Sky surfing

Our resident adrenalin junkie braves the clouds of Eastern Europe

There are a few things I really don’t like hearing from a paragliding instructor. At the top of the list is “Brace for impact,” but not far behind is “Do you want to see what this baby can do?” Drifting high above a Turkish Mediterranean that sparkles in the midday heat, this is exactly what my tandem pilot Alper says to me in broken English. Before I can reply, he pulls heavily on the paraglider’s right brake and spins us into a spiral dive, a descent that leaves my breath—and stomach—somewhere up in the sky above.

Paragliding has boomed in recent years, largely because of the ease of setup, its undeniable thrill and excellent safety record. In Ölüdeniz, located along the coast of southern Turkey, I had my first opportunity to soar, and being your resident thrillseeker, I didn’t plan to take my introductory leap off a bunny hill. Situated at a lofty 1,950 metres, Ölüdeniz offers the world’s highest commercial launch pad and ideal conditions for paragliding year-round. The view is nothing less than extraordinary, but that’s a given when it comes to sailing in the air, supported by a thin chute and the elements.

By contrast, it was a long, torturous drive up the mountain. Sitting at the back of an old truck, hearing it grind its way up steep and narrow switchbacks, I began to think jumping off the mountain was preferable to returning by land. An hour later, we reached the top as the August sun cracked 40 C, and heat mirages did belly dances on the blue horizon.

Alper is wearing shorts, a T-shirt and skullcap helmet. I’m handed thick overalls and a motorbike helmet. Sweat is already stinging my eyes as we wait for a gust suitable for launch. The takeoff is sudden. We run toward the edge of the mountain and keep running until our feet no longer touch the ground. Then it’s a quick shuffle to get into the seat and just seconds after takeoff I’m comfortably positioned, hearing the wind beneath the chute, drooling at the view before me.

Other than abrupt increases in altitude, which occur when we catch the warm thermal air that gives paragliders their loft, it’s a gentle ride, suitable for grandmothers. Alper tells me his oldest client was in her 80s and after taking a long look at my youthful countenance, figures I’m the perfect candidate to see “what this baby can do.” I find that the paraglide can do a lot and I arrive on land a half hour later nauseous and sweaty with my head spinning in circles.

I was looking forward to a gentler ride in Bohinj, located in Slovenia’s Julian Alps, where a cable car and ski lift shepherd paragliders to the launch pad. As in Turkey, my tandem pilot and I wait around until the wind picks up, then strap ourselves in and run off a cliff. Below, I see a crystal lake, forests, the highest peak in this central European country. I’m about to say “breathtaking” when, in broken English, I hear something not unlike: “Do you want to see what this baby can do?”

Are all paragliding instructors handed the same phrase book? We take a spiral dive and the G-force kicks in. By the time my feet touch the ground, my face matches the colour of the green meadows. Not everyone can handle blistering fast spins, much less sudden plummets toward the ground from thousands of feet in the air. With flashbacks of Turkey, I feel my stomach begin to heave. I repress the urge, anxious to save the tatters of my thrillseeker reputation.

If You Go… Ölüdeniz is located on Turkey’s popular southern coast near Fethiye. Tandem paragliding costs around $100 US, and rides last between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on conditions. For more info, visit hectorparagliding.com.

In Slovenia, PAC Sports offers incredible paragliding from three locations in the Julian Alps, depending on the winds. Tandem rides last around 10 minutes and cost $85 US. For details, go to pac-sports.com/en/paragliding.htm.

Robin Esrock is co-host of the OLN series, Word Travels.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at 11:30 am and is filed under Thrill Seeker. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.