SANGAM

Up in the air

SANGAM PRASAIN

APR 03 - ‘Hold on to the harness tightly; the wind is perfect for taking off. Take a few steps front when I ask you to,” shouts Zsolt Herker, a paragliding pilot from Hungary. We didn’t know what he was talking about or exactly what we were supposed to do. All we could think of was the deep gorge below us that seemed to open up, ready to swallow us.

Here we were, strapped onto the backs of two paragliding instructors, 27-year-old Gabor Szalma, and 34-year-old Herker, both from Hungary, at Chapakharak, an almost bare hilltop with only a few houses. The wind was bellowing, and though it seemed like abnormal weather conditions, our instructors were adamant; this was the right wind, strong enough to let us take off and paraglide above the skies of Kathmandu.

Here we were, starting our flight from an altitude of 2,100m above sea level. To look at the Valley below from that height is a sight never to be forgotten. Forget the smoke gushing out of the brick factory chimneys at Bhaktapur, and the constant movement of traffic below. It’s just houses, houses, and houses. One after another, sticking to each other. Once in the sky, Kathmandu sticks out like a sore sight, but the hills around the Valley and the snow-lined peaks to the north make up for all the sights below.

But the rush of adrenaline makes it all worthwhile. And it is the adrenaline junkies seeking this kind of rush that Nepal is trying to call to its shores, with Nepal Tourism Year 2011 just around the corner. What better way to start off an adventurous holiday in Nepal than with Paragliding right here in the Capital.

XSports Nepal, with its offices in Thamel, is the company behind this adventure dream. The company, led by Keshav Sthapit—former mayor of Kathmandu, has taken the initiative to introduce this breathtaking sport in the Capital, which was earlier limited to Pokhara.

Kabi Raj Karki, field director of XSports Nepal, says, “Kathmandu has some great adventurous attractions as well. And paragliding is one sport which has not been fully explored here in Kathmandu.”

The rush begins after a 30-minute ride to Chapakharak on a motorcycle. XSports has hired two trainers on a seasonal basis, Gabor and Herker, who hold experience of five and 10 years respectively in this extreme sport.

Gliding is a highly weather-sensitive sport and the flying season throughout Nepal is generally from November to February. The best months are November and December. However, the topography and climate of the Capital also make it an ideal destination for gliding in other months.

During take off, the earth feels like it’s shifting away from your legs; it’s certainly a scary experience at first, and one has to wait for a signal from the instructor to adjust the harness for comfort. “Just relax and make yourself comfortable;” That is the signal to take a few breaths.

To begin your flight, you run towards the direction of the wind, and while taking off the wind begins to carry you off. All you have to do is control the glider with the ropes on either arm. Here in Kathmandu, paragliding is a different game than in Pokhara, as here there isn’t the same natural beauty that you see there. Instead, here, the views are more about human civilization, and viewing the Valley from a bird’s eye view to get a glimpse of Kathmandu as a whole.

After about 15 minutes in the air, the temperature begins to lower as you begin climbing to an altitude of 2,400 m. That is one thing enthusiasts must remember: it might be warm during take-off, but once you are flying, the cold winds make you shiver.

After gliding for about 20 minutes, one starts to get used to the cold winds and the constant turbulence. While in the air, the instructors ask us to say a few words about the experience while a camera on top of their helmets keeps rolling.

“Do you want to go to the extreme and do some acrobatics?” the instructors ask a few minutes before touching down. It’s scary agreeing to the proposal, but the constant rush of adrenaline leaves you no option but to say yes. “Get ready for some action and hold it tight,” they shout. “Bend to your left; stay in the middle; bend to your right,” and the process is repeated. The first few minutes, things seem out of control, but what acrobatics in the air require are guts and the hunger for the thrill. The most thrilling stunt is the ‘Spiral’, where the instructor controls the glider and lets you freefall while rotating spirally—all this happening at 150 km per hour!

There is a sense of incompleteness when the instructors tell you, “Lets go back; we need to land.” We make our first attempt to land at the same spot from where we took off, but Herker says the wind is too strong for us; we fly back for another attempt.

Finally, after being in the air for a few more minutes and a few more stunts, Herker says, “Let’s do it now; step on some solid ground.” We get closer to the landing spot. Just a few metres above the ground, the instructors ask us to release the harness and prepare ourselves to trot on the landing site as soon as our feet touch the ground to slow down the speed of the glider.

The world seems to hold so many thoughts while you are in the sky. Who is watching me from below? Then, you suddenly start shouting. Your excitement levels are raised to their highest levels, and you can feel the winds in every direction. You can feel the rush, and the energy flowing inside every cell of your body. And, you don’t ever want to touch the ground again.

There are various deals for the paragliding enthusiast. The company charges Nepalis Rs. 5,000 for a single flight, and Rs. 6,500 for SAARC citizens. For others, it costs £70 pounds (Rs. 8,400). Please contact XSports at 01443309