If you have ever flown a kite, you may have marveled at how easy it rises aloft and how free it appears, enjoying the constant lift from any existing breeze. Now you understand paragliding. In Chamonix, I had the opportunity to try this sport, and for all intents and purposes I was the kite. And it was a gas….

I can’t imagine that there is any other form of “flying” that feels more bird-like. It felt completely unencumbered and unrestrained as we lingered thousands of feet above the earth. There was never any sense of falling. My only regret is that I hadn’t contracted for a longer flight (We were airborne approximately 25 minutes).

At no time was I scared or had second thoughts and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

While we were spending the morning caught up in paragliding, Many of our group took a day trip to Annecy, a town sometimes referred to as “the pearl of the French Alps”.

In the afternoon, the 4 of us who stayed back for the paragliding tried our hand at renting e-bikes and riding for a couple of hours alongside the raging river in Chamonix and into one of the adjacent parks. It was the final adventure, capping a wonderful trip.

PARAGLIDING PHOTO GALLERY

Click on any image to expand and begin slideshow

PARAGLIDING VIDEO GALLERY

Click to play