Add paragliding to your next holiday and come away with a lifetime of superb memories.

It’s all very well to love adventure sports, but for the person who has secretly wished to sprout wings and fly, nothing compares to the thrill of soaring through the air and watching over the world as a paraglider. It is the closest you can get to feeling weightless and flying. 

But it’s not as simple as it looks. It is always better – though it is not mandatory – to have a certain level of fitness before you try paragliding. Ability to follow instructions and not panic too much are also good attributes for paragliding. 

You can book yourself into a good paragliding tour with a licenced operator in India and enjoy the sport to the fullest. If you are going for a holiday soon, you might consider adding paragliding to your itinerary to add one more dimension of fun to your trip. You will come away with wonderful memories for a lifetime.

Are there good paragliding spots in India?

As a sport, paragliding is slowly coming into its own in India. There are several spots for paragliding all over the country, with more being identified and added every year. The prerequisites for the sport are a competent authority or organisation handling operations, the right spot with a lot of open space to take off from, and the right weather.

Fortunately, there are several good paragliding tours already in operation in India. Some of the best spots are at Yelagiri in Tamil Nadu, Arambol Beach in Goa, Mussoorie, Bedni Bugyal and Nainital in Uttarakhand, and Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh. 

Why take up paragliding?

It’s fun and motivational, and it gives you the kind of adrenaline rush that few other adventure sports can give. If you’re wondering why you should add a paragliding tour to your trip, consider these reasons:

• • It makes you more confident about facing the unknown.
  • Anyone can do it, regardless of age or health profile. But don’t do it if you are a heart patient or suffer from any form of respiratory issues, unless your doctor clears you for the activity. 
  • Paragliding is less stressful than skydiving, and less physically demanding than hang gliding.
  • It takes you way higher than you thought you would go. Do not confuse it with parasailing, which tows you only a few hundred feet in the air. Paragliding can take you much higher – don’t worry, you are instructed about how to return to Earth! Plus, you are connected to the flying wing by multiple lines, so you’re not in any danger.
  • It’s challenging on the body but comfortable at the same time. Experienced paragliders will tell you it’s like sitting in an aerial chair, but if you’re new to it, you will feel the tug and tension in your major muscles, back and hips.

• It can last from anything from 20 minutes to a few hours, depending on your skill in finding the right air columns to ascend higher, and the weather conditions at the time.

Paul Petersen