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Centuries ago, when man first
began to look up at the sky and wonder what lay above him, he’s been captive to an
inherent urge to fly- to soar above and see what the earth looks like from way up there.
Whether it’s mythical Daedalus, or his unfortunate son, Icarus, whose wax wings
melted in the heat of the sun; whether it’s tales of angels and cherubs, flying gods
and winged deities, world mythology has always reflected mankind’s desire to take to
the skies. Aeroplanes, zeppelins, hot air balloons and
helicopters have all been a fulfilment of this desire. |
But if you really want
to go off on your own, and not as part of a crowd of people, aerial sports- hang gliding,
paragliding and parasailing are what you should be doing. Soaring along on your own (and
having chance encounters with curious birds!), getting a bird’s eye view of a
stunning landscape- that’s what aerial sport is all about.
Aerial sport, as a
part of adventure travel, has only recently gained any level of popularity in India. A
number of places, both in Himalayan and peninsular India, are suitable for gliding, but
have little infrastructure or rescue facilities to speak of. For the time being,
therefore, we’re listing only the places where aerial sports facilities do exist,
adequate enough to ensure that you’re safe and have a good time.
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When to go
When you go gliding or parasailing depends upon where you go. By and large,
summer is when the Himalayan sites- those in Himachal, for instance- are at their best;
and winter is when the sites in peninsular India can be used for aerial sports. The
Nilgiris tend to get chilly during the winter, and although it is possible to go gliding
during this time, summer is generally much more suitable.
The only time aerial
sports come to a standstill is during the monsoon, when wind and rain can make it a
dangerous activity.
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What to bring
Warm clothing and a windcheater are a must, as the higher you rise, the lower the
temperature falls, and it can get quite cold. Make sure you’re wearing sturdy
ankle-support shoes, long trousers, and gloves. A pair of sunglasses and a liberal splash
of suntan lotion are highly recommended too.
Whatever you need in
the way of bedding and other `essentials’- mineral water, food, medicines, etc- will
depend upon where you’re going. Larger cities and towns like Ooty, Bangalore, Mumbai
and Manali have virtually everything you’ll need, but if you’re headed further
out, to Billing and smaller places, it makes sense to carry stuff you can’t do
without.
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Training
Much more training is required for aerial sports than for a number of other sports like
trekking or swimming. Both paragliding and hang gliding need a few days’ training, in
which trainees are taught the essentials of rigging up and dismantling a glider,
aerodynamics, air safety, wind and land conditions, and so on. Theoretical training is
followed by dry runs, then by short hops which do not rise high in the air and cover very
short distances. Even when you’ve learnt gliding, it’s best to go for short,
easy glides in the beginning, and graduate to more difficult and higher ones later.
Parasailing, in comparison, requires less training and can be enjoyed even by novices.
Physical fitness is
top priority for anybody who’s keen on aerial sports. You’ve got be in good
condition, and not overweight. Suffering from vertigo is obviously a no-no when it comes
to aerial sports.
A few institutions in
India offer training in paragliding and hang gliding and other aerial sports. The length
of courses varies, with private companies offering a short 4-day course which just about
manages to get you flying. What’s recommended, instead, is a good course from a
reputed association which specialises in aerial sports training. Some of these
organisations include:
| Mumbai
|
Nirvana
Adventures, 2-A, Takshashila Apts, Tagore Rd, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054.
Tel: 91-22-6493110, 91-22-6053724
The Western India Paragliding Association, 14 Percy, I C Colony, Borivali West (Tel:
893 6184) |
Manali
(Himachal Pradesh)
|
Himalayan
Institute of Adventure Sports
C/o Himalayan Adventures (P) Ltd
The Mall (Tel: 53050) |
| Bangalore |
The Aeronautical Society of India, 9 Suranjan Das Road, New Thippasandra Post (Tel: (080) 5297159/ 5286721.
and
Karnataka Mountaineering Association,
No 307, 3rd Cross, 5th Main
(Tel: 080-2269053)
|
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The
Sports
Aerial sports can be divided into six types: hang gliding, paragliding, parasailing,
skydiving, hot air ballooning and bungee jumping. Of these aerial sports, only hang
gliding, paragliding and parasailing are popular enough in India to be offered as an
adventure option by organisers. Bungee jumping, skydiving and ballooning are very limited
in scope and are currently available only in large metros like Delhi and Mumbai;
furthermore, the infrastructure for these hasn’t been developed sufficiently. But,
hold on- a few more years, and they’ll catch up too!
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Gliding
An engine-less glider
in which power is provided by the pilot’s legs, a hang glider is a
light, portable piece of equipment consisting of an aluminium frame fitted with a
parachute. Additional equipment required includes a harness, a safety belt and a helmet.
The pilot takes off on a hang glider by running down a slope- ideally at an angle of about
40º- until the glider’s stalling speed, of between 15 and 3- kmph- is crossed.
Alternately, a hang glider can be launched from a plane or helicopter.
Columns of hot air
known as thermals, and `ridge lifts’, caused by wind hitting a hillside, can be used
to rise higher.
A comparatively new
sport in India- it actually appeared in this country in 1991- paragliding
is easier than hang gliding for many reasons. A paraglider is lighter than a hang glider
(which usually weighs about 55kg), is easier to launch and manoeuvre, and only requires a
good slope for launching.
A paraglider takes
less effort to unpack or to dismantle than a hang glider, weighs only about 12 kg, is
slower flying, softer landing, and generally much easier to handle and to learn.
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Where to go for
gliding
Himachal Pradesh
Many of India’s foremost sites for hang gliding are in Himachal Pradesh: Billing,
about 14 km from Bir, and Dharamshala, both in the Kangra Valley, Kasauli, Shimla
and Solang. Himachal Tourism involves itself actively in aerial sports, and
offers equipment for hire, training courses, and other infrastructure.
Billing is by far and
away Himachal’s most prominent site for hang gliding and parasailing. It offers
nearly a 100 km of clear, beautiful countryside where gliding is possible, and the Aero
Sports Club at nearby Bir is a good place to go for assistance of any kind. An annual
Himalayan Hang Gliding Rally is organised at Billing every May.
Dharamkot, near
Dharamshala, also offers excellent gliding, but is a little more difficult to approach.
The nearest roadhead is about 2 km away, so you need to trek that distance before you can
start.
Himachal’s
capital, Shimla, is one of the most convenient places in the state to get to, with train
and road connections to Delhi and other important towns in northern India. Shimla’s
connected to Kasauli, Solang and Kangra by bus. Kangra, in addition, is served by the
pretty Kangra Valley Railway, which starts from Pathankot (Punjab) and wends its way
through the valley. Kangra has its own domestic airport at Guggal, which is about 40 km
from Palampur.
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Maharashtra
More a year-round destination than the
sites in the Himalayas, the Maharashtrian sites of Satara, Kamshet, Talegaon and Murud
Janjira use the low hills of the Sahyadris as take off points.
Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, has excellent transport connections by air, sea, rail
and road to the rest of India. It’s also home to one of India’s busiest
international airports, with regular flights to a large number of destinations across the
world.
From Mumbai, trains and roads go further inland, to other towns and cities in the
state.
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Tamilnadu
The mist-shrouded blue hills of southern India- the lovely Nilgiris- are known not
just for their picture-pretty towns, tea gardens and coffee plantations, but also for the
fact that they make for some good gliding. The town of Ooty, in particular, offers
plenty of scope for gliding; Kalhatti, which is about 14 km from the town, is the
launch pad for glides which take you over the thickly forested areas around. It is
possible, if you’re lucky, to catch a glimpse of some wildlife, but don’t count
on it. The spectacular Kalhatti Waterfalls are an added attraction on this route.
The airport nearest
Ooty is Coimbatore, which has frequent connections to Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. The
nearest lowland railhead is Mettupalayam, from where a narrow gauge railway known as the
Swiss Vintage Hill Train runs to Ooty. Ooty’s also linked by road to most major towns
in southern India, including Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore and Mysore.
From Ooty, private
taxis or cars can be hired to get to Kalhatti; besides this, there are buses between the
two points.
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Karnataka
In Karnataka, the two main areas which
offer opportunities for aerial sports are the Chamundi Hills and the Nandi Hills.
65 km from Bangalore
are the Nandi Hills, locally known as Nandidurg, and rising to a height
of about 1478 mt. The hills are extremely pretty, and besides being popular among
trekkers, are also good for gliding.
The Chamundi
Hills overlook the city of Mysore, and are known primarily for the temple to the
goddess Chamundeshwari and a royal palace, now owned by the Wodeyars of Mysore. The hills
are also good for hang gliding, facilities for which are available with certain adventure
tour operators in Mysore.
Both Bangalore and
Mysore are easily accessible from within India. Bangalore’s airport, one of
India’s largest, receives flights from all across the country as well as a few
destinations abroad (mainly within Asia), and both cities- especially Bangalore- have good
rail and road connections to the rest of the country.
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Madhya
Pradesh
The town of Mhow is one of India’s foremost military installations and
home to a beautifully landscaped cantonment. It is also Madhya Pradesh’s prime
gliding destination, with flights being organised by the military both for themselves and
for civilians.
Mhow is 23 km from the
city of Indore, which is one of the most important railway and road junctions of Madhya
Pradesh. It also has an airport, which has regular flights coming in from Delhi, Bhopal,
Mumbai and Gwalior as well as other major cities. Buses and taxis can be taken from Indore
to Mhow.
Mhow has its own
railway station as well, which is connected to a number of destinations in India.
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Other
Destinations
Besides these sites in the Himalayas, the
Sahyadris and the Nilgiris, India has a number of other destinations where aerosports
facilities are available. Auli, a well-known skiing destination near Joshimath
(Uttaranchal) is also used for paragliding, as is Shillong, in Meghalaya.
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Parasailing
Parasailing consists
of a parachute-like parasail, attached to a 300mt long tow rope which is pulled along by a
speeding form of transport. When the speed rises to beyond stalling speed, the parachute
rises, taking the pilot up in the air. Parasailing has two variations: a terrestrial and
an aquatic one, with a jeep (usually) being used on ground and a motor boat being used in
the water. As compared to gliding, parasailing is easier to learn and is also safer.
Goa, Trivandrum, and
certain parts of Orissa and Manipur are used as destinations for parasailing. In Goa and
Trivandrum it’s almost totally an aquatic sport, whereas in Manipur it’s
land-based. In Orissa, parasailing is done on both land and sea.
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Skydiving
Skydiving is, as yet,
not among India’s top aerosports, and facilities for it are few and far between. A
handful of organisations, however, do organise training camps where enthusiasts are taught
the art of leaping out of a plane in midair, doing a `freefall’ and then opening the
parachute to land softly. An innovative variation of skydiving is `skysurfing’, which
involves performing manoeuvres like loops and twists- done almost exclusively by
professionals as a spectator sport.
Skydiving’s a
fairly expensive sport to indulge in, but the Air Force Adventure Foundation organises
training and flights where civilians can participate. A selected number of adventure
sports specialists in large metros like Delhi and Mumbai can also help if you’re
interested in skydiving.
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Hot Air Ballooning
Probably the oldest
aerial sport, hot air ballooning was invented by the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th
century. Initially of more importance as a means of aerial transport than as an adventure
option for enthusiastic tourists, hot air ballooning’s become a popular sport in the
past two decades. Hot air ballooning involves a trip in a wicker basket held aloft by a
huge nylon canopy, filled by hot air from a propane or butane burner below. Regulated
streams of hot and cold air help in steering the balloon.
Hot air ballooning is,
as yet, not the rage in India and commercial balloon rides aren’t available. If
you’re very keen, however, you could approach the Balloon Club of India for
assistance; they’ll be able to help. In any case, permission must be taken from the
Balloon Club before you take to the skies.
The India
International Balloon Festival is held in Delhi annually, usually in November.
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Bungee Jumping
Supposedly
a sport which originated somewhere in the Pacific Islands, where daring islanders leaped
off a cliff face with vines tied to their ankles, bungee jumping is a hot favourite in
many parts of the world. It’s still not caught on in India, largely because high
quality infrastructure is hard to come by. It isn’t non-existent, though, and a few
adventure-tour specialists in Mumbai and Delhi offer opportunities for bungee jumping.
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