Paragliding in Argentina

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So today we had a sleep in and got ready for our paragliding excursion. We were told we'd get a phone call in the morning to see whether or not the weather would be suitable for a flight. The wind was too strong in Bariloche so they suggested we drive to El Bolson instead. It was now too late for the morning so we were told to be ready for 2 p.m.

In the meantime, Leah and I decided to take the city bus over to Cerra Otto mountain. It was a lovely drive along the lakeshore and when we arrived we took a chairlift up to the top. The views were spectacular of all the mountains and lakes. The weather was extremely clear so you could see for miles. It was pretty windy though so we didn't stay too long on the highest observation deck. Instead we went inside for an overpriced hot chocolate and empanada haha.

We decided the chairlift was too easy a descent so we walked down the mountain. There were trails heading in every direction and we were picking our way through when a cute stray dog came along and seemed eager to show us the way. He lead us down most of the mountain before dissapearing. The stray dogs here are super friendly (if not super dirty). They seem to only fight amongst each other and otherwise follow people around as the whim catches them.

We just managed to get back to our hostel in time for the paragliding excursion. It was a 1.5 hr drive to El Bolson before we could even paraglide. Two guys came to pick us up in a clunker of a car and we headed out. Turns out they both have been paragliding for over 17 years each so I was reasonably assured that they knew what they were doing. We got to El Bolson and after a quick pit stop headed straight up the mountain on a dodgy dirt road with huge pot holes and crevices. It was surprising the car made it to the top.

The paragliding launch point is just a clearing on the side of the mountain with some carpet to protect the chute. They handed us helmets and I got a flight suit. Leah was wearing 5 layers of clothing so they figured she'd be warm enough. Leah was to go first with Ernesto. You put on a massive harness with a flat board at the back which eventually turns into your seat. Apparently you have to wait for the perfect moment to take off so they stood there for about ten minutes before Ernesto suddenly said lets go and they were off. I took some amazing video of Leah taking off. They headed straight up to the peaks of the mountain.

It was then my turn and I started to get very nervous. The guy was laughing at me and was warning me to make sure I told him if I was going to be sick. It turns out a couple weeks ago some nervous guy puked all over him in mid-flight. Anyway, he set up the parachute and we stood there waiting for the right wind. I took the time to take deep breaths and try to calm down. I thought it would be harder to get up into the air but within seconds of my guy saying ok, we were up in the air and steadly climbing with the thermals. The only thought in my head (other than "I hope I don't die") was "THIS IS AWESOME". The view from up there and the feeling of just floating and soaring is just amazing. I was still pretty nervous and holding on for dear life. He kept telling me to relax but it was just such a crazy experience. We took a few thermals up higher and reached about two thousand meters before soaring back down. Leah and Ernesto went so high they ended up having to land in a farmers field in the valley. I landed at the same place we took off. I was just starting to relax and get the hang of it when it was suddenly over and we were heading back to the launch site. When landing, you're supposed to take big steps and walk up the hill until you stop. I really tried but we ended up just with a hard stop. It was strange to be back on land. I couldn't really speak I was so amazed at the experience. It was only twenty minutes but it was great. I helped the guy (I'm sorry, I can't remember his name in case you haven't figured that out) pack up the parachute and then we headed back down the mountain to find Leah and Ernesto.

Leah was having such an amazing time and wasn't scared like I was so Ernesto took her on a 40 minute ride and even let her try flying for a while. This also meant they made a landing in a farmer field. Leah had the same experience as me with the hard stop and ended up covered in sheep poo (HAHHA, I can't believe I didn't think to get a picture). In any case, we were both pumped and had a great time paragliding. We packed up the car and headed back to Bariloche as the sun set over the mountains.

When we got back to town it was pretty late but we were starving. We met up with Chris (Adam had left for El Calafate) and the guy we were sharing the dorm with. We went to an Italian restaurant and ate but it was so late I could barely get through any of my meal. We were both exhausted so headed to bed as soon as we were done. I think the guy in our room wanted to drink and party so he bought a bottle of wine and headed off again. I slept like the dead.

Next morning it was time to head off again. We made plans with Chris and Adam to meet up again in El Calafate. We managed to book ourselves a flight through a travel agent and were able to leave on Wednesday but Chris couldn't get a flight until Thursday. The plan once we all meet in El Calafate is to rent a car. We'd wanted to all drive down to El Calafate but route 40 was still closed for the winter and in no condition for driving. There's a 450 km stretch with no stops or gas so we would have had to make a lot more preparations. Travelling in the off season does have a few downsides!

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Photos

Getting ready to go
Leah with Ernesto