Valentin Delluc is a French speedflying athlete, and this reel shows him taking off from a hot air balloon over Cappadocia. He soars above the fairy chimneys with the balloons around him, which makes it a good preview of the valleys and the sky that visitors to Cappadocia come for.
| Where | Central Turkey, around Göreme in Nevşehir Province |
|---|---|
| Landscape | Fairy chimneys of soft volcanic rock |
| World Heritage | Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, since 1985 |
| Known for | Sunrise balloon flights over the valleys |
Valentin Delluc* is an extreme sports athlete and has had many television appearances. His first video featuring speedflying show in Cappadocia, Turkey was recently released. Valentin Delluc, the most renowned free flyer in the world, is known for staying one step ahead of his competition. In this video, he takes off from a balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey. Later he starts soaring above the magical landscape. He steps on the never been stepped fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. Also, the fascinating background with hundreds of hot air balloons is in the video too.
Valleys of Cappadocia
The valleys below him are cut into soft volcanic rock, so Cappadocia looks like another planet: cones, pillars, caves and whole cliffs full of carved rooms. People have carved homes, churches and monasteries into the soft rock for many centuries, and Göreme and the rock sites around it have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.
Each valley has its own mood. Love Valley is known for its tall rock pillars, Rose Valley and Red Valley glow pink at sunset, Pigeon Valley has pigeon houses carved into cliffs, and Paşabağ has the mushroom-shaped chimneys. The valleys are not just for looking, also for long walks between the chimneys. For the churches inside the rock, see my post on Cappadocia for Christian visitors.
Balloon Flights Over Cappadocia
The sky above the valleys belongs to the balloons. They rise at sunrise, when the air is usually calm, and drift slowly over the rock cones, some low between them and some high above.
On a clear morning many balloons hang in the sky at once, and the first sun touches the tops of the chimneys before it reaches the valley floor. I wrote about balloon flights over Cappadocia in a separate post, if you want to see how a morning goes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is speedflying, the sport of Valentin Delluc?
Speedflying is flying a small, fast wing close to a slope, with the pilot launching on foot. The wing is much smaller than a paraglider, so the flight is faster and lower. With skis it is called speed riding.
How were the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia formed?
Volcanic ash settled over the area long ago and hardened into soft rock called tuff. Wind and water then carved pillars out of it, and a harder cap of stone protected the top of some, so they look like mushrooms.
Where else in Turkey can you see hot air balloons?
Balloons also fly at sunrise over Pamukkale in the Aegean region, and official flights have started over Göbeklitepe near Şanlıurfa too. I covered them in my post on balloon flights over Göbeklitepe.
