It has always been an ambition of mine to have a go at paragliding, so what better location than Queenstown with its towering peaks and sweeping valleys. The day was perfect for a jump from Coronet Peak, one of the big ski fields based around Queenstown.
This is the view from the top:
So off I jumped. The wind is in your face, just a gentle breeze though as the paraglider moves through the air at about 30-40 km/h. We soared the slopes searching for thermals, and I had a go at controlling it - not all that easy! Very different from flying a glider. With nothing below your feet and very little awareness of the canopy above you it is probably as close as humans will ever come to knowing what it's like for the birds - it feels like you're soaring through the air all on your own. Not great though if you don't like heights!
I flew tandem - although most training happens solo in the world of paragliding, it's a good way to experience the incredible thrill without intensive training.
Char caught these pictures of us on approach.
And down on the ground - phew! I also got a video of some more extreme maneuvers possible in a paraglider - they can pull quite a few Gs! (we're having issues with internet connection and not being able to upload the video - but we'll put it up when we return to Christchurch).
This is the view from the top:
So off I jumped. The wind is in your face, just a gentle breeze though as the paraglider moves through the air at about 30-40 km/h. We soared the slopes searching for thermals, and I had a go at controlling it - not all that easy! Very different from flying a glider. With nothing below your feet and very little awareness of the canopy above you it is probably as close as humans will ever come to knowing what it's like for the birds - it feels like you're soaring through the air all on your own. Not great though if you don't like heights!
I flew tandem - although most training happens solo in the world of paragliding, it's a good way to experience the incredible thrill without intensive training.
Char caught these pictures of us on approach.
And down on the ground - phew! I also got a video of some more extreme maneuvers possible in a paraglider - they can pull quite a few Gs! (we're having issues with internet connection and not being able to upload the video - but we'll put it up when we return to Christchurch).
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