees “When you want to buy cheese, you can always make yourself understood one way or another”.
Aaron and Tamara sit outside, by the road. They sink their teeth into the paneer. It’s not fresh mozzarella, but at that moment it is the most delicious thing in the world. They’re on their way back home after a strange trip that has been neither a holiday, nor an expedition. It all started back in September. One week after the ‘Red Bull Dolomitenmann’ – the hardest relay race in the world, held in the mountains around Lienz, Austria. Aaron won with the best paragliding time, so he deserved some time off. The plan was a simple one. Pick a rough destination with no fixed agenda, stay out as long as possible, climb some mountains and fly a bit – have a real adventure... Tamara is the perfect partner. She’s a strong alpinist, happy at high altitude, and she has flying experience.
September 15: Aaron and Tamara arrive in New Delhi. They travel by jeep for two days to get to the Rohtang Pass. From here on in it’s time to let the adventures roll. They set out early in the morning, climbing with no definite summit or level of performance in mind. Aaron and Tamara go where they want, depending on how they feel and what they want to do. They arrange a rendezvous with the driver, and head off into the hills. The valleys lie at four thousand metres. They climb to six thousand, six thousand five hundred. Finding a patch free from rock and ice, they prepare the tandem paraglider, and take off. Things aren’t always straightforward, not least because it’s sometimes difficult to find a suitable launch site. They gain height quickly. During the first few days they feel the effects of the altitude. Bizarrely though, Aaron only feels it above five thousand metres, but as soon as he takes off he feels better. Tamara doesn’t feel it, until she starts flying...
Dinesh mumbles something, nods vigorously and disappears for a moment below the counter of his little store and re-emerges, smiling, holding two large fresh cheeses. “See?” says Tamara, rummaging in her pack for rupees “When you want to buy cheese, you can always make yourself understood one way or another”.
Aaron and Tamara sit outside, by the road. They sink their teeth into the paneer. It’s not fresh mozzarella, but at that moment it is the most delicious thing in the world. They’re on their way back home after a strange trip that has been neither a holiday, nor an expedition. It all started back in September. One week after the ‘Red Bull Dolomitenmann’ – the hardest relay race in the world, held in the mountains around Lienz, Austria. Aaron won with the best paragliding time, so he deserved some time off. The plan was a simple one. Pick a rough destination with no fixed agenda, stay out as long as possible, climb some mountains and fly a bit – have a real adventure... Tamara is the perfect partner. She’s a strong alpinist, happy at high altitude, and she has flying experience.
September 15: Aaron and Tamara arrive in New Delhi. They travel by jeep for two days to get to the Rohtang Pass. From here on in it’s time to let the adventures roll. They set out early in the morning, climbing with no definite summit or level of performance in mind. Aaron and Tamara go where they want, depending on how they feel and what they want to do. They arrange a rendezvous with the driver, and head off into the hills. The valleys lie at four thousand metres. They climb to six thousand, six thousand five hundred. Finding a patch free from rock and ice, they prepare the tandem paraglider, and take off. Things aren’t always straightforward, not least because it’s sometimes difficult to find a suitable launch site. They gain height quickly. During the first few days they feel the effects of the altitude. Bizarrely though, Aaron only feels it above five thousand metres, but as soon as he takes off he feels better. Tamara doesn’t feel it, until she starts flying...
Aaron and Tamara sit outside, by the road. They sink their teeth into the paneer. They’re on their way back home after a strange trip that has been neither a holiday, nor an expedition. It all started back in September. The plan was a simple one. Pick a rough destination with no fixed agenda, stay out as long as possible, climb some mountains and fly a bit – have a real adventure... Tamara is the perfect partner. She’s a strong alpinist, happy at high altitude, and she has flying experience. September 15: Aaron and Tamara arrive in New Delhi. They travel by jeep for two days to get to the Rohtang Pass. From here on in it’s time to let the adventures roll. Aaron and Tamara go where they want, depending on how they feel and what they want to do. Things aren’t always straightforward, not least because it’s sometimes difficult to find a suitable launch site. They gain height quickly. During the first few days they feel the effects of the altitude...
Aaron and Tamara sit outside, by the road. They sink their teeth into the paneer. They’re on their way back home after a strange trip that has been neither a holiday, nor an expedition. It all started back in September. The plan was a simple one. Pick a rough destination with no fixed agenda, stay out as long as possible, climb some mountains and fly a bit – have a real adventure... Tamara is the perfect partner. She’s a strong alpinist, happy at high altitude, and she has flying experience. September 15: Aaron and Tamara arrive in New Delhi. They travel by jeep for two days to get to the Rohtang Pass. From here on in it’s time to let the adventures roll. Aaron and Tamara go where they want, depending on how they feel and what they want to do. Things aren’t always straightforward, not least because it’s sometimes difficult to find a suitable launch site. They gain height quickly. During the first few days they feel the effects of the altitude...
Tutto era cominciato a settembre. Una settimana dopo la Red Bull Dolomitenmann, una delle competizioni più dure del mondo che prevede gare di corsa alpina, parapendio, kayak e mountain bike e che si tiene nella zona di Lienz, in Austria. Aaron aveva vinto con il miglior tempo nel parapendio e si meritava un po' di riposo.
Il piano era semplice: scegliere una destinazione difficile senza un programma definito, stare fuori il più a lungo possibile, scalare montagne e fare qualche volo. In poche parole, immergersi in una vera avventura. Tamara è la compagna ideale. È un'alpinista valida, felice in alta quota e con esperienza di volo.
15 settembre: Aaron e Tamara atterrano a Nuova Delhi. Un autista li attende. Per arrivare al passo di Rohtang viaggiano su una jeep per due giorni. La jeep sarà il loro unico punto di riferimento per un mese.
Da qui in avanti cominciano le avventure. Partono al mattino di buonora, arrampicandosi senza una meta stabilita, né un livello preciso di prestazione in mente. Aaron e Tamara vanno dove vogliono, in base a come si sentono e a quel che preferiscono fare. Si accordano per un appuntamento con l'autista e si incamminano verso le colline.
Le vallate si estendono a 4.000 metri. Scalano fino a 6.000, 6.500. Trovato un terreno senza roccia o ghiaccio, preparano il parapendio biposto e decollano. Le cose non vanno sempre per il verso giusto, anche perché a volte è difficile trovare un sito di lancio adatto. Presto guadagnano quota. Durante i primissimi giorni avvertono gli effetti dell'altitudine. Stranamente però, Aaron li prova soltanto oltre i 5.000 metri, ma non appena decolla, si sente meglio. Tamara invece non li avverte finché non comincia a volare.
Librarsi su queste vallate, accompagnati da grandi rapaci, rende il volo imprevedibile. Aaron vive sulle Dolomiti, sono il suo parco giochi. Le conosce così bene da non dover nemmeno controllare le previsioni del tempo. Qua, invece, è tutta un'altra cosa. È come tornare indietro nel tempo. Non c'è modo di ottenere previsioni meteorologiche attendibili e il meteo sembra seguire logiche diverse. Devi essere estremamente attento a evitare situazioni pericolose. Rimanere concentrato, valutando e rivalutando continuamente quel che succede.
Gliding over these valleys, accompanied by large birds of prey, the flying is unpredictable. Aaron lives in the Dolomites, they are his playground. He knows them so well, he doesn’t even have to check the weather forecast. Here, well, everything is different. It feels like going back in time. There is no way to get a reliable forecast, and the weather develops differently. The sun sets on the long road leading down to Manali. Aaron and Tamara, their bellies full of paneer, have about an hour to go before they meet up with the jeep again. It’s not cold, at least it’s not as cold as up in the mountains. “It’s been a tough four weeks, Tamara. Though not bad for my first time at altitude. I think I will go back to flying over my local mountains, but it has been really worth it.” Aaron stops. He looks out over the remote landscape; scattered houses cling to the mountainside.
Tamara slows down, she turns around and stops. “Aaron, do you know what I liked best? Apart from flying over these mountains?” Tamara falls silent for a moment, as if to rearrange her ideas. She too looks back north, towards the valleys where they spent the last month, her gaze lost in nostalgia. “Not having an objective. We live such hectic lives, always in a rush, always with a project, a race, a peak, something in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s part of my life. I’m sure that you enjoy the challenges too. But being able to spend time like this, to follow the wind, this beautiful land, to choose our objectives depending on how we feel at that moment, and depending on how these places make us feel…That’s beyond comparison.” Aaron listens, he nods silently. Breathing in deeply, savouring that air for the last time, the feint scent of wood fires carried on the wind. He turns, and takes a couple steps to the south. “Si. Beyond comparison. You’re right Tamara. It’s been cool, but not just for this taste of freedom.” Aaron bends down and picks up a blade of grass, he watches it swaying in the wind for a moment. “I started flying very young. I know everything about what can be seen from my front door, and even the things you can’t see, for kilometres around. The trails, the names of the peaks, their elevation, the way the wind blows, the thermals. It’s beautiful, this is what is meant by “growth”: To be able to read what is in front of you for the perfect flight.” He pauses, the blade of grass changes direction. “There, all this knowledge makes me feel powerful, but also kind of old. It’s as if there’s no longer any room for astonishment. Here, the environment is so different, it’s a bit like going back to being a child. You have to learn to read what’s around you all over again, to know where you will end up. Where are the right conditions to take off? Will I have time to fly before it gets dark? It’s like going backwards to go forward… To remember that there is always something new out here, something unexplored, something wonderful. There will always be turns in the road, and you never know what might be waiting for you beyond them.” Everything is silent. Aaron and Tamara start walking again, one step at a time. There is still a way to go. In the distance, a bell rings and chanting can be heard.
Gliding over these valleys, accompanied by large birds of prey, the flying is unpredictable. Aaron lives in the Dolomites, they are his playground. He knows them so well, he doesn’t even have to check the weather forecast. Here, well, everything is different. It feels like going back in time. There is no way to get a reliable forecast, and the weather develops differently. The sun sets on the long road leading down to Manali. Aaron and Tamara, their bellies full of paneer, have about an hour to go before they meet up with the jeep again. It’s not cold, at least it’s not as cold as up in the mountains. “It’s been a tough four weeks, Tamara. Though not bad for my first time at altitude. I think I will go back to flying over my local mountains, but it has been really worth it.” Aaron stops. He looks out over the remote landscape; scattered houses cling to the mountainside.
Tamara slows down, she turns around and stops. “Aaron, do you know what I liked best? Apart from flying over these mountains?” Tamara falls silent for a moment, as if to rearrange her ideas. She too looks back north, towards the valleys where they spent the last month, her gaze lost in nostalgia. “Not having an objective. We live such hectic lives, always in a rush, always with a project, a race, a peak, something in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s part of my life. I’m sure that you enjoy the challenges too. But being able to spend time like this, to follow the wind, this beautiful land, to choose our objectives depending on how we feel at that moment, and depending on how these places make us feel…That’s beyond comparison.” Aaron listens, he nods silently. Breathing in deeply, savouring that air for the last time, the feint scent of wood fires carried on the wind. He turns, and takes a couple steps to the south. “Si. Beyond comparison. You’re right Tamara. It’s been cool, but not just for this taste of freedom.” Aaron bends down and picks up a blade of grass, he watches it swaying in the wind for a moment. “I started flying very young. I know everything about what can be seen from my front door, and even the things you can’t see, for kilometres around. The trails, the names of the peaks, their elevation, the way the wind blows, the thermals. It’s beautiful, this is what is meant by “growth”: To be able to read what is in front of you for the perfect flight.” He pauses, the blade of grass changes direction. “There, all this knowledge makes me feel powerful, but also kind of old. It’s as if there’s no longer any room for astonishment. Here, the environment is so different, it’s a bit like going back to being a child. You have to learn to read what’s around you all over again, to know where you will end up. Where are the right conditions to take off? Will I have time to fly before it gets dark? It’s like going backwards to go forward… To remember that there is always something new out here, something unexplored, something wonderful. There will always be turns in the road, and you never know what might be waiting for you beyond them.” Everything is silent. Aaron and Tamara start walking again, one step at a time. There is still a way to go. In the distance, a bell rings and chanting can be heard.
Gliding over these valleys, accompanied by large birds of prey, the flying is unpredictable. Aaron lives in the Dolomites, they are his playground. He knows them so well, he doesn’t even have to check the weather forecast. Here, well, everything is different. It feels like going back in time. There is no way to get a reliable forecast, and the weather develops differently. The sun sets on the long road leading down to Manali. Aaron and Tamara, their bellies full of paneer, have about an hour to go before they meet up with the jeep again. It’s not cold, at least it’s not as cold as up in the mountains. “It’s been a tough four weeks, Tamara. Though not bad for my first time at altitude. I think I will go back to flying over my local mountains, but it has been really worth it.” Aaron stops. He looks out over the remote landscape; scattered houses cling to the mountainside.
Tamara slows down, she turns around and stops. “Aaron, do you know what I liked best? Apart from flying over these mountains?” Tamara falls silent for a moment, as if to rearrange her ideas. She too looks back north, towards the valleys where they spent the last month, her gaze lost in nostalgia. “Not having an objective. We live such hectic lives, always in a rush, always with a project, a race, a peak, something in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s part of my life. I’m sure that you enjoy the challenges too. But being able to spend time like this, to follow the wind, this beautiful land, to choose our objectives depending on how we feel at that moment, and depending on how these places make us feel…That’s beyond comparison.” Aaron listens, he nods silently. Breathing in deeply, savouring that air for the last time, the feint scent of wood fires carried on the wind. He turns, and takes a couple steps to the south. “Si. Beyond comparison. You’re right Tamara. It’s been cool, but not just for this taste of freedom.” Aaron bends down and picks up a blade of grass, he watches it swaying in the wind for a moment. “I started flying very young. I know everything about what can be seen from my front door, and even the things you can’t see, for kilometres around. The trails, the names of the peaks, their elevation, the way the wind blows, the thermals. It’s beautiful, this is what is meant by “growth”: To be able to read what is in front of you for the perfect flight.” He pauses, the blade of grass changes direction. “There, all this knowledge makes me feel powerful, but also kind of old. It’s as if there’s no longer any room for astonishment. Here, the environment is so different, it’s a bit like going back to being a child. You have to learn to read what’s around you all over again, to know where you will end up. Where are the right conditions to take off? Will I have time to fly before it gets dark? It’s like going backwards to go forward… To remember that there is always something new out here, something unexplored, something wonderful. There will always be turns in the road, and you never know what might be waiting for you beyond them.” Everything is silent. Aaron and Tamara start walking again, one step at a time. There is still a way to go. In the distance, a bell rings and chanting can be heard.
“Aaron, do you know what I liked best? Apart from flying over these mountains?” Tamara falls silent for a moment, as if to rearrange her ideas. She too looks back north, towards the valleys where they spent the last month, her gaze lost in nostalgia. “Not having an objective. We live such hectic lives, always in a rush, always with a project, a race, a peak, something in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s part of my life. I’m sure that you enjoy the challenges too. But being able to spend time like this, to follow the wind, this beautiful land, to choose our objectives depending on how we feel at that moment…That’s beyond comparison.”
“Si. You’re right Tamara. It’s been cool, but not just for this taste of freedom. Here, the environment is so different, it’s a bit like going back to being a child. To remember that there is always something new out here, something unexplored, something wonderful.
Il sole sorge sulla lunga strada che porta giù a Manali. Aaron e Tamara, sazi di paneer, hanno all'incirca un'ora prima del nuovo appuntamento con la jeep. Non fa freddo, almeno non così tanto come in montagna.
“Sono state quattro settimane dure, Tamara. Ma niente male per la mia prima volta in altitudine. Penso che tornerò a volare sulle montagne di casa, ma ne è valsa davvero la pena”. Aaron si ferma. Osserva il paesaggio remoto: case sparse aggrappate ai fianchi dei monti. Si vedono luci in lontananza, i primi fuochi. Si volta indietro, a quelle vallate dove, per settimane, non hanno praticamente visto anima viva. Là hanno dormito per terra, lavandosi nei torrenti quando era possibile.
Tamara rallenta, si gira e si ferma. “Lo sai che cosa mi è piaciuto più di tutto? A parte volare su queste montagne?” Tamara tace per un istante, come a riordinarsi le idee. Anche lei guarda verso nord, verso le vallate dove hanno trascorso l'ultimo mese, lo sguardo perso nella nostalgia. “Non avere un obiettivo. Viviamo esistenze così frenetiche, sempre di corsa, sempre con un programma, una corsa, una vetta, qualcosa in mente. Non fraintendermi, mi sta bene così. Fa parte della mia vita. Di sicuro anche tu ami le sfide. Ma poter passare il tempo così, seguire il vento, questo Paese splendido, scegliere i nostri obiettivi secondo come ci sentiamo al momento, come questi posti ci fanno sentire... È una sensazione incomparabile”.
Aaron ascolta, annuisce senza dire nulla. Respira profondamente, assaporando quell'aria per l'ultima volta, il tenue aroma del legno che brucia portato dal vento. Si volta e fa un paio di passi verso sud. “Sì. È incomparabile. Hai ragione, Tamara. È stato fantastico, ma non solo per questo senso di libertà”. Aaron si china a raccogliere uno stelo d'erba, lo osserva ondeggiare nel vento per un attimo.
“Ho cominciato a volare quando ero molto giovane. Conosco tutto quello che si vede dalla porta di casa mia, e persino quello che non si vede, per chilometri intorno. I sentieri, i nomi dei picchi, la loro altezza, il modo in cui soffia il vento, le termiche. È bello, è quello che si intende per “crescita”: essere in grado di leggere quello che hai davanti per il volo perfetto”. Fa una pausa, lo stelo d'erba cambia direzione.
“Là, tutto questo sapere mi fa sentire forte, ma anche un po' vecchio. È come se non ci fosse più spazio per le sorprese. Qua, invece, l'ambiente è così differente, è come tornare bambino. Devi imparare di nuovo a leggere quel che hai attorno, a sapere dove finirai. Dove sono le condizioni migliori per decollare? Avrò tempo di volare prima che faccia buio? Tornare indietro per andare avanti... e per ricordarsi che là fuori c'è sempre qualcosa di nuovo, di inesplorato, di meraviglioso. Ci saranno sempre curve per strada e non saprai mai che cosa ti aspetta là dietro”.
Tutto attorno regna il silenzio. Aaron e Tamara riprendono il cammino, un passo alla volta. C'è ancora una via da percorrere. In lontananza, una campana suona e si sente cantare.
- AARON DUROGATI -
BEYOND COMPARISON
Hey, Tamara, how do you say “Have you got any paneer?”
“Don’t worry Aaron… we’ll be able to make people understand
“Hey, Tamara, how do you say “Have you got any paneer?”
“Don’t worry Aaron… we’ll be able to make people understand us.”
Aaron Durogati and Tamara Lunger are looking for paneer, a typical cheese found in India and Pakistan. It’s made by curdling fresh milk with vinegar, lemon juice, or yoghurt and is one of the best sources of protein around here. “Around here” is a remote area beyond the Rohtang Pass, in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himachal Pradesh Himalayas, in Northern India. Dinesh mumbles something, nods vigorously and disappears for a moment below the counter of his little store. There is the noise of objects being moved around and someone banging their head. A few flies scatter, annoyed. Dinesh re-emerges, smiling, holding two large fresh cheeses. “See?” says Tamara, rummaging in her pack for rupees “When you want to buy cheese, you can always make yourself understood one way or another”. Aaron and Tamara sit outside, by the road. They sink their teeth into the paneer. It’s not fresh mozzarella, and it’s not even very clean, but at that moment it is the most delicious thing in the world. They are heading for Manali, on foot. Tired, but happy, they’re on their way back home after a strange trip that has been neither a holiday, nor an expedition.
It all started back in September. One week after the ‘Red Bull Dolomitenmann’ – the hardest relay race in the world that involves running, paragliding, mountain biking and kayaking, held in the mountains around Lienz, Austria. Aaron won with the best paragliding time, so he deserved some time off. The plan was a simple one. Pick a rough destination with no fixed agenda, stay out as long as possible, climb some mountains and fly a bit – have a real adventure. Tamara is the perfect partner. She’s a strong alpinist, happy at high altitude, and she has flying experience. September 15: Aaron and Tamara arrive in New Delhi. A driver is waiting for them. They travel by jeep for two days to get to the Rohtang Pass. The jeep is their only point of reference for a month. From here on in it’s time to let the adventures roll. They set out early in the morning, climbing with no definite summit or level of performance in mind. Aaron and Tamara go where they want, depending on how they feel and what they want to do. They arrange a rendezvous with the driver, and head off into the hills. The valleys lie at four thousand metres. They climb to six thousand, six thousand five hundred. Finding a patch free from rock and ice, they prepare the tandem paraglider, and take off. Things aren’t always straightforward, not least because it’s sometimes difficult to find a suitable launch site. They gain height quickly. During the first few days they feel the effects of the altitude. Bizarrely though, Aaron only feels it above five thousand metres, but as soon as he takes off he feels better. Tamara doesn’t feel it, until she starts flying. Gliding over these valleys, accompanied by large birds of prey, the flying is un-predictable. Aaron lives in the Dolomites, they are his playground. He knows them so well, he doesn’t even have to check the weather forecast. Here, well, everything is different. It feels like going back in time. There is no way to get a reliable forecast, and the weather develops differently. You have to be very careful to avoid dangerous situations. Staying focused, constantly assessing and reassessing the situation.
The sun sets on the long road leading down to Manali. Aaron and Tamara, their bellies full of paneer, have about an hour to go before they meet up with the jeep again. It’s not cold, at least it’s not as cold as up in the mountains. It’s been a tough four weeks, Tamara. Though not bad for my first time at altitude. I think I will go back to flying over my local mountains, but it has been really worth it.” Aaron stops. He looks out over the remote landscape; scattered houses cling to the mountainside. There are lights in the distance, the first fires. He looks back, at the valleys where they hardly saw anyone for weeks. Where they slept on the ground, washing themselves in streams, whenever they could. Tamara slows down, she turns around and stops. “Aaron, do you know what I liked best? Apart from flying over these mountains?” Tamara falls silent for a moment, as if to rearrange her ideas. She too looks back north, towards the valleys where they spent the last month, her gaze lost in nostalgia. “Not having an objective. We live such hectic lives, always in a rush, always with a project, a race, a peak, something in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s part of my life. I’m sure that you enjoy the challenges too. But being able to spend time like this, to follow the wind, this beautiful land, to choose our objectives depending on how we feel at that moment, and depending on how these places make us feel…That’s beyond comparison.” Aaron listens, he nods silently. Breathing in deeply, savouring that air for the last time, the feint scent of wood fires carried on the wind. He turns, and takes a couple steps to the south. “Si. Beyond comparison. You’re right Tamara. It’s been cool, but not just for this taste of freedom.” Aaron bends down and picks up a blade of grass, he watches it swaying in the wind for a moment. “I started flying very young. I know everything about what can be seen from my front door, and even the things you can’t see, for kilometres around. The trails, the names of the peaks, their elevation, the way the wind blows, the thermals. It’s beautiful, this is what is meant by “growth”: To be able to read what is in front of you for the perfect flight.” He pauses, the blade of grass changes direction.
“There, all this knowledge makes me feel powerful, but also kind of old. It’s as if there’s no longer any room for astonishment. Here, the environment is so different, it’s a bit like going back to being a child. You have to learn to read what’s around you all over again, to know where you will end up. Where are the right conditions to take off? Will I have time to fly before it gets dark? It’s like going backwards to go forward… To remember that there is always something new out here, something unexplored, something wonderful. There will always be turns in the road, and you never know what might be waiting for you beyond them.” Everything is silent. Aaron and Tamara start walking again, one step at a time. There is still a way to go. In the distance, a bell rings and chanting can be heard.