Chicamocha Canyon, Colombia 🇨🇴 

Today is the day that I paraglide for the first time. I am slightly apprehensive but mainly excited as I am picked up by the tour company. We are headed to the Chicamocha Canyon which is the second biggest canyon in the world and just over an hour from San Gil. As we arrive, my overwhelming feeling is that we are really high up. We are at 1700masl and the river winds its way around our site along way below. It is painful waiting my turn. Due to the conditions and that the thermals are getting stronger it is lightest first, so I am middle of the pack. We receive a safety briefing and then the group starts taking off, it kind of looks easy, to be fair the pilot behind does all the work.

My turn comes and my heart is starting to beat, the Shute goes up and we run for the cliff. It only takes about 5 steps before I can’t touch the ground and we are soaring up. Settled in my seat it all just feels really calm as we move with the thermals along the mountains. At 2000masl we enter clouds before swinging back down and gliding along the ridge. I can see for miles into the national park and manage to take a few pictures of the vista.

All too soon it’s time to land and after 45minutes in the air we swoop back down to the same landing site and make contact with the ground quite gracefully, at least it felt smooth. Once we were done it was back to watching others take their turns, apprehension turning to exhilaration for everyone.