Up above the sky so high !
Paragliding is the closest to flying that I have experienced. I had this experience about a couple of years ago, and I still have some vivid memories. Its usually done along with an expert who handles the controls of the paraglider wing, and ensures you dont land on a tree or in a river :-)
The takeoff is not for the faint hearted! I was buckled to a harness with the expert standing a few feet behind me ensuring that the wing was wide open with no obstacles on the path. I then had to run down the steep end of the mountain as fast as I could and jump off the edge ! The expert, well accustomed to the mountains, meanwhile caught up with me, and was urging to me run faster ! Once we were in the air, it was an absolutely breathtaking experience. I think everyone should try it at least once in their lives !
This is the view of the other end of the mountain. We took from an end that was little less steep, leading to a precipice. I was a little nervous about losing my footing!
And here is a snapshot of the view from the sky, taken by Abhishek! Upon landing, he said he was lucky the camera didn't slip off his fingers, and fall :-)
And this is how you land ! I think I took this snap, and then had to get out of the way to allow them to land :)
7 comments:
It has been a dream of mine to indulge in some paragliding for many years now. I have finally come to a place where i have options close by and i am eager to try them sometime. Your post has only fueled my desire and I am now preparing myself mentally for a few broken bones and some palpitations which are sure to occur as i am asked to jump off the cliff...
Thank you for that !! :)
Beautiful views. Paragliding has long been on my to-do list as well, and your post adds to the incentive- hopefully one of these days! :)
A writer I like once picked "a slow fall off a cliff" as his favorite way to die- just for the view he'd get on the way down... this post brings that to mind :)
Suvasini - If you are in a place where there are options available, you should definitely try it out! There is almost no free fall as the wing opens v quickly, so you just have to trust the expert and jump:-)
Secondsight - ha ha ! We're lucky that we have options available now to enjoy the view and come back alive:-) Actually, it really is like a 'slow' fall off a cliff ! i'm curious; who is this writer ?
Yeah, we should really be glad for mercies like parachutes ;).
The writer is Robert James Waller- not in his famous weep-fest, but a (much nicer) collection of short essays called Old songs in a new cafe.
Ok, I'm afraid I hadn't heard of him; until now :-) Thanks! The reviews for the essay collection seem v good !
Lovely pictures and a very beautiful description of your experience :). But I'm too much of a timid mouse to want to para-glide ;)
Neeraja - Thanks! Well, we all have our interests and inclinations; thats alright:-) But I think you shouldn't rule it out thinking it would be scary :-)
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