My First Paragliding Experience in Indrunag, Himachal Pradesh

There are a few sports activities that I have on my bucket list. Paragliding is of course one of them. It is one of those activities that I want to and also don’t want to experience. All because of the fear factor. 

What is Paragliding?

So, what exactly is paragliding? According to Wikipedia, “Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure” 

Umm, say what??

Well, in simpler language as suggested in Oxford Languages, “Paragliding is a sport in which a wide canopy resembling a parachute is attached to a person’s body by a harness in order to allow them to glide through the air after jumping from or being lifted to a height.”

Paragliding in India

The majority of the states in India now offer paragliding services. This adventurous activity was not quite sought out in the earlier days, but now it is one of the most common sports activities that pop up in every adventure lover.

The most famous locations for paragliding in India are 

• Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh
• Manali, Himachal Pradesh
• Nandi Hill, Karnataka
• Gangtok, Sikkim
• Kamshet, Maharashtra
• Mussoorie, Uttrakhand

P.S. These are just my opinion on the paragliding options based on research and experience from various sources.

Paragliding in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is one of the top locations people prefer to paraglide as it offers a beautiful view and while you are here, you can explore many more destinations too. Top locations in Himachal Pradesh to consider for paragliding are

• Bir Billing – This is the world’s second-highest paragliding spot and the one to conduct a Paragliding World Cup. For these 2 reasons, it is also the most crowded option of all.
• Manali
• Khajjiar
• Kullu
• Dharamshala
• Shimla

There are way too many agencies offering paragliding services in each of the locations in Himachal Pradesh. 

My Experience

On my recent trip to Himachal Pradesh, trying this adventure was one of my top priorities. And since it was something I never did, I was terrified. Of course, when you think of falling off a cliff with just a chute (and someone managing it), it can freak out anybody. 

But thanks to my friends, who have paraglided before and were also with me on this trip, I had huge moral support. Instead of choosing the famous location of Bir Billing, I opted for paragliding in Indrunag, Dharamshala. 

This was suggested to me by the company (Saffarnama) from whom I booked my paragliding event. Saffarnama offers services all over Himachal Pradesh. But since I mentioned to them that this was going to be my first time and also, I was a bit scared, they suggested I go with a lower height and duration. So I opted for my first paragliding in Indrunag. Without any doubt, this was the best decision ever.

Starting point

When we reached the starting point- Indrunag Paragliding Adventure, the first thing you need to do is sign a Risk Certificate and of course pay. The fees for paragliding in Indrunag are

Without video – INR 1500
With video – INR 2000
Photographs – INR 200

I, of course, opted for both video and photos, so my first paragliding experience cost me INR 2200. After all the formalities, we were assigned a pilot each and taken to the take-off location in their vehicle. 

On reaching the take-off location, they prepared us with setting the helmet, fitting the suit, and giving me a go pro in hand. At that moment I was totally in my mind, trying to calm myself down. My pilot in command saw me and struck up a conversation with me trying to take my mind off the fact that I am about to jump from a cliff.

After a brief 10 minutes of checking all equipment and spreading the chute, it was time. My suit was clipped with the pilot and all of a sudden, they asked me to run. I just took 4-5 steps and my feet were off the ground. And then it hit me.

I AM FLYING!!!

Or I should say, paragliding. I quickly shifted myself to adjust in the harness and into the seat. And once it was all done, I was in total awe. Everything was just so amazing. The view. The cold air. My legs hanging. Everything!

I looked down and saw that the other riders were quite lower than me. When I asked my pilot, he said that he is trained for higher flights and so he picked up and took us to a higher altitude than others. I felt really grateful to have got such an amazing and skilled partner. He kept on talking to me and also kept a check on whether I was feeling okay or not.

Stunt time

After 5 minutes or so, it felt kind of just me floating in the middle of nowhere. Just floating. Now after another 10 minutes, my pilot asked me if I wanted to go for a stunt. I was very doubtful if I could withstand something like that or not. But this was an opportunity to do something different and I just didn’t want to miss it and then regret it later.

So, I said “Yeah. Sure. Why not?”

He asked me to keep the go pro stick in between my legs tightly and then he spun. The speed was so intense, my eyes started watering. I could literally see the sun going in circles.

When we stopped spinning, he had to ask me twice how I felt because I was totally speechless and trying to just grasp what exactly just happened. It was such a thrilling experience. And right after 5 minutes, I declared feeling queasy.

He got so worried. He asked me to control just another 3-4 minutes and he smoothly landed at the landing site. I could see my friends were already there waiting for me. I got out of the suit, thanked my partner like a hundred times, and ran to the corner and puked. 

Yupp! 

I puked.

After I was done with the tedious task of puking, I browsed through the pictures captured by the photographer. Paid him for his wonderful job of capturing my first ever paragliding experience and sat for another 10 minutes right there.

Final thoughts – Paragliding in Indrunag

The crew was so supportive, that they even waited for me to gather myself before we could start for the return ride to their office. It was such a superb experience. Just could not have been happier.

I truly feel that Saffarnama did a really great job at providing such an excellent choice for paragliding and fulfilling customer needs to the fullest. I was literally so happy with the team, that I decided to go for the trek from their side. Oh, also, check their Facebook page here.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. Even though it might seem like that, but it’s only because I really loved their service and would recommend it to people without any hesitance.

Safety Measures and Tips

• Keep your stuff in pockets with a zip. Otherwise, they might fall off.
• If you are tandem paragliding, i.e. someone else is the pilot in command and you are just the passenger, notify them of any discomfort the moment you feel. Do not feel embarrassed and hold it in.
• If you don’t have a strong heart, or should I say stomach, don’t eat anything before your ride. You might feel nauseated.
• Try to relax and enjoy.