The Third Edition Of The Wanaka Hike And Fly Adventure Race Will Take Place Over 10-12 February 2023

The New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (NZHGPA) is excited to announce that the third edition of the Wanaka Hike and Fly adventure race will take place over 10-12 February 2023.

The Wanaka Hike and Fly is the ultimate orienteering experience. Athletes compete by tramping and paragliding through the mountains of Wanaka and Queenstown.

The event director is top athlete, Kinga Masztalerz. At home in the mountains, Masztalerz has just returned from guiding paragliding enthusiasts in the Himalayas and training in Europe to represent New Zealand at the 2023 Red Bull X-Alps (an event touted as the world’s toughest adventure race).

“Hike and Fly is the ultimate expression of adventure racing, to be able to hike through mountains, then pull a piece of material out of your bag, launch and fly as far as the weather and your skills permit,” says Masztalerz.

“One moment you may be wandering through rolling hills; the next you may be thousands of metres above the ground, looking down on beautiful and remote mountains.”

“New Zealand’s stunning Southern Alps are the perfect setting to experience the magic of hike and fly adventures.”

At the start of the race an official list of checkpoints is provided to athletes who can then decide which checkpoints they will cross and the order in which they will cross them. Some can be collected while flying, while others require athletes to put their feet on the ground to tag. The most valuable checkpoints are always in the furthest and most remote places, and you can be sure some of the athletes will be chasing them.

Popular in Europe, but still in its infancy in New Zealand, Nick Taber, the Chief Executive of the NZHGPA is delighted to see a growing interest in the paragliding community for this new type of adventure racing.

“New Zealand has some of the most breath-taking scenery in the world, and the landscape is perfect for pilots to test their knowledge, skill and endurance over three days of racing,” says Taber.

“In 2022, we had athletes both walking and flying over 100 kilometres.”

For Masztalerz the best part about the event is getting hike and fly enthusiasts together to learn, socialise and do what they love.

“Keep an eye on the sky if you’re in or around Wanaka over race weekend,” says Masztalerz.

“Last year our Winner Benjamin Kellett delighted some hikers when he landed at an alpine hut near Glenorchy to collect a checkpoint, snapped a selfie, then took off again.”

“You might bump into our athletes at the top of Roys Peak, or you might see them grabbing a cheeky coffee or ice cream as they race through Wanaka.”

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