The first ascent of La Meije (Massif des Ecrins) in August 1877 by Gaspard de la Meije is often described as the birth of Alpinism. At that time no one could ever imagine what mountaineering would be like 140 years later. Inventions like crampons, ice screws and new mountain gear made it safer for humans to go to the mountains. Now we are standing on the brink of a new revolution: since 50 years humans learned to ski and fly with paragliders which made the mountains to a kind of playground. Snowkites are the newest form of this endeavor. People use the power of the wind to get up on the mountain and fly back down in short time periods.