Vercofly 2016: hut-to-hut in Switzerland

Friday 9 September, 2016

Photo: Paul Cretton

The 2016 Vercofly, the hike-and-fly competition in the Valais where pilots have to tag as many huts as possible, was a resounding success.

This high-level competion involves mountain flying over glaciated terrain, but while technically advanced it’s logistically easy, since pilots eat and sleep in a mountain hut and no supporters are necessary.

2016’s was the eighth edition, with Chrigel Maurer (who flew it on a tandem) and Laurent Monneron having flown in every one of them. 55 pilots took part this year, with 36 of them all staying in the Tracuit refuge on the third evening of the four-day event, making for a great party atmosphere after a hard day’s hiking and flying.

The event is scored by a points system, with 1,000 points awarded for each of the eight refuges tagged (Becs de Bosson, Tsa, Prafleuri, Dent-Blanche, Aiguilles Rouges, Grand Mountet, Tracuit and Arpitettaz) and 1,000 additional points for the Grand Mountet and Prafleuri huts.

There are further daily bonus points for the longest flights, in a sliding scale from 2,000 for the longest of the day to 250 points for the 11th-15th longest; and other bonuses which include 1,000 points for kissing the keeper of the Becs de Bossons hut. There are also penalties for various transgressions, such as arriving at a refuge later than 8pm, or worse, not at all. No prizes for sleeping out under your wing in this event!

Laurent Borella, who took the photographs below, gave us his statistics for the 2016 event: he made a total height gain of 5,500m on foot (“the least so far – it’s usally more like 12,000m”), amassed 13 hours and 40 minutes’ airtime over 11 flight, a total XContest distance of 180km. He visited all of the huts, and came eighth overall.

Results

1 Gaspard Petiot, 19,250 points
2 Sebastian Benz, 19,000 points
3 Lionel Troillet, 18,750 points

All the results are here.

vercofly.ch