My Attempt at Solo Paragliding Was a Total Fail

I recently did a tandem paraglide in the Swiss Alps. It was the closest I’d ever felt to flying.

Completely exhilarating. Completely serene.

But that’s because someone else was doing all the work!

They harnessed me up. They checked the wind conditions. They prepared the glider. They sought out the good launching point. They did all the maneuvering with all those string thingies.

Me? All I did was run, run, run (whilst screaming of course), until my feet somehow lifted off the ground and I found myself soaring above trees and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. No photos (sorry), but you can take my word for it – it was incredible.

It was one of those “Whoa, cool!” moments, but never did I think I’d take the controls myself and go it alone. These guys are professionals!

So, fast forward a couple weeks.

I’m in the south of France with sweet Dario – certified paraglider and my ex (more on that later). We’re roadtrippin’ around Spain and France in a campervan, with his paragliding equipment in tow, when we arrive at Dune de Pyla.

Dune de Pyla is a massive sand dune on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the highest in all of Europe I believe. It is reeeeeally stunning.

Dune de Pyla also happens to be a major destination for paragliders, which is precisely the reason Dario and I end up there. With so many great hills for launching, fantastic wind conditions, and sandy cushions for landing, it’s the perfect place to fly. Not only is it a great spot for paragliders to experiment with different types of launches and flights (which is what Dario spent most of his time doing) – it just so happens to be a safe, ideal place for newbies to learn to fly too.

Dario is really excited for me to try it, so I give it a go and with surprisingly little reservation. I’ve been observing paragliders for a couple days and it doesn’t look that difficult. All I need to know, apparently, is:

• The string thingy in my right hand controls the left brake.
• And the string thingy in my left hand controls the right brake.

Easy enough, right?

The only fear I have is flying off into the distance to a far away land and crash-landing in the middle of nowhere (or not being able to get back on the ground at all!). This turns out to be a silly fear because it would require me getting off the ground first…which never happens!

The only time my feet leave the ground is when the glider catches the wind and draaaags me across the sand dune with my face p-p-p-plowing into the sand. Most of the time, I just end up on my bum. See for yourself:

Here’s Dario getting me all set up.

Here’s Dario giving me quick instructions on how to use the string thingies.

And here’s me getting dragged along by the glider. (Hey, at least I’m still standing upright!)

And then, not so much standing upright.

Ok, let’s try that again.

Or not.

I make at least 10 more attempts, my mouth and nostrils filled with sand – and it just isn’t happening.

Enough already! Dario shows me how it’s done. And he makes it look sooooo easy.

(Show off!)

Goodbye Dune de Pyla. You taste delicious.

***Special thanks to Christian Pape for taking most of these photos***

Christian was walking around the dunes with his son, photographing paragliders. He happened to be snapping photos of Dario and me, and when I approached him to ask if he could please send them to us, he was more than happy. We exchanged email addresses, and the photos were in my inbox within a week. Super nice of him! And turns out he’s a professional wedding photographer! Check him out at: Christian Pape Photographe