A Scot was among more than 30 adventurous athletes from 21 countries who set off yesterday on one of the most dangerous racing events in the world.

The third Red Bull X-Alps got under way at 1pm from the Krippenstein Glacier in Austria at the start of an arduous 530-mile journey by foot and by paraglider across the great European range from east to west.

Ulric Jessop, 43, from Edinburgh, who has been paragliding since 1992 after he lost his first wife and a close friend on the mountains, was lying in fifth place three hours into what is one of the most unusual and spectacular races on the globe.

His British compatriot, Aidan Toase, who failed to finish in 2005, was lying third.

Clear blue skies and pristine mountains greeted the participants as the event began with racers launching their paragliders from a windswept, icy cornice perched perilously over a terrifying drop.

Competitors paraglide, run and climb their way across the Alps while this year, for the first time, the slowest competitor will be pulled from the race every other day.

By mid-afternoon, the Scot was in no danger of being cut, as he was one of the front runners lying 14 miles behind the Swiss pacesetter.

Each of the participants who will be carrying their three-stone equipment throughout the estimated 20 days of the race, through day and night and sun and snow, are expected to be perfect alpinists as well as virtuoso paragliders.

Apart from their paragliders, participants have to carry an emergency parachute, a helmet, a GPS system and three flares for emergency situations.

After racing through Switzerland, Italy and France, the race will finish when the first pilot lands on the floating platform in Monaco harbour.

Athletes can stop only to have three hours sleep and are forbidden any kind of motorised transport but can select a support to help supply food, equipment and information. Ulric Jessop will be supported by his wife, Ruth.

On November 14, 1961, Jessop, then in his late 20s, had to bury his first wife, Cathy in the Himalayas when a climbing honeymoon turned to tragedy.

The Edinburgh couple had been married just 18 days when Mrs Jessop collapsed in the rarefied Himalayan air and Jessop had to bury her.

He then trekked for nine days back to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu to seek help.

Four months later Jessop had to come to terms with further heartbreak when Andrew Fanshawe, a close friend he was climbing with, died after falling 250ft in severe weather conditions from a mountain ridge on Lochnagar in the Cairngorms.

Mr Fanshawe, a 28-year-old business consultant from Cumbria, was accompanied by Jessop who, uninjured, climbed back along the ridge and walked almost five miles to raise the alarm.

Before setting off on the treacherous paragliding expedition, Jessop, a 43-year-old software engineer who moved to France four years ago, admits that those memories continue to haunt him.

He said: "In the past 14 years, paragliding has dominated my life. I have flown extensively in Scotland breaking several British records in the process.

"Immediately after learning to fly I took myself off to Chamonix, thus starting a love affair with the Alps which culminated in us moving there four years ago. This is more than just a race. It's an adventure.

"For me, it's the perfect combination of all the things I have been doing over the last 25 years. My strategy will be to take careful note of forecasts, to ensure that I am in the best place and ready to launch when the best weather opportunities occur."

Observers said that by late afternoon the Scot had landed after what looked like a "tricky crossing" between two mountains.

He was running more than 14 miles behind the leaders from Switzerland, Martin Muller and Alex Hofer.

From Krippenstein, the racers will be expected to traverse four turning points, Marmolada in Italy, the Eiger in Switzerland as well as Mont Blanc and Mont Gros in France.