Our Episode #10 – Riding new lines in the Air and on Swiss glaciers with Géraldine Fasnacht.

‘’As a surfer or a snowboarder, we like to draw a line as an artist on a canvas’’ – Géraldine Fasnacht

Born in Lausanne – Switzerland, Géraldine Fasnacht is a world known freeride snowboarder, base jumper and wingsuit pilot. She is a pioneer who constantly draws new lines in the mountains with her snowboard and her wingsuit. Based in her favorite playground, Verbier, Switzerland, she gets inspired by the mountains and explores the most remote places on earth. Be it from the depths of Antarctica to the top of the Matterhorn, Switzerland.

In 2002 Géraldine Fasnacht won the most extreme freeride competition in the world; The Verbier Xtreme. That was when her snowboarding career took off. That same year, at the age of 21, five additional victories catapulted her to the top of the freeride world. Always ready to go beyond her limits, she took part in International Freeride Competition and the Freeride World Tour for eight years. 

Géraldine loves discovering new horizons and experiencing new sensations. Since 2005 she has been carrying out groundbreaking expeditions to conquer the most beautiful summits. She has left traces with her snowboard on incredibly steep slopes, and has performed breath-taking wingsuit flights.
Her high mountain knowledge gained with freeride snowboarding since the age of 15, combined with her experiences in parachuting since 1998, Géraldine performs world premieres in base jumping and wingsuit flying. Opening some of the most beautiful summits around the globe: Switzerland, France, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iran, Mali, China and Antarctica – from mythical peaks ranging from Les Drus in Chamonix – France, Holtanna – Antarctica, to the Matterhorn in Switzerland flying alongside great eagles.

Her life is about risk management, pushing  boundaries and team building. For about 10 years, Géraldine has given conferences worldwide, in French or in English, for individuals or companies. She shares her vision through the adventures and the experiences she has achieved. She keeps pushing the level of her passions higher perfectly managing the risks and she loves sharing her adventures through her conferences. 

For more than 11 years, Géraldine has been flying UL/LSA airplanes. Four years ago, she had the opportunity to obtain her PPL, instantly followed by a mountain rating on skis and wheels. Constantly drawing lines in the mountains, either on her snowboard or in her wingsuit, an idea started to grow bigger after fulfilling her dream of owning her own mountain UL/LSA airplane, an ICP Savannah taildragger named “Roméo”. This idea, first made visible through her series of videos “LinéAire“, is to go on a constant quest to find and ride new lines, combining mountain flying and snowboarding deeper than ever.  

In this episode, Géraldine shares with us her love for mountain flying and especially her constant quest to draw new lines with her beloved “Roméo” and on her snowboard, in the deep and immaculate powder snow of Swiss glaciers. 

If you want to watch Géraldine in her element finding new Lines by Air, check out her videos:
Episode 1 “Line&Air” Barbey couloir by Géraldine Fasnacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XaTQWpODT8
Episode 2 “LinéAire” Brenay glacier by Géraldine Fasnacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGwBuaXinvg&t=1s
Episode 3 “LinéAire” Trient glacier – Copt couloir by Géraldine Fasnacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUjcIG8fWaA

Also do not miss Geraldine’s new film “Ride Aletsch” now available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ridealetschvost/544583252
The teaser is also embedded just below.

Please go check out her website: https://www.geraldinefasnacht.com/  as well as her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldinefasnacht/

This episode´s book tip is: Geiger pilote des glaciers (french edition) , by Hermann Geiger, 1967 – ISBN 9782403029802
https://www.amazon.com/Geiger-pilote-glaciers-French-Hermann-ebook/dp/B07KW8ZPT2 
Also do not miss this incredible documentary (sorry, in french) from the Swiss radio/television in 1958 about Hermann Geiger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbw0ANC9fGo&t=34s 

A video recommendation from Géraldine and myself about an Alaskan lady pilot Legend, Leighan Falley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy6sqxD_4ro&t=3s

This episode’s song recommendation is: Rookie Dreaming by Courtney Marie Andrews, Honest Life – 2017

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover photography: Raphael Surmont