Clearly taking his cues from Pixar's Up or the lesser known Danny Deckchair, American adventurer Jonathan Trappe found a unique way to cross the Alps. Last week, the 38-year old from North Carolina, strapped 54 helium balloons to a chair, took flight, and soared high above the iconic European mountain range. (click below to read and see more)
Trappe began his journey in the town of Gap, located in southern France.
Setting out before dawn, he quickly gained altitude, climbing as high
as 15,000 feet, and drifted over the snow capped peaks, while the sun
rose in the east. He continued on for 12 hours, before slowly descending
into the village of Andezeno, on the Italian side of the Alps.
Floating above the remote mountain tops in the dark was probably
unnerving enough, but the scariest moment of the flight came when Trappe
narrowly avoided hitting a mountain. While drifting towards the border
between Italy and
France, he nearly collided with Monte Viso, a 12,602 foot high, pyramid
shaped peak that towers above the surrounding summits. Fortunately, he
sailed safely past, even if it was a little too close for comfort.
The successful crossing of the Alps is another first for Trappe, who last year became the first person to cross the English Channel by helium balloon as well. No word on what he'll try next, but something tells me he hasn't finished seeing how far his balloons will carry him.
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