| BENJAMIN'S ADVENTURE DISPATCH |
Stay High - Though sometimes not an option, I always was elated to finish a long flight by landing high on a mountain top, avoiding the long walk back into the alpine. Here I've landed on Mt Maude, east of Cranbrook, BC after my first flight from US/Canada border.
The Endless Chain - In The Beginning.. (Part 1/5)
Jasper is North America's only park to allow paraglider travel. Despite this, its remoteness and mystery have caused most pilots to steer away from her vast potential. Over the past couple years, I had become fascinated with Jasper's diverse terrain and last summer, obsessed with the idea of becoming the first person to fly her crown jewel.
The Endless Chain is an unmistakable series of unbroken peaks, stretching along a razor thin, 25 km ridge line and, with it's perfect, southwestern aspect, appears to be the most straight forward sections of Canada's Rockies to free fly. So why hasn't anyone flown it then? That's what I was on a mission to find out...
When I first learnt that humans could travel great distances by paraglider, I imagined myself becoming the first person to float down the entire spine of Canada's pristine Rocky Mountains. Ironically, the more I learnt about the sport, the more distant that dream became. Between their remoteness, unpredictable weather systems and sheer butt-puckering size, I spent the first decade of my piloting career running from them, flying as far as I could from my country's legendary, Rocky backyard.
Two summers ago, all of that changed when I mustered up the courage to fly, vol-biv, from the city of Vancouver, BC to that of Calgary, Alberta. This 39-day, 1000 km trip, crossed the entire span of Canada's southwestern mountain ranges, ultimately leading to the final hurdle, Canada's Rocky Mountains and my first ever crossing of the Continental Divide.
That fateful, West to East flight across the Rockies caused a sort of stimulus overload. Feelings of terror, amazement and pride all flooded my senses, then spat me out on the other side, their majesty, leaving me feeling just as grand.
Fast forward two years and I'm walking across the border from Montana into British Columbia, about to take my long lost dream by the horns. The plan: The first ever, northbound route straight up the spine of Canada's Rocky Mountains, leading me from the United states, all the way to Prince George, the capital of Northern BC. If I succeeded, this would become the first and only expedition to cross the Continental Divide twice, the first complete crossing of Jasper National Park and the longest ever vol-biv in the Americas. Did I have something to prove? You bet I did! But what, was anyone's guess...
Curious to find out what happens next?
Find out in issue 198 of Cross Country Magazine, or the May/June issue of Hanggliding and Paragliding Magazine (for USHPA members)
Better yet, why not check out my latest documentary about this expedition at http://theendlesschain.com.
There you'll find the film trailer and if you become a film sponsor, you get a sneak peak and extra gifts only available to supporters of the film.
The Endless Chain - Press Release
Jan 01, 2019 - Nelson, BC - Last summer, Benjamin Jordan realized his life long dream of flying his paraglider along the entire length of Canada's southern Rocky Mountains. From Rooseville, Montana to Prince George, BC, the 37-year old, Nelson-based filmmaker flew his wind-powered aircraft across some of BC's and Alberta's most rugged wilderness while having to make strategic landings atop mountain to avoid electrical storms or touching down within the forbidden boundaries of Banff National Park. Despite the many challenges he encountered along the way, none compared to the psychological struggle of sitting alone in the alpine for weeks at a time, waiting for poor weather or wildfire smoke to clear so that he could fly on. Able to carry no more than 12-days of food, Jordan would occasionally land in populated areas to refuel before heading back up into the nearest summit to re-launch. Of the entire expedition, Jordan was most nervous, and excited, about soaring over the glaciers and alpine lakes of Jasper National Park, North America's only National Park to allow Paraglider travel. Though its remoteness and mystery have caused pilots to stay away, Jordan dedicated a complete year to studying Jasper's unique topography with the ambitious dream of becoming the first person to fly across her entirety. 'I couldn't believe my eyes as I looked down upon the razor sharp ridge of The Endless Chain!' Jordan expressed, describing the moment he realized he had become the first human to free-fly over Jasper's famous unbroken line of peaks. Despite extended waits between flights, his fortune continued for 50 consecutive days until the unprecedented levels wild-fire smoke of late August left Jordan with no choice but to complete his 1200 km, un-supported journey on foot. During a 4-day (214 km) walk from McBride to Prince George, Jordan had time to reflect on his unique accomplishment while stepping into the record books for the Longest Vol-Biv (Fly-Camp) Expedition in America.
[right:image:23881][/]Nov 15, 2020 - Nelson, BC, Canada - Inspired by the incredible migration of the Monarch butterfly, over the spring and summer of 2020, Benjamin Jordan became the first person to paraglide from Mexico to Canada, setting a new World Distance Record and completing the first ever un-powered paraglider journey across the United States. Monarchs are the world's furthest migrating butterfly. Over four generations, they fly all the way from Mexico to Canada and back, completing the 7000 km round-trip each year. Exactly how they manage to find the exact same overwintering site that their ancestors overwintered on the previous year, remains a mystery to scientists to this very day. Due to industrial farming and climate change, over the last 20 years, the Monarch population has dwindled to just 2.3% and, as their existence becomes more threatened by extinction, Jordan felt compelled to raise awareness around this phenomenal invertebrate. [show:image:23896][/] Just like the Monarch, Benjamin's remarkable journey was completed without using fuel or power of any kind, but by simply relying on his understanding of the natural world and the weather systems as they pass. Over Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana, Jordan climbed his way to the clouds using thermals then flew onward, at times covering more than 100 km in a single flight. Jordan is now hard at work, producing his next documentary film 'Fly Monarca' about the journey and how it parallels that of the marvellous Monarch. His goal is to help the general public become aware of the challenges they face and the simple steps they can take to help the Monarch butterfly thrive again. -- [b]Media Inquiries:[/b] Lyndsay Nicole lyndsay@benjaminjordan.com 1 888 205 1687 [group:image:23879][group:image:23889][group:image:23904][group:image:23847][group:image:23809][group:image:23717][group:image:23723][group:image:23870]
Adventuring into the heart of Africa, a paraglider instigates a young man's potentially deadly quest to release the weight of poverty, social taboos and self doubt, and take to the skies. In doing so, the traveler is confronted with unsettling truths about his own racial and cultural identity.
In a country where no one flies, two friends can inspire a nation by putting everything on the line.
Fly along as Benjamin Jordan sets a new World Distance Record (10,000 km) as he crosses Canada by Powered Paraglider. Along the way, you will land at summer camps and inspire thousands of children, while raising funds to send less fortunate ones to summer camp next year! The 71 minute, Documentary Feature contains 15 chapters chronicling the epic successes and failures of this unprecedented journey. Each chapter focuses on a unique aspect of Canadian geography, culture and the exact mix of team-work and blind optimism required to pull off such a daring stunt. Since it's release in 2010, A Canadian Dream (formerly "DREAM") has screened in theatres world-wide and, through it's proceeds, has allowed almost 100 children, from low-income homes, the opportunity to attend summer camp.
Watch Now..
