Sunday, November 06, 2005
Paragliding at Kamshet
Went paragliding this weekend and have'nt got down on the ground yet (pun intended). At Rs. 1500 for a 15 minute drop it is expensive indeed, but every second is worth it!
You are standing on a rounded, grassy slope on a hill. Winds buffetting against you, eagles soaring high above and fields scattered in front of you. The instructor helps you put on the harness. Then he straps his harness on too. The rest of the team stands behind and ensure that the glider opens up properly.
There's a small pep talk and some basic instructions. The most exciting part comes next, when he says that you have to start running off the slope. Just go with the flow and before you know it, you are off the ground and up, up and away.
The initial feeling is that of a surreal calmness. It's hard to describe in words really. You have to experience it yourself. Once you get over this pleasant shock, you really start to appreciate the fact that you are actually flying. It seems too good to be true and it takes some time to quell this disbelief.
Once you are past this, you then soak up the senses. See like a bird would, for miles around. Feel the wind currents pushing and pulling against you. Then you realize what the elements actually are. A humbling experience where you simply surrender...
Well, there's never a free ride and before you know it 15 minutes are up and the instructor nimbly guides the glider back to the hill where you took off from. And no it does not feel good to be back on earth, you'll be begging for more! It's that addictive!
You are standing on a rounded, grassy slope on a hill. Winds buffetting against you, eagles soaring high above and fields scattered in front of you. The instructor helps you put on the harness. Then he straps his harness on too. The rest of the team stands behind and ensure that the glider opens up properly.
There's a small pep talk and some basic instructions. The most exciting part comes next, when he says that you have to start running off the slope. Just go with the flow and before you know it, you are off the ground and up, up and away.
The initial feeling is that of a surreal calmness. It's hard to describe in words really. You have to experience it yourself. Once you get over this pleasant shock, you really start to appreciate the fact that you are actually flying. It seems too good to be true and it takes some time to quell this disbelief.
Once you are past this, you then soak up the senses. See like a bird would, for miles around. Feel the wind currents pushing and pulling against you. Then you realize what the elements actually are. A humbling experience where you simply surrender...
Well, there's never a free ride and before you know it 15 minutes are up and the instructor nimbly guides the glider back to the hill where you took off from. And no it does not feel good to be back on earth, you'll be begging for more! It's that addictive!
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"Surreal calmness" - nice way of putting it. May be I would have used "petrified" if I were asked to jump of a cliff ;)
The experience sounds really great.
The experience sounds really great.
Finally something i can identify with from ur entire trek experiences!!!! :))
i've done paragliding and underwater walking...and both in the span of 2 hrs!!! in the first i felt like a whooshing seagull; simply cos once the motorboat was made to slow down a bit,i was dragged down until i had completely submerged in the sea- i could suddenly see the fishes scurrying away(!!!) :) , and then soared up into the sky again! it was practically heavenly!
and then u should walk on the sea-floor-the continental shelf-covered with really ornamental coral reefs, with a 20kg helmet-like cylinder on ur shoulder...at first the sea pressure on the ears feels like its gonna scream blood out of ur ears, but when u get used to it...Oh God its better than Heaven! u see fishes swimming past,wen u can barely maintain ur feet on the bed...the corals are soft as sponges but can be fatal if not touched w/o very strong gloves!!!i missed seeing a shark actually! :(
they have a world in there... n u feel ur heart has just accomodated an ocean of thrill and surrealism!
Actually i think i paid just around 350Bahts for half hour or more...
but i think it was worth a 1000! :)
given a choice of a bird and a fish now, it'd be DEFINITELY a fish!
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i've done paragliding and underwater walking...and both in the span of 2 hrs!!! in the first i felt like a whooshing seagull; simply cos once the motorboat was made to slow down a bit,i was dragged down until i had completely submerged in the sea- i could suddenly see the fishes scurrying away(!!!) :) , and then soared up into the sky again! it was practically heavenly!
and then u should walk on the sea-floor-the continental shelf-covered with really ornamental coral reefs, with a 20kg helmet-like cylinder on ur shoulder...at first the sea pressure on the ears feels like its gonna scream blood out of ur ears, but when u get used to it...Oh God its better than Heaven! u see fishes swimming past,wen u can barely maintain ur feet on the bed...the corals are soft as sponges but can be fatal if not touched w/o very strong gloves!!!i missed seeing a shark actually! :(
they have a world in there... n u feel ur heart has just accomodated an ocean of thrill and surrealism!
Actually i think i paid just around 350Bahts for half hour or more...
but i think it was worth a 1000! :)
given a choice of a bird and a fish now, it'd be DEFINITELY a fish!
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