Have you ever heard the saying “if your friends jump off a cliff, would you?” In this case, I did. Well, technically I ran off a cliff to go paragliding.
This past weekend, I traveled to Switzerland and visited Geneva and Interlaken. Being in the mountains with all the fresh air was a much needed break from the city. Interlaken is surrounded by the Alps so the views were breathtaking. In the winter, Interlaken is a popular skiing and snowboarding destination. With that being said, there are a host of sports in the area.
During my time in Interlaken, I went paragliding. This was one of those bucket-list, once in a lifetime experiences. We took a van up into the mountains until we got to our launch site. From there, we got set up with our instructors, strapped into our harness, and prepared for our journey. I laughed out loud when my instructor asked me “are you a good runner?” I hesitantly replied “…yes?” He informed me that we would start our trip by running… literally running off of this cliff.
I was surprisingly relaxed. Once we were all ready, we waited for a gust of wind, and ran. I was so excited, I just took off. I felt the sail pick up and my feet lift off of the ground. We took off! I felt the wind and sunshine on my face while I took in the views. I loved seeing the city from a literal “bird’s-eye” view.
Paragliding was a perfect mix of an adrenaline rush and a relaxed ride. I would recommend this experience to everyone. Not only is it a great time in the air, but the pictures will last a lifetime.
