Paragliding Guide - Fly in Himalayas

Flying in Indian Himalayas is an exhilarating experience with many challenges, having a highly experianced and competant local guide to fly with you keeps you out of trouble no matter what your experience level is. Join me whether you are a low airtime pilot wanting to learn thermalling, do a cross country course or an intermediate level pilot wanting to go distance or a seasoned veteran wanting to explore new routes or just want a flying buddy.

Get in touch also if you are a guide/instructor bringing a group, I will be glad to help.

Sometimes it is not possible to fly together if I am engaged already, in that case I would be happy to do theory sessions on thermalling and XC.

Bir, Himachal Pradesh is a place where Paragliding, Tibetan and Indian Culture create a perfect Shangri-La. Weather is as beautiful as people here. Forests with pine, cedar and rhododendron cover the snow caped mountains.

There are also other great paragliding destinations that work during seasons when flying at Bir is not possible, do let me know if you wish to go to Kamshet, Panchgani or elsewhere, I may be able to join you there or put you in touch with local instructors who fly there.

Best way to explore the awe inspiring mountains and seemingly easy flying conditions safely is to fly with an experienced guide who will show you the routes, places you can/cannot go and fly with you so you do not have to worry about any unwelcome surprises.

I will help you arrange pickup from airport, if needed, find accommodation that suit your budget(high/med/low), will arrange for ride to launch and retrieve when you land out.

We will be doing full site briefing, daily weather briefings, flight plan and post-flight analysis. We will jointly explore flying in these amazing mountains. We can also arrange for camping out on the mountain or on a non-flying day visit hot springs, waterfalls, beautiful Buddhist monasteries or go trout fishing.

Do note that our sport is heavily dependent on many conditions, weather and pilot aptitude being the important ones. There will be no charge on the days no guiding is not provided, and half charge on the days we can only do very little flying due to weather conditions.

Thermalling is an art and science of finding and using invisible columns of raising air. In this course of minimum 3 days, I will break it down to easily understable concepts, walk you through techniques you can use to narrow down your search and optimize climb in a thermal when you find one. This is the beginning, the foundation of the whole new world of flying cross country. Albedo, source, trigger, core, climb rate etc. and the practically using all that knowledge by doing it are the stuff this course is made of. Once you master thermalling you can spread your wing and go as far as the day and terrain allows. After this course you are now ready for the next big adventure, the XC flying. At the end of this course you will be able to climb all the way to the cloud base/top of the lift and stay up in air for as long as conditions allow.

How to read and utilize the elements of nature to go distance with nothing but a piece fabric over your head is the world of XC flying. Flying over different terrains brings with it it's own challenges and opportunities. After mastering thermals, we delve into glides, speed to fly and look at all the components that make up tools we can use to fly far. Climbs, lines, maps and terrains etc. are the stuff this 3 day course is made of. At the end of the course you will be much more confident in exploring the surroundings away from launch.

You are always a first timer here at Bir, it could be your first time to Red Temple, or the Big Face, or the Hobbiton, Dharamshala, Camp 360, Mandi or the Big Mountains Over The Back and Manali. Whatever your skill level, we will fly together, with me marking thermals along the way or sometimes you leading and learning by doing. Make the most of your flying trip here, let me help you discover the awesome unknown with minimal risk of putting yourself in a situation without anyone watching your back. Shared experience is always the best kind of experiences, let us share the joy of free flight together.

All kinds of accommodation is available at Bir. Budget accommodation starts from Euro 10 and luxury resorts for over Euro 50. Get in touch in advance to find whatever suits your need.

Indicated fees starting at INR 20000 per day per person(~Euro 220/USD 240). One on one guiding. Maximum 2 participant of equal level per session due to close attention provided to each participant. During a typical season only a couple of courses/guiding sessions of few days each are possible, so book in advance to take full advantage of the availability. However if you are keen but cannot afford the fees then get in touch, let's see what we can work with.