I've been making a yearly trip to Cuba with @convergenceparagliding for the last three years to paraglide, see friends, and learn more about the Cuban people. The streets in cuba were eerily quiet in March 2026. The recent oil blockade and country wide power outage seemed to halt the normal, lively rhythm of life that I was used to visiting on the Island. In the darkness, with no fuel or electricity, and growing uncertainty, tensions simmered on the Island. Each day stretched heavier with frustration and unease as the limited resources dwindled thinner.
If you are interested in supporting the Cuban people, send me a message or comment and I can point you in the right direction.
New Year's Eve // Jackal Hut_10th Mountain Division
Warm hut, frozen pines
Whiskey savored to the last
Cards lie on the table
Snow melts slowly into steam
Resolutions drift high
“At the crossroads of civilization and what feels like the edge of the world sits Socotra.
An island carved by wind, ocean, and myth.
As we explored Socotra from the air, we were inspired and humbled by how fragile it is — a world where most life exists nowhere else on Earth. “
Images and text courtesy of @chris_lorimer / @convergenceparagliding
#adventure #flyozone
“Mongolia surprised us at every turn: wide-open skies, wild nature, and a freedom unlike anywhere else. We chased adventure across untouched steppes, welcomed by charming nomadic families. We hiked for every sunrise and carefully navigated our way through the land of eternal blue sky”
Images and text courtesy of @chris_lorimer / @convergenceparagliding
#adventure #flyozone
The Mongolian steppe is a vast, windswept expanse of grassy mountains and endless plains. @convergenceparagliding and I led a group of pilots across the country to explore its flying potential. With only a handful of documented paraglider flights outside the capital, we had no idea what to expect. What we found was more rich and rewarding than just air time: warm, generous families; impromptu history and geography lessons; and the sense of true freedom to roam. Oh—and for flying? The air here is BIG.
The weather changes fast here. Big gust fronts, hail, and rain just moments after benign flying conditions. The sky is like a mostly friendly giant with a short fuse—quick to smile, but always a heartbeat away from a thunderous tantrum. We surfed it carefully, hoping not to disturb Tengri, the shamanistic sky god.
Adventure found us both in the air and on the ground. Without the concept of private property and land ownership, we were able to move about the Eurasian steppe freely, greeted by nomadic herders with a simple nod or a wave as we passed by, in search for our next launch. Some families welcomed us into their homes, offering smiles, firm handshakes, and insisting we join them for tea.
Mongolia has something for everyone—from casual hike and fly pilots to seasoned adventure pilots, dreaming of +300 km days. I’ll be back—not just for the flying, but for the land and its people.
The X Alps.
Nothing has ever pushed me this hard. Nothing has taken this much focus.
But the unwritten story to me is the team, we became family, brothers.
I’m not sure what this next year entails but I know nothing can fill this void.
@reavis_soars@chris_lorimer@mattfairfax@redbullxalps
