Himalaya 2 Highend-EN-A

The Himalaya 2 is the new super-light EN-A paraglider for the 2024 season.

Designer Ernst Strobl has succeeded in creating a phenomenally good wing at the top end of the performance spectrum. Weighing just 3-4 kg depending on size, the Himalaya 2 is not just the perfect paraglider for competitors and mountain sports enthusiasts.

Its excellent safety also makes this wing the top recommendation for all pilots who want to fly in the low-B segment in terms of performance and for whom the safety of the EN-A class is important at the same time.

The 16-year-old world championship runner-up Linus Schubert has flown the new Himalaya 2 with an identical prototype from the type certification since his World Cup participation in Kazakhstan in June 23 and finished his season in second place in the world rankings at the World Championships.

The wing is very good and easy to launch thanks to the A-plane control on the underside of the profile and its light canopy weight. The take-off speed with a slightly braked canopy is low in comparison to the rest of the class.

The low sink rate makes it a powerful performer in thermal air. The Himalaya 2 climbs phenomenally well, so there is no advantage over other paragliders in higher categories. The glider is a fast and therefore also very manoeuvrable representative of its class and, due to these characteristics, marks the top performance spectrum of the EN-A class.

The wing has its own straps for putting on the ears. The ears are easy to put on, open automatically and are an efficient manoeuvre in conjunction with the speed system.

One-sided collapses are very rare due to the very high canopy stability. Up to 50% collapse depth, the canopy flies straight ahead with a passive pilot. Only at 60% collapse depth do weight shifting and light counter-braking help. The canopy reopens immediately – without an inclination of the counter-flap.

Accelerated collapses are also easy in comparison, so that the wing has also received an EN-A rating in the upper and therefore very dynamic range.

The tendency to spin is very low due to the above-average speed in the class (approx.

speed (about plus 5% in the lower third to middle weight range).

The wing reacts particularly well to stalls. Linus is a master of flying at the stall point. With my many years of flying experience and thousands of stalls, I also have to give the wing top marks.

Even before the glider is released again, the current is back on. A flyback is just as easy as the pre-inflation is low, which is typical for the class. This is also a subtle hint for talented pilots who are also interested in groundspins and getting into flying at the edge of the glider’s limits.

The front stall simply leads out – without any tendency to get into a rosette.

The wing has already been extensively tested: Overall, in more than 2000 flights, no situations have arisen that are even remotely comparable to a collapse over 50% or a front stall.

In the meantime, pilots from the Spanish and French teams are also flying the new Himalaya 2 – especially because of its wonderful landing behaviour. Thanks to the speed range, the canopy can be flown very well and therefore – with a little training – can be landed practically standing on the spot.

The control travel is linear, typical of the class, and increases significantly towards the stall. The control travel is shorter for the class, but longer than with EN-B wings.