The idea of going Paragliding whilst I am here came up a couple of months ago when talking to Chelsea and Lucy, on the way back from an Au Pair Link meeting one night. Lucy was planning to book a paragliding session as a surprise birthday present for her boyfriend. Chelsea, being rather adventurous herself, instantly said that she wanted to do some Paragliding before she went home to the states. I rather liked the idea of it, and really wanted do it too. However knowing me to be the very unadventurous girl that I am, I never thought that I would actually do it!
Being so close to Monte Blanc, and being able to see it's white top when the skies are clear I really wanted get a closer look at the mountain itself at some point. Myself, Chelsea and Lucy arranged to do a little day trip one Saturday to the town of Chamonix in the Alps, where we would be able to get a cable car up a mountain next to Monte Blanc. Once up the mountain we would be able to get an amazing, closer view of the spectacular Monte Blanc, and visit the glacier with it's caves too. This trip happened to end up working on a weekend when Lucy's boyfriend would be coming over to visit Lucy and receive his surprise birthday gift. With just a few days till are intended trip to the Alps, Chelsea wanted to take the opportunity to go Paragliding while we were there too. Because of Chelsea's enthusiasm and encouragement I ended up signing myself up to run off a mountain with her. Then I got Lucy to do the same, haha!
With a few days of excitement at the prospect of what was to come, and nerves kicking in I was waiting for the freak out of what I was about to do to take over me. The day came though for Lucy, her boyfriend Phil, Chelsea and I to bundle into Lucy's car and drive through the beautiful landscape of mountains to Chamonix to take on our little adventure for the day.
Waterfalls and mountains...........
Paraglider spotted (highest peak in the cloud, left)....................
It was Chelsea and I who were first to go up the mountain with our two our paragliding experts, Sean and Francoise. We got our one way tickets for the cable car going up the side of the mountain, Aiguille du Midi, to our stop at Plan de l'Aiguille. The ticket lady did look a bit confused when Chelsea asked her for a one way ticket (were we expecting to stay up there forever?!), then she realised that we must be planning to fly back down. It was a slightly funny moment as I realised that running off a mountain has got to be the weirdest, yet coolest way to get back down the mountain. none of that walking back down for me!
Just a little nervous.....................
Cool as a cucumber..............
We took the very packed cable car to our flight point with our instructors. The cable car actually holds the record for the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, I did think that it was a bit scary! Once out of the cable car though we split of from all the other tourists to walk around the back of the cable car station, where it felt like no tourist should actually be allowed to go.
Walking into the unknown...........
The EDGE...........................
Our plateau for take off.........
On the wrong side of the cable car station...............
Chelsea getting her gear on...................
Me in the harness........................
Once at the place where we would be taking off from, we got all the gear out and found a good slope to run down and off the mountain. Once you are geared up and attached to your instructor (because this is a tandem flight...you need to be with someone who knows what they are doing) you have to run as fast as you can for about 20 meters, doing your best to keep upright! However we first need to make a runway down a slope to use for take off as the snow was up to our knees, we wouldn't have got very far otherwise. Making the runway was SWEATY work, walking up and down a slope, side to side, patting down the snow with your feet. We actually had to make two runways (one on each side of the mountain area that we were taking off from) because the wind kept changing direction....you NEED the wind!
Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat.........
Getting the gear together to move to the other side......
I'm just really excited about those truffles.............
Getting briefed by Sean for my first attempt at running off a mountain.......
I say 'first attempt' because it took three times! Apparently none were my fault, but I am pretty sure that the first one was. The words 'stay upright' clearly didn't stick with me as the '3, 2, 1, RUN' were said. We ran, the parachute filled up with air (but you have to keep on running), and then suddenly my face had landed in the snow! I think that I just couldn't keep upright as I was trying to run down the slope, which despite our efforts at patting it down was still hard to run on. So I tripped and tumbled taking the instructor down with me! The wind changing direction took the blame though. After a very hard climb back to the top of the runway (we had gone a long way beyond it!) on my hands and knees (that just sunk into the two and half foot snow) we were ready for attempt number two! Once we ran halfway down the runway again, and the parachute filled up with air again, the wind changed direction very suddenly so we had to stop. With the wind changing direction we moved to the other side of the mountain where we made runway number two.
Runway number two...........
Ready for attempt number three...........
By this point I knew how the 'running part' was supposed to be done, but I was still waiting for a freak out to happen. However it never did as paragliding just is not as scary as I though it was. The countdown was said, 3, 2, 1, RUN, was said, we ran into the clouds that had gathered, the parachute filled with air and this time we went with it! It literally took my breath away! I cannot describe the feeling that you get at flying through the air, being on level with the tops of mountains, but not on them, looking below at the town you just walked through and feeling the fresh clear wind whipping around your face. There is a reason why birds sing!
If you remember I lost my camera while sledging, so the following photos are from Chelsea as she flew. We did the same route so you can still see what I saw.
Chelsea and Francoise in the air...........
The point off the mountain we ran off.......
The valley below.............
Chamonix................................
The Glacier......................
High flying..................
The landing field (I'm already there)...............
Rather proud of ourselves..........
Packed up and back to reality..........
But I am still feeling high............
I am so so so so so glad that I actually did this! THANK YOU Chelsea for convincing me to do this! Think it counts as something on my list of things to do before I am 30! Whoop whoop!
After all, it was wonderfully beautifully amazing!
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