“Enjoy the ride of your life” advertised a large poster depicting an athletic young couple paragliding high above the Andean mountain city of Merida. We stopped in our tracks and stared at the image of them soaring gracefully in the sky, the wind in their hair whilst their tanned and toned bodies effortlessly manoeuvred the wing above their heads and before we could stop ourselves we were booking our own paragliding (tandem) flight. The reality, as we stood on the precipice with harnesses squeezing us in places not designed to be squeezed while strapped to the front of our instructor like baby kangaroos, was quite different. Red faces, sweaty palms and a total lack of co-ordination as our legs turned to jelly. “Are you ready?” yelled the instructor in our ears and just as we were about to shake our heads, we felt a force from behind and we were running down a mountain before launching ourselves off its steep side.
The notion of doing something that scares you every day is not something that appeals to everyone. In everyday situations we generally lead pretty routine and safe lives. We get up, go to work, come home, cook dinner, go to sleep, repeat. Life in the slow lane has a tendency to become a little bit dull. One of the things we love so much about travelling is that it takes you away from the daily grind. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone and presents you with opportunities that you may never encounter in the ‘work-eat-sleep’ bubble. Dan and I had tried paragliding once before, several years ago when on holiday in Slovenia, and we loved every minute of it and when we saw the activity advertised in Merida, Venezuela’s adventure sports capital, we jumped at the chance to try it again.
Invented in the late 70’s and adapted from the principles of parachuting, this relatively new sport is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. There are numerous agencies clustered around central Parque Las Heroines who offer paragliding, from short tandem flights to week-long instructing courses. We booked with Gravity Tours who we’d highly recommend for their reasonable prices, quality equipment and experienced guides. The cost worked out at around $30 USD per person for a 25 minute flight (allow half a day for transfers, briefings, flights etc.) so at that price it would have been rude not to partake!
We were picked up at 2.30pm from outside of the agency along with a couple from Poland. We’d specifically been told not to eat too much as paragliding can play havoc with beginners stomachs but our love of good food got the better of us and we’d enjoyed a two course set lunch just hours before so we hoped it wouldn’t come back to haunt us.
We travelled roughly 40 minutes out of Merida to the bottom of a mountainous valley. We stopped at a small activity centre where we collected our equipment and had our safety briefing. The pilots offered clear instructions in English and had a confidence that instantly made us feel at ease. There was a bar connected to the centre and we salivated over the thought of a cold beer in the heat of the afternoon but decided we’d need a clear head to fully appreciate our ride and we would look forward to returning to celebrate after our flight.
Back in the van we trundled upwards on dirt roads with sudden drops and no safety barriers. The truck shook from side to side with every bump and we winced whilst turning sharp corners and laughed that perhaps the drive would be more scary than the flight itself! The climb up into the mountains took around 25 minutes. Our driver looked like BA Baracus from the A-Team minus the gold chains, and had a penchant for reggae music which blared out of the open windows and echoed down the valley.
We arrived at a high mountain ridge with beautiful 360 degree panoramas. The mountains were dry and dusty and the predominately brown range was scarred with landslides. It felt like we were eye level with the clouds that circled the mountain tops and we felt the gentle breeze that would hopefully help to propel us into the air.
It’s really important to take time laying out the equipment and ensuring that nothing is tangled or knotted prior to take off. The wing is laid out behind the pilot, and once harnessed up they run forward into the breeze. This movement and the gusts of wind elevate the wing. The pilot is then lifted from the ground and only after a short safety period can sit into the harness.
Once the set up was complete we were buckled onto our pilots and attached to the wing. They explained that we’d launch by running down a very steep incline and letting the wing inflate above our heads. We were told that paragliding was not like skydiving and at no point must we jump or take our feet off the ground on take off. The wind would inflate the wing and gently lift our feet from the ground before reaching the precipice!! Gulp, easier said than done.
The controls to turn are held in the pilot’s hands and connect to the left and right sides of the wing. They can be used to adjust speed and change direction. Flying across the valley it was difficult to judge just how fast we were moving but when we flew over ridges our toes curled as we could see the ground whizzing past below us. The speed range for beginners is typically 20-30 kilometres per hour and for the advanced paraglider can be up to 75 kilometres per hour.
Dan’s youthful pilot had a twinkle in his eye and was keen to impress us with his moves. The spinning motion he was making with his fingers actually turned out to be what laid in wait for them and seconds later Dan was performing spiral turns downwards. This is the most rapid form of controlled descent with a sink rate of around 15-20 metres per second. The pilot had shifted his weight onto one side and pulled on the brakes to induce a sharp turn. The G-force made Dan look like one of those dogs you see with their heads hanging out of a moving car window. Hanging onto his stomach, Dan certainly wished he hadn’t indulged in two courses at lunchtime!
As the sun started to set and cast whirlpools of colour against the sky, our pilots started to descend with us into the valley. We spent roughly 25 minutes in the air but it had seemed longer. The world below us became more defined as we glided towards it. Our van on the other hand was racing down the unpaved road at top speed to meet us at our drop point.
At around 10 metres from the ground we pulled ourselves out of our harnesses and into a standing position once again. As our legs dangled below us I started rapidly analysing fields to find a soft and flat landing spot. I’d underestimated the pilot, and with gymnastic grace our feet met the ground, we took up a steady jog and then stopped as our wing flew over our heads.
To celebrate our survival, we stopped at the activity centre’s bar to drink a cold beer before heading back to Merida. For a brief moment we’d become the kings of the sky but even back on terra-firma we were on a natural high that would last a long time. We’d enjoyed the ride of our lives and the only question left was what would we be doing the following day to scare ourselves? Perhaps we’d tackle our washing!
latin chattin' 
I want to do that! Those pictures are breathtaking. What an incredible experience. And I love hearing about the technical side of paragliding. Whenever I sit and watch paragliders I always wonder how it’s possible that they can go so high and float through the sky for so long. And that world record for height is astonishing!