When Skydiving is too Scary, go Paragliding!

As I was planning things to do in Lucerne, I was looking for something adventurous and outside of my comfort zone. I had just filed for divorce (after 36 years!) and my whole life felt like it had just nosedived off a cliff. I needed to do something to mark the beginning of my new life.

Paragliding in Lucerne sounded perfect!

It just felt so symbolic. Like soaring into a new chapter, where you leave the ground and your old life behind, embracing the freedom of what lies ahead. Right?

In this post, I’ll jump (pun intended) into my exhilarating and freeing experience of tandem paragliding for the first time.

Why Tandem Paragliding?

Why did I go tandem? Three reasons.

1. “Tandem” means you’re strapped to an experienced paragliding pilot. In other words, you don’t have to know what you’re doing.

2. You don’t need to take any lessons and you definitely don’t need to have any experience. Just do what the pilot says.

3. I’m too chicken to go tandem skydiving! I don’t think I’ll ever get the courage to jump out of a plane and freefall to the Earth, even if I’m attached to a pilot. There’s just something about plummeting to the ground that terrifies me. But gently taking off from the ground and rising up to the sky like a kite, now that’s something that I could do.

The pilot getting the paraglider ready

Paragliding Companies

When I started researching tandem paragliding in Lucerne, there were several choices that came up. After scouring the websites and reviews of the top companies, there didn’t appear to be much difference between them. They were all equally good.

The top paragliding companies I looked at all had experienced pilots, had positive reviews, and had a high safety record. You should never even consider any company with less than that.

I decided to go with Sky Glide for my first paragliding in Lucerne experience. Not that the other companies had bad reviews or anything, I just felt more of a draw to SkyGlide.

There were several flight options available with differing amounts of “air time” and different locations around Lucerne. I chose a flight called “The View.” This would have me flying over Lake Lucerne and I’d have about 20 minutes in the air. 

I was hesitant to book a longer flight not knowing how scared I would feel once I got there. Now that I’ve done it, and realized it’s not scary at all, I would totally go longer than 20 minutes!

The paraglider is laid out and ready for inspection

Arrival and Briefing

The launch site was in Niederbauen-Emmetten which is about 30 minutes by car from Lucerne, or one hour by public transportation. We were to meet at the parking lot for the cable car that we’d be taking up the mountain to the launch site.

I arrived about 30 minutes early and sat on one of the benches alongside the building. After a few minutes, the pilot came over and introduced himself and went over safety instructions and what to expect. I was relieved to know that there wasn’t anything complicated I needed to do. Run at take off, run at landing, and other than that, just do what he says! Easy enough.

We ended up having about a 45-minute weather delay before we were able to head up the mountain. The wind wasn’t cooperating, and it caused the paragliding flight before us to take off late which in turn meant we were also going to take off late. So, we just hung out in the parking lot a little longer.

I’m going to run off that cliff behind me – eeek!!!!

Getting Everything Setup

While I was gawking at the incredible view and getting a new appreciation for how high up we were, the pilot got to work unpacking and laying out the paraglider wing. The paraglider wing is similar to a parachute. He spread it out across the grass and went around making sure all the straps and stuff were in place.

Then he tested it by shaking it like you do when you make your bed and you throw the sheet across the top of the bed. The parachute needs to catch the air, open up and gently float back down. Fascinating to watch!

With the parachute ready, it was time for me to get fitted into the tandem harness. The pilot made sure that I was properly fitted with the necessary straps, buckles, and latches and again explained the importance of staying safe throughout the process.

I also had a separate emergency parachute attached to me, just in case. And he showed me where the pull cord was for that. I tried not to even let my mind go there.

With that out of the way, we got into position at the end of the parachute ropes. The pilot secured his harness to the paraglider, and them my harness was attached to his. 

We were set.

Bad picture of me but a good picture of the harness setup.

The Run and Lift-Off

It’s time to run! We had the paraglider spread out behind us, and I was secured in tandem with my pilot. We started jogging, then a little faster and, just as he explained, the wind caught the paraglider, and we were airborne.

OMG, it was so unbelievable how exhilarating that was!

And my biggest fear, the freefall drop? That’s not a thing. Thank goodness! You are actually airborne before you even go over the edge. It’s such a smooth and gentle process that I didn’t realize my feet weren’t touching the ground anymore!

Woohoo!!!!

The Weightlessness

The feeling, oh my goodness, the feeling! It was so overwhelming for me that I actually started crying. Truly indescribable.

The sensation of weightlessness was something that I had not experienced before. Combine that with the rush of wind and the total silence and it felt like an adrenaline-fueled out of body experience.

The Silence

One of the most unexpected delights of tandem paragliding in Lucerne was the silence. Total silence. This really caught me by surprise. The only sounds are the gentle rustle of the wind and the occasional calls of birds. It was so quiet that the pilot and I were able to talk to each other normally, no yelling just to be heard.

So peaceful and silent up here!

The Landing

As our 20 minutes was coming to an end, I was really regretting not going with a longer flight time. I didn’t want it to end.

The pilot reminded me of the landing procedure. Start running in the air, continue running even after landing, stop when he says stop.

It definitely feels weird to be running while still in the air but that landing comes so quickly. A gentle, but quick, float down to the ground. In a matter of seconds you have landed on your feet.

I did it!!!!

Final Thoughts

For me, tandem paragliding in Lucerne for the first time was way more than an ordinary adventure. From the adrenaline fueled takeoff to the silent moments in flight and the gentle descent, every aspect of the experience was about embracing the unknown and discovering the possibilities that lie beyond the horizon!

I am ready for my new life!

Have you been tandem paragliding? I’d love to hear about your experience!