PARAGLIDING HOLIDAYS IN THE HIMALAYAS

• We have a passion for the unconventional which takes us off the trodden path into the skies.
• Be it the conventional Paragliding sites in India such as Billing, Manali or the Western Ghats, or be it the lesser known and flown sites of the Garhwal Himalayas, we will ensure all arrangements including inland travel, domestic flights, hotels accommodation, camps, meals, radios and any requisite permissions.
• All you need to do is bring your gear and fly.
  

BACKGROUND INFORMATION :

• Paragliding in the Himalayas and elsewhere in India is still fledgling as compared to some other parts of the world.
• While cross country opportunities are plenty, emergency services are not yet geared for the sport in most locations. Search & rescue (if needed) would be mounted by your local flying partners and the nearest medical facilities might not be very near hence, it would be a good idea to fly with an organized club or an operator who can send accompanying local pilots with you.
• In order to assess the competence of your prospective local partners in India, some pertinent answers to the following queries need to be obtained to your satisfaction:
  
  1. What kind of equipment is used by the local partner viz. gliders (their make, year of manufacture and certification), harnesses, reserve parachutes, radios, other communication equipment while flying, etc.
  2. Co-ordinates of the proposed flying sites with satellite imagery (if possible).
  3. Kind of transportation used - it is important in India that commercial vehicles with tourist numbers be used for tourists and not vehicles with private registration.
  4. Information on courses/certifications by your local pilot & guides along with an idea of their flying experience.

Book the Tour >>>

OUR PILOT & GUIDE :

Tracking a man-eating Leopard in the jungles of Garhwal, innumerable rafting trips down the Ganges, climbing glaciers, speaking four languages, reading the classics…the gentleman adventurer.

Our in-house pilot & guide SHUBHANG S. RATURI has been flying paragliders in India and Nepal since 1992 and has been the first to open many sites in the Garhwal Himalayas. Having done his P1, P2 and SIV courses, he has extensive experience flying from winches (static as well as pay-out) and from the mountain.

Combining his passion for the outdoors and the blue skies, SHUBHANG S. RATURI will lead your paragliding holiday into the known and lesser known sites of India with a promise of great flying, campfire stories and happy landings.

SOME ITINERARIES :

THE INDIA FLYING TOUR (OCTOBER to MAY) :
DAY 01 ARRIVE BOMBAY
DAY 02 BOMBAY/KAMSHET
DAY 03 KAMSHET
DAY 04 KAMSHET
DAY 05 KAMSHET /BOMBAY/GOA
DAY 06 GOA
DAY 07 GOA
DAY 08 GOA/DELHI
DAY 09 DELHI/DEHRADUN
DAY 10 DEHRADUN
DAY 11 DEHRADUN/BHADRAJ
DAY 12 BHADRAJ
DAY 13 BHADRAJ/CHANDIGARH
DAY 14 CHANDIGARH/BILLING
DAY 15 BILLING
DAY 16 BILLING
DAY 17 BILLING/CHANDIGARH
DAY 18 CHANDIGARH/DELHI
DAY 19 DEPART DELHI

LEGENDS OF THE HIMALAYAS (OCTOBER & NOVEMBER, FEBRUARY to MAY) :
DAY 01 ARRIVE DELHI
DAY 02 DELHI/DEHRADUN
DAY 03 DEHRADUN
DAY 04 DEHRADUN/BHADRAJ
DAY 05 BHADRAJ
DAY 06 BHADRAJ
DAY 07 BHADRAJ/CHANDIGARH
DAY 08 CHANDIGARH/BILLING
DAY 09 BILLING
DAY 10 BILLING
DAY 11 BILLING/CHANDIGARH
DAY 12 CHANDIGARH/DELHI
DAY 13 DEPART DELHI

GODS OF THE SKY (SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER & APRIL to JUNE) :
DAY 01 ARRIVE DELHI
DAY 02 DELHI/DEHRADUN
DAY 03 DEHRADUN
DAY 04 DEHRADUN/BHADRAJ
DAY 05 BHADRAJ
DAY 06 BHADRAJ
DAY 07 BHADRAJ/OKHIMATH
DAY 08 OKHIMATH/CHOPTA
DAY 09 CHOPTA
DAY 10 CHOPTA
DAY 11 CHOPTA/RISHIKESH
DAY 12 RISHIKESH/DELHI
DAY 13 DEPART DELHI

SHORT TRIPS :

Book the Tour >>>

BILLING :

DAY 01 DELHI/ROPAR
DAY 02 ROPAR/BILLING
DAY 03 BILLING
DAY 04 BILLING
DAY 05 BILLING
DAY 06 BILLING/CHANDIGARH
DAY 07 CHANDIGARH/DELHI


BHADRAJ & HANGFIRE :

DAY 01 DELHI/DEHRADUN (HANGFIRE)
DAY 02 HANGFIRE
DAY 03 HANGFIRE/BHADRAJ
DAY 04 BHADRAJ
DAY 05 BHADRAJ/DELHI

INFORMATION ON THE MENTIONED FLYING SITES :

Bhadraj :

• Situated on the extreme western region of Mussoorie town, this temple is dedicated to Lord Balbhadra, brother of Shri Krishna. About 15 kms from Mussoorie, Bhadraj offers a commanding view of the Doon Valley and Chakrata ranges.
• Transport by 4x4 vehicles gets us up to the Dudhli village from where it is a 4 Kms. walk (mostly uphill) to the take off.
• There are 02 take off sites for Bhadraj – the primary site is bang on top of the mountain from the courtyard of the temple at 7160 ft. above MSL and the secondary site is just on the shoulder of the mountain and is top landable.
• Ground level is approx. 1900 ft. above MSL giving us a good 5100 ft. + of elevation above ground. Cross country opportunities abound and it is easy to climb to above 10000 ft.
• coordinates: 30° 28' 57" North, 77° 57' 4" East

Billing :

• Sheltered by the mountains and surrounded by tea gardens, Bir a small village with a Tibetan Colony and monasteries in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh; serves as a landing ground and a base for Hang and Para gliders. Their launching (take-off) destination 'Billing', is a little meadow at 2,400m (8500 ft) on the Dhauladhar ranges, 14-km up from Bir. This meadow one of the wonders of nature, perfectly designed as a launch pad, has become a legend on the international paragliding circuits and a destination for World Champion Paraglider pilots. The meadow directly above the villages of Bir and Chaugan, is one of the best gliding sites in the world.
• The massive Dhauladar mountain range and the Kangra valley below with its panoramic views offer opportunities for high altitude 'up and down' and 'cross-country' flying for more than 200-km. The Dhauladar range runs from Dalhousie in the North West of the state, in a curving arc south-east to Mandi. Billing lies roughly midway between Dharamsala and Mandi and to the south west of Manali and Kulu valley.
• From Billing, the range runs all the way to Dharamsala, separating theKangra valley from Champa. To the north of the meadow is the high peaks and to the south the plains. The fall from the meadow is about one kilometre and an average straight TTB ( top to bottom) flight to the Chaughan landing area lasts for about 25-30 minutes. If the conditions (like weather, wind speed and direction, cloud base of 4000-5000m etc) are right, one can make a 'Cross Country' distance flight from Billing to Manali or Billing to Dharamsala (90km). The flying is generally 'ridge-hopping' ie. getting lift from the ridges or cliff edges running down from the main spine of the range. 'Ridge lifts' caused by wind hitting a hillside and 'Thermals' (columns of hot air) are used by the glider to rise higher. Thermalling is an essential skill for flying in Billing. In Billing, thermals are found on a regular basis over a temple hence called the 'Thermal Devta', halfway down the eastern spur running down to Bir. The temple can be identified from the air by a red ribbon tied to a tree top. In the Billing - Dharamsala flight route there are 15 or so ridges. You can have the company of the Huge Himalayan Griffin Vultures during flight. Billing is also easily top- landable

Chopta & Tungnath :

• Chopta, Known as the "Switzerland of India", Chopta at an altitude of approx. 9150 Ft. above MSL, offers a breathtaking view of the majestic Himalayan peaks against the backdrop of clear blue skies. With bugyals (high altitude meadows) all around, it is one of the best camping sites in Garhwal. Also, the sunset as seen from Chopta is a sight one can travel any distance to see.
• The acclimatization flight happens at Chopta before we walk uphill for approx. 4 Kms. to reach the primary take-off. The good news is that porters/mules are mostly available to carry the gear.
• The primary take off just short of the Tungnath Temple, at an altitude of approx. 10600 ft. above MSL, makes you fly in view the mighty Bandar Poonch, Kedar, Chaukhamba and Dunagiri peaks, amongst others. The trek to Tungnath is abundant with rich flora and fauna, with one passing through many a grassy slope. And what could be said of the summit. From CHANDRASHILLA PEAK (3950 M) one gets a 180 degrees view of the Himalayas that seem to be within arm's length. Words cannot describe this sight... it has to be seen to be believed!!!

Dehradun (Hangfire) :

• Book the Tour >>>

  Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Hangfire flying site is approx. 15 Kms from the town of Dehradun and is drivable practically to the top. A comfortable take off at approx. 3600 ft. above MSL gives you about 1500ft. of clearance above ground.
• This is your first taste of flying in the Himalayas and it only gets better from here. Cross country opportunities are possible.

Goa (October to June) :

• Arambol a small remote fishing village in Goa, lies 50kms from Panaji. The place has two beaches, more popular is the main beach (Harmal beach), the northernmost beach in Goa with clean sand, some bays and fresh water pools good for swimming. The beach is beautiful and the village is quiet and friendly, with just a few hundred locals mostly fishing people. The rocky headland or the cliffs near the beaches are popular for paragliding. The second, more picturesque beach lies beyond the rocky headband and can only be reached on foot and is bordered by steep cliffs on both sides.
• Arambol is popular as the best gliding site in Goa. Other sites include Anjuna, Vagator etc. Arambol is best for beginners with its regular, smooth and steady sea breeze perfect for easy, no break flying. The site has ridges which are flyable in North-Westerly winds as well as South Westerly winds. The winds set in by late morning right through the flying season from October to June and some days its possible to fly all day- at least 5-6 hours till sunset. There are three take off sites depending on the wind direction- 'Om' rock face is flyable in the South West direction, Kerry take off and the 1km long ridge to the right of the sweet water lake is flyable in the West to North West winds. The ridge is about 100 ft high and is normally used by beginners for top to bottom (TTB) flights and landings are usually on the beach in front of the lake.

Kamshet (October to June) :

• Situated in Pune district, Maharashtra; 110km from Mumbai and 56km from Pune, the area in and around Kamshet, with its low hills, rocky terrain and flatlands has scores of favourable sites with enough ridges just right for take off. Kamshet, 2200feet above sea level has perfect flying conditions with cloud base usually over 2000m and reliable thermic cycles ideal for basic, intermediate and cross country flying. Here flying is possible almost every day of the long season from October to June. The topography and temperatures allow for both ridge and thermal soaring. The pleasant weather, lush greenery, the huge pristine lake, the dramatic scenery and the easy accessibility to the place adds to its charm.
• One of the widely known sites is the 'Tower Hill' just off the highway on the road to Pavna dam. The take off site, on a north south ridge is visible from the highway and is accessed by a 30minute uphill drive and a 10minute walk. The site is larger than a football field rising 250m (700ft) above the valley floor overlooking the highway, the railway track and the Indrayani river. The site offers good launches everyday with the two prevailing winds- from the east face in the morning and from the west face late in the afternoon. One has to look out for high tension cable lines and the highway when launching from the west face. The mountain ridge is excellent for cross country flying with beautiful views of lakes and open fields. This site hosted the Indian Nationals 2000.
• 'Shelar' is another site 8 km from the highway, a north south ridge about a mile long with a wide take off at 175feet above ground level. This quiet L- shaped ridge free from power cables for miles around, is suitable for training and intermediate flying with perfect conditions for soaring and thermalling. There is usually a reliable lift that will easily carry one to 200-600m above launch. Best for long hours of evening flying with the vultures and eagles, from December to June. The take off point is reachable by a 10 minute walk uphill.

Enquiry form for package tour in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and all over India