The International Hot-Air Balloon Festival of Château-d’Oex is a hot-air balloons festival that takes place every year at the end of January in Château-d’Oex, Switzerland since 1979. 2014 is so the 36th edition of the festival.
During nine days, aerostiers from around the globe are here to pilot nearly a hundred of hot-air balloons, and enjoy the exceptional winter climate in the Swiss Alps.
The hot-air balloon festival was initiated by aerostier Hans Bücker and Charles-André Ramseier, the former director of the Château-d’Oex tourist office. In October 1978 Bücker proposed to organize balloon flights for winter guests.
You can find and order all my photos from the International Hot Air Balloon Festival of Château D’Oex on IBuyMyPics.com “Château D’Oex photos.” (Password: 82bdbf)
F13, 1/400 sec, 63 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/640 sec, 75 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/640 sec, 332 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 10 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/500 sec, 332 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/640 sec, 16 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/200 sec, 22 mm, ISO640, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/640 sec, 113 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/640 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/500 sec, 413 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
The first balloon that flew around the globe without stopping left from Château-d’Oex in 1999. The Breitling Orbiter steered by Betrand Piccard and Brian Jones accomplished this feat in less than twenty days.
Piccard and Jones, working in close cooperation with a team of meteorologists on the ground, caught rides in a series of jet streams that carried them 25,361 miles to landed in Egypt after a 45,755 km (28,431 mi) flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes.
F11, 1/250 sec, 14 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 75 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 413 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 50 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F8, 1/250 sec, 332 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/500 sec, 413 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
Taking place at the Espace Ballons in Château-d’Oex, the International Hot-Air Balloon Festival offers also some great air shows.
Paragliders with their smoke trails amomg the balloons, hang-gliders, aerobatic flying, sky chariots and cloudhoppers, airships, RC models, and even wingsuit flights, jumping off the ballon’s basket.
F14, 1/320 sec, 413 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F9, 1/500 sec, 287 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
During the event, the spectators can be part of an incredible passenger flight over the Pays-d’Enhaut valley, or even book a flight in a helicopter.
They can enjoy the view of the valley, the snow-capped mountains, some other villages of the Vaud county, such as Rougemont, Rossinière or even L’Etivaz.
If you can’t make it, no worries, hot air balloon flights are available all year round.
F8, 1/640 sec, 15 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F14, 1/320 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 20 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F11, 1/250 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
Château-d’Oex, the alpine capital for hot air balloons, attracts pilots from around the world. A balloon flight offers an incredible view over the Alps and Pre-Alps. During some sunny days, you can even admire the Alpine landscape from Mont-Blanc (France) to the Eiger (Switzerland).
But being up in the air is also a good moment to capture small details from above. A barn, a reflection on a car windshield, the cast shadow of a balloon…
F13, 1/400 sec, 50 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F13, 1/200 sec, 50 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F13, 1/200 sec, 75 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F10, 1/320 sec, 10 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/50 sec, 500 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F14, 1/320 sec, 50 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F14, 1/320 sec, 138 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F14, 1/320 sec, 138 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F14, 1/320 sec, 500 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F14, 1/320 sec, 500 mm, ISO200, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
F11, 1/250 sec, 20 mm, ISO160, Canon EOS 7D
The flights are depending on the weather conditions, but when those ones are good enough, the hot air ballons can fly all over the Intyamon valley and reach the Gruyere region in the Fribourg county. Flying close around the Gruyere Castle or the Moleson Mount.
F8, 1/320 sec, 17 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F9, 1/640 sec, 287 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F13, 1/400 sec, 138 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F13, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/400 sec, 93 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F16, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/640 sec, 203 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 203 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 7D
F7.1, 1/500 sec, 332 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 7D
F13, 1/400 sec, 167 mm, ISO250, Canon EOS 7D
I hope that you liked my pictures and that they will motivate you to come to see the International Hot Air Balloon Festival of Château D’Oex, with you own eyes!
You can find and order all my photos from the International Hot Air Balloon Festival of Château D’Oex on IBuyMyPics.com “Château D’Oex photos.” (Password: 82bdbf)
Take care.
