With a favorable breeze, two paragliders launched themselves and begin their glide. This day the conditions were very good, and with the right skills, i.e. catching the thermals, they should be in the air for some time, after all they are about 3,000- ft above the valley floor. The white stretches on various areas along the mountain are downhill ski slopes, artificially maintained with snow making equipment. In the very lower left corner, to the left of the ski slope is a very narrow strip of snow. That is the Garmisch-Partenkirchener Skisprungschanze. This schanze was built for, and used during, the 1936 Winter Olympics. Since 1952 the Vierschanzentornee, (Four Hills Tournament) or the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week is being held at Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck, and Bischofshofen, in that order. The Oberstdorf meet was done, and the Garmisch-Partenkirchen event was being held the following day, 1 January 2017, and then on to the other two venues. Ski jumpers from many countries, usually European countries and Japan, compete for point for the World Cup standings. Points are awarded for distance and form. This Schanze looks very small in this picture, but I have gone up to the top and looked down, and it is scary. The jumpers go down the Schanze before they start jumping, flying through the air on their skies, reaching distances between 350-ft and 450-ft and sometimes more.. This picture was taken on 31 December 2017, Sig... .