Mas Parapente

October 28, 2015

Just a quick update: I am still in Bucaramanga, Colombia attending paragliding school, known as parapente here. It’s also affectionately referred to as “Para-Waiting”, as in all geared up and waiting for the right wind conditions to launch.

The conditions here at Las Aguilas are very predictable: no wind in the morning, clear skies, with heat slowly building, creating cumulus clouds and thermals by mid to late morning, which makes for good flying for a beginner like me. With the lift created by the thermals, I can launch from the site, which is about 800 feet above the landing zone, and climb another 800 feet or so. Without the thermals, on my early morning flights, I do what Colombianos call “piano”. I think it has to do with the sound a piano makes when you drag your finger from the highest to the lowest notes. That’s the sound of going straight from the launch site down to the landing site; about a five to minute ride at best unless I catch a little updraft off the hills.

It’s too windy for a beginner like me to fly from about 11am to around 4:30pm, so much of my day is spent either studying or “kiting” — flying the wing on the ground and learning to handle it better. Then the wind dies down again and I (hopefully) get to fly again just before sunset.

As of this morning, I have ten solo flights. I’m hoping to do another ten to fifteen over the next few days, which is possible but wind conditions will dictate. I am longing for the road, and ready to travel, but need to complete this course first.

So stay tuned. I promise to be blogging from the road again by next Tuesday at the latest.

4 thoughts on “Mas Parapente

  1. Good to hear you haven’t rammed into the ground. Missed you out in these parts last weekend. Hot Club of Cowtown played our party, and I saw Dick and Debbie for a spell (as well as my dad & Lynn). Enjoy your floating.

  2. Dare: if you find your way to New Zealand Bungee jump off Taupo Falls in New Zealand! You would love New Zealand!

    • New Zealand is definitely on my list, even though it’s a bit hard to get to with a motorcycle. I’ve bungee jumped one time and I can’t think of anything that scared me as much, and it was nowhere near as high as Taupo. But it’s probably one of those “must do” things on the adventure bucket list.

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