Jumping off Mountains

So two friends of ours are big into paragliding and have offered for us to join them and many occasions. Either something would have already been planned with us or the winds wouldn't be worth it so we hadn't gone until this weekend. Hunny had asked me previously how I felt about running off the edge of a cliff with only some cloth and strings  to keep me up? All I could think about were the cartoon characters that are running and run off the edge and float midair till they realize and then either fall or run back. I wanted to be that cartoon. I was so game!

I didn't think I would be able to go due to a meeting but it was cancelled for Chuseok which put me at the friends place to go paragliding. It worked out perfectly! We all got there and it was a pretty big group that came out. We got all loaded up, hopped in the back of a Bongo truck and started straight up the mountain. I have to say that the trip up was pretty fun, just standing in the bed and flying up a bouncing rocky road. When we made it to the top I some how got picked to go first. All of a sudden my pumped-ness was more nervousness. I wanted to see how it was done first. I had no idea anything that was going to happen or at least supposed to happen. They didn't even give me any sort of brief. All the instruction I got was when the guy I would be flying with said run, I was to run no matter what towards the edge of the cliff that ended no more then 10ft in front of me. I was wondering where he wanted me to go. But they insisted that was all I needed. So, all ready and GO! I took off screaming. The shoot picked us up before I was half way to the edge. It was pretty cool running through the air. We got up and seated and looked around. We were so high up and it felt amazing. The tandem guy took really good care of me. He talked me through and told me when and how to bring my 'landing gear' up. Yes up... not down. But before we landed he asked me if I like roller coasters. Of course! He then proceeded to spin us hard and it did feel like a roller coaster. So fun.

Then time to land. Legs up, getting closer, ground is coming up fast and we skidded to a stop. Everyone said Hunny and I had long runs, that most of the time it is just straight down but we were able to fly around for a while. It was more peaceful than anything being up there. When I got done, Hunny had already taken off and not too long afterward there were 5 gliders dotting the sky.

It was neat being able to watch all the different landings. I was even able to get Hunny's landing recorded on my phone. There was one little girl, 9 years old, that was there flying by herself.

We all had a nice time out. The day was pretty and the winds were good. Even the wives were able to have a good time without having to fly. There was a small creek where they and the kids played. Everyone has a great time when we go out flying.