IS PARAGLIDING SAFE? UNCOVER THE RISKS AND THRILLS OF THIS EXTREME SPORTIS

First off, life is dangerous. In fact, being born into the world guarantees eventual mortality. Exiting this world at some point in your future is likely 99.99% inevitable. What is not inevitable is that your life will be full of adventure and fulfilling experiences. It’s not guaranteed that you will experience sensations of unassisted flight or see the world from a vantage point only possible in the last 30 years. It’s entirely possible to have a miserable, boring, and depressing life and then pass away without knowing how amazing this experience could have been.

Fear shapes our lives, usually in a negative way, and binds us from living fully. Am I saying that one should just carelessly jump into the abyss? Not at all. I’m advocating for a well-lived life, rich with amazing stories and memories to reflect upon in our later years. No one ever regretted trying to live fully at the end of their lives. And everyone who didn’t give life a chance regrets it at the end…

Paragliding could be a great opportunity to add another dimension to your life!

The point here is not to make decisions in life based solely on whether something is dangerous or safe, but instead to evaluate what you gain in exchange for the risks you take. We all take risks, often receiving very little in exchange for those risks. Getting into your car to drive in rush hour to work is the most dangerous thing you can probably do. On an average daily basis 1,000 daily drivers in the US don’t make it back home even though they expected to do so. Life’s little hidden secret is that it is actually really dangerous just to live a normal life even if you’re careful! Accidents happen, people get sick or injured all the time, and typically they aren’t even seeking some dangerous thrill, they are just going through their boring day-to-day routine.

What we are really talking about is gambling—risk and reward. Whether you like it or not YOU are a gambler.  We make choices unconsciously every day that are risky. Almost every small decision we make is a gamble or at least a trade off; we must give up time or energy resources to acquire (hopefully) some reward. There is a risk of injury in paragliding, just like riding a bike. It has been estimated that the average risk is somewhere around 1 in 1,000 flights that something could cause injury. That’s pretty amazing odds when considering what you actually get for that risk.

Instead of focusing on the risk let’s see what kind of reward you can experience.  Throughout human history, we have swam beneath the waters and gazed into the skies, understanding that both of these environments are not our domains. We have swam under the world’s waters, witnessing the life that thrives beneath the waves, yearning to stay weightless and without concern for the life-giving air. But, only in the last 100 years have we begun to realize this experience. If you’ve ever learned to scuba dive, you’ll understand what I’m talking about when I describe that amazing feeling of actually breathing underwater. It is the most incredible sensation! We glimpse and partake in another world, entirely foreign to our terrestrial existence. The animals and sensations that we experience are profound, and no one can deny the rewards of diving are well worth the risks. To swim with the fish in their native environment is simply incredible and enriching to one’s existence. Now, almost anyone can have a similar experience in the skies above—even disabled individuals can experience the magic of sustained soaring like an eagle!

I’m not referring to controlled falling as in parachuting or motorized flying as in parasailing over water. I’m talking about sustained, hours-long active soaring using the exact techniques that birds have mastered over millions of years of evolution. With the aid of computers and meticulous design and engineering, humans have created a stable and reasonably safe means to fly using advanced fabrics and materials. Humans have achieved unsupported, non-mechanized flight with paragliders. Paragliding pilots regularly fly over 200 kilometers in a day without the assistance of a motor. Using the principles of thermal updrafts, pilots join circling birds and can ascend all the way to clouds at 15,000 feet, using that height to travel horizontally ten feet for every vertical foot of ascent. Pilots also utilize ridge lift; imagine ground winds hitting a mountainside and being redirected upwards. Pilots actually surf these redirected winds, playing just like seagulls at the beach.

Imagine pulling out a small bag from your backpack containing an inflatable wing, putting on your helmet, popping in some music, and spending the afternoon playing in the skies above your favorite beach. Or imagine exploring the Alps from above, flying with soaring eagles thousands of feet above the peaks.

So, is paragliding dangerous? In my opinion, everything in life carries risks, but not every risk we take has the incredible potential for experiencing life through the eyes of a soaring eagle. The primary risks in paragliding are user error and weather conditions. One can significantly reduce risk through regular flying and developing a pre-flight check protocol—lessons you’ll learn from a good instructor and good equipment choices (there are different level of safety versus speed and performance available in glider selection). Weather is variable, but one can avoid trouble by learning from other pilots at your flying spots and understanding how weather and wind operate. If nobody is in the air, then you probably best keep your feet on the ground. Most accidents occur when pilots are rushed or when weather conditions are unstable. Additionally, most pilots carry at least one reserve rescue parachute just in case there’s a problem. Most pilots never use their reserve in thousands of flights, but it’s there if you need it. Modern paragliding instruction and engineering are focused on making the sport safer and more enjoyable, much like diving in the 1980s, now more and more people are beginning to discover the unlimited potential of free flight in paragliding.  Will it be your next adventure?