My First Time Paragliding Experience over Kullu Valley
Sky High in Himachal
When I first planned my getaway to the mountains, I knew spending a few days in Manali was an absolute must. Beyond taking in the classic high-altitude landscapes like Solang Valley and Rohtang Pass, there was one major bucket-list item driving my itinerary: paragliding.
Facilities for this sport are exceptional in Himachal Pradesh, and knowing I’d be that close to the massive Himalayan ridges, I knew letting go of the opportunity would be silly. Weeks before the trip, I tracked down local adventure operators in Kullu to confirm that June would offer the perfect flying weather. They gave me a local coordinator’s contact info to lock things in once I arrived in town.
The Skeptics and the Determination
When I finally landed in the valley, the initial logistics threw a few curveballs. The mountain weather forecast looked incredibly unpredictable, and the physical toll of navigating winding roads meant my body was already exhausted.
As they say, fortune favors the brave. The 4th day of my trip in valley, my driver picked me up early, and we set off toward the designated paragliding hub in the Kullu district, where the most breathtaking high-altitude flights take off.
Arriving at the Launch Site
We pulled up to the adventure registration counter near Kullu, one of the most popular and safest paragliding sites in the region. The riverside setup is humble—just a few operator offices lining the bustling highway. They offered different packages based on flight duration and altitude. I opted for the classic higher-altitude tandem flight (8000 ft) and happily paid an extra fee to carry a GoPro on a selfie pole to document the flight.
The logistics from there were a wild ride in themselves. They load you into a rugged Mahindra Bolero Neo along with the pilots and massive backpacks containing the gliders. My driver, looking incredibly anxious on my behalf, promised he would meet me down at the landing zone right by the riverbed.
We drove up a steep, winding, unpaved mountain road for about 30 minutes until the vehicle stopped at the cliffside takeoff point. We stepped out onto the mountain ridge. Panting a bit from the quick altitude gain, I looked out—and the view took my breath away for a completely different reason.
The Terrifying Wait for Wind
The launchpad was a grassy, sharply inclined slope that ended abruptly at a sheer drop looking over the entire valley. The crew immediately went to work, unfurling the massive parachute fabric and checking the lines.
My pilot for the tandem flight introduced himself as “Sagar”. He was a man of very few words, quietly laser-focused on the equipment. As the crew strapped me into the heavy safety harness, the physical reality of what I was about to do set in. They buckled a small, padded seat right at knee-level behind me. Then came the instructions that made my hair stand on end:
"We are going to walk fast, then run down this slope straight toward the ridge edge. Just before the drop, there will be a jerk—don't stop running, just let yourself fall back naturally into the harness seat."
It sounded terrifying. What if I tripped? What if I didn't sit back in time? The crew allayed my fears, reassuring me that they would run right alongside me all the way to the edge. With the video camera already recording in my hand, we stood at the top of the slope, waiting entirely on "favourable winds."
That 60-second wait was easily one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life. Looking back at the footage later, I looked like a deer caught in headlights.
Airborne: Ten Minutes in Heaven
Suddenly, without warning, the wind shifted perfectly. “Are you ready Raghu?, Yes, 1…2…3… Go, go, run!”
My heart jumped straight into my mouth as we sprinted down the incline toward the abyss. Before my brain could even process the edge of the cliff, a sudden, powerful upward jerk caught us. My feet left the grass, I slumped cleanly back into the harness seat, and just like that the ground vanished. We were airborne.
I let out an absolute whoop of pure joy as we soared effortlessly into the open sky. Any ounce of anxiety completely evaporated, replaced by absolute euphoria.
Paragliding is tough to put into eloquent words. It doesn’t feel like a chaotic rollercoaster; it feels like suddenly growing wings. It’s a bird’s-eye perspective of the world that is profoundly peaceful. While I was chatting incessantly out of pure adrenaline, my pilot remained perfectly silent, expertly reading the mountain thermals, navigating us close to the lush pine treetops, and steering us in wide, majestic circles over the roaring Beas River.
From high above, I could see the tiny green patch of the landing field by the river bank where we were scheduled to touch down.
As we circled closer to the ground, the pilot called out, “Straighten your legs and get ready to slide!”
We glided in with the seamless precision of an airplane. Thanks to the heavily padded harness seat, I touched down smoothly on my behind right on the soft grass of the landing zone. It was a flawless landing.
Back to Earth
I could see my driver sprinting across the field toward us, frantically holding up his phone camera. As we unbuckled, he let out a massive sigh of relief. “I was so worried watching you soar so high up in the air!” he laughed. I couldn’t help but chuckle the crew were absolute professionals, and this flight was their passion and livelihood.
We walked back to the main office to transfer the digital copy of my flight footage to my phone, and I left them a glowing review with top marks across the board.
If you ever find yourself traveling through Kullu or Manali, stepping out of your comfort zone for a paragliding experience is something you absolutely cannot miss. If you have a spirit for adventure and a stomach for heights, take the leap.
Go fly. The sky is the limit!
