XRedRocks & XLost Idaho · 2026 · Sponsored by Niviuk
Advanced Hike & Fly Workshop
Join elite hike-and-fly pilot and Cloudbase Mayhem host Gavin McClurg and trainer Ben Abruzzo + expert guests for an intensive two-day hike and fly training clinic designed to sharpen your flying judgment, expand your race awareness, and refine your tactical decision-making — set in two of North America’s premier flying arenas.
Your Instructors
Gavin McClurg
Lead Instructor · Flying Strategy & Tactics
Host of the Cloudbase Mayhem podcast and author of Advanced Paragliding. A 4× Red Bull X-Alps competitor and 15 year World Cup pilot, Gavin brings 22+ years of elite XC, expedition bivvy, and hike-and-fly racing experience and thousands of hours flying the world’s most technical mountain terrain — distilled into the curriculum for this workshop.
Ben Abruzzo
Special Guest · Fitness, Durability & Race Prep
Gavin’s longtime trainer and mountain athlete coach. Competed in X-Pyr 2024, several XRedRocks campaigns and the Chablais hike and fly. Ben has trained elite mountain athletes for over two decades and will lead modules on pilot-specific fitness, durability, and physical recovery strategy for race performance as well as ground strategy, navigation, mapping and nutrition.
Special Guests TBA
Elite Athletes & Experts
Each workshop will feature additional special guests from the elite hike-and-fly world — athletes, coaches, and experts selected to complement the real-world conditions we encounter. Details announced closer to each event.
📷 Ben Horton
Support & Photographer
National Geographic Explorer, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photographer, and official Niviuk US photographer. Ben will capture select workshop moments — participants receive a gallery of editorial-quality images when coverage allows. *Coverage varies by conditions.
Dates & Locations
Note: As these workshops run immediately before each race, there are no demanding physical activities. You will be in taper mode. All training sessions are designed not to impinge on your sleep or rest before race day.
9 Core Modules
MODULE 01
Risk, Reward & Decision Frameworks
Go/no-go decision trees, margin awareness, cognitive bias recognition and avoiding peer pressure.
MODULE 02
Launching & (Top)Landing Tactics for Real Terrain
Side-hill and crosswind setups, angled layouts, safe aborts and restarts. Cobra launching and other high-wind techniques. Top Landing MUSTS, practice prerogatives.
MODULE 03
Thermal Mapping & Energy Awareness
Flying and identifying convergence, reading terrain, sunlight, and airflow to predict lift before you feel it. FLY THE SKY, not the route. Fly the day, not your desire.
MODULE 04
Gaggle & Buddy Flying
Use other pilots as information sources — teamwork without herd behavior. Going slow to be fast.
MODULE 05
Descent, Glide & Landing Control
Big ears, spirals, glide estimation, and approach pattern discipline. Always having an out. Options B, C, D…The always 2KM more concept.
MODULE 06
The Ground Game
Considerations of routing to next launch: Time and aspect, rising or falling terrain, rules to live by, rules to potentially break. Practice scenarios for past tasks.
MODULE 07
Strong Wind Confidence
Wing-kill methods, ground-handling nuance for high-wind launches, cobra launching, packing in high winds, safe landings in high winds.
MODULE 08
Hike-and-Fly Fundamentals
Ground navigation, packing and unpacking efficiently, apps and maps, micro-route practice, terrain decisions.
MODULE 09
The Mental Game
Recognize fear vs. intuition, pre-launch visualization, journaling for progression, Finding Flow state, Slow is Pro, attitude, attitude, attitude.
Who It’s For
Ideal Participants
- P3 to expert pilots (≈100–2,000+ hours)
- Pilots comfortable with thermaling and ridge soaring
- Those preparing for XRedRocks, XLost, or X-Alps
- Pilots seeking deeper consistency in mountain flying
What’s Included
- Real-world scenarios and analysis
- Niviuk demo wings and gear available on-site
- Copy of Advanced Paragliding
- Curated Cloudbase Mayhem podcast list specific to hike and fly
- Professional photo gallery by Ben Horton*
- Field debriefs with Gavin & Ben
This Is NOT
- An SIV course — no stalls, spins, or spirals
- An acro or maneuver training
- A beginner flight school
- A physical endurance challenge (you’re in taper!)
A note on curriculum philosophy: This is not a flight school — it’s a refinement lab for pilots ready to evolve. No acro, no SIV — just honest, advanced flying education built on Gavin’s book Advanced Paragliding, his 4 Red Bull X-Alps campaigns, 5 years of running the Global Rescue XRedRocks and hundreds of Cloudbase Mayhem episodes. The focus is entirely on real-world flying skills, risk assessment, and smart decision-making.
Ready to Evolve Your Flying?
Limited spots available · Early Sign-Up: $1,000 per session · Idaho & Utah 2026
