Launching into Paragliding: Nepal

I had a funny experience once while traveling in Nepal. It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. We were at the tail end of a long trek through the Himalayas.  I had seen the most amazing sites throughout the trek. We finally landed on Porcara on the last leg of the journey back to Katmandu.

Someone had the bright idea to go paragliding. It seemed like a great idea to go on this adventure and I thought; this is so affordable to do here in Nepal, I really need to take advantage of this opportunity. Then I realized the reason it was so affordable was because we were in a country with almost no infrastructure or safety measures other than the good consciousness of the guides who were internationally trained. (Of course my guide was a local….)

With that in mind, I can’t tell you what it feels like to be harnessed into a sail with a guide sitting behind me. He told me to start running off the edge of the cliff. It was way too late to change my mind now. There was no turning back. Then came the sensation that my feet were no longer touching the ground and we were lifting off the cliff. At this point my eyes were squeezed shut and I was hanging on with white knuckle grips. There was a lifting sensation that made my stomach roll. Then the guide told me I could open my eyes and enjoy the experience. He coached me the whole time as we lifted and dipped through the sky soaring on the thermals like the birds do.  I trusted him completely to keep my safe as I tested the sites and sensations for this new experience.

My guide was my coach for this entire leap of faith. He supported me when I was afraid. He advised me how to embrace the experience and even how to avoid motion sickness. My guide was the steadying force to keep us on track who helped us to land safely at our destination.  This may not be an experience that you would relish but I can tell you that as a coach, it is my job to guide the process and to provide support to my clients who are jumping off the cliff; whether it is a running off the edge or a big toe testing the waters over the edge. I support my clients to explore new experiences and develop new patterns.