Elisa Deutschmann - Sunlight Adventure Crew (INT)

She might be our most uplifting Adventure Crew member, and she is definitely soaring high: Elisa Deutschmann is one of Germany’s most successful paragliders.

Elisa (*1996) is paragliding pro, tandem pilot, yoga coach, multi-sports athlete, fashion designer, traveler – the one thing she is never: bored.

Elisa, when were you ready to take off?

Elisa: I started paragliding at the age of 23. I’ve always spent as much time as possible in the mountains. And just like 80% of the pilots I thought that it’s just a pretty cool way of descending – you can glide down instead of hiking down. But then I quickly fell in love and became seriously addicted.

What’s so fascinating about paragliding?

Elisa: Wind is an element you cannot see and that makes it very fascinating. You need instinct, intuition, yet also skills, expertise and experience. Every pilot responds differently to each situation. Every flight is unique. There’s no chance of it ever getting boring. For me, it’s the most diverse sport – which you might not see from the outside.

Versatile because of the thermals?

Elisa: Yes, but also because the sport itself is so flexible, with so many different disciplines, much like skiing, where everything from freeriding and ski touring to slalom is possible. With a paraglider, you can glide down into the valley at sunrise in calm conditions. There are acro pilots, you can do XC flying, or do hike & fly…

Where do you focus?

Elisa: Cross-country flying and hike & fly competitions. In XC you cover the greatest possible distance, using thermals to hop from mountain to mountain, and this could last from sunrise to sunset. And hike & fly combines hiking or rather trail running and xc flying. The races last several days, and you have to pass set turnpoints. The more of the distance you can fly, the faster and more energy-efficient it is, of course.

What were your most memorable flights?

Elisa: Crossing over the Ortler Massif in South Tyrol during the Dolomiti Super Fly was pretty mind-blowing. Or getting really close to the towers of Neuschwanstein. Or flying in Colombia or Sweden. Or from Mont Blanc.

In 2024, you took your roadbike (and your paraglider) and cycled from Merano to Mont Blanc…

Elisa: Yes we did. It took us five days. We climbed to the summit and then we were fyling back down to Chamonix from 4,809 meters. It was an incredible experience – and my first film project. We made a 25-minute documentary called A Journey 2 Mont Blanc.

You have a degree in fashion design. So is your SUNLIGHT super stylish?

Elisa: No, unfortunately not. I’m actually quite pragmatic about it. What matters to me is having all my gear with me, that’s three paragliders, two pairs of skis, my road bike. Everything just needs to be well stored.

Do you have dream destinations, both in the air and on the ground?

Elisa: During my studies, I spent eight months in Norway and I think I left a piece of my heart there… It’s a stunning place with so much pristine nature, and I’d love to explore more of it. But I’m also a big fan of Sweden, and I absolutely have to go to Portugal, it’s a great paragliding destination, too.

Why do you love traveling with a camper van?

Elisa: For one, because I can always have all my gear with me. And then, of course, it’s just that it allows you to experience so much. You can reach all those amazing places with a camper van, you wake up in nature. In the end, it’s like flying: every trip brings something unexpected, holds surprises, and it never gets boring.