Paragliding in Lauterbrunnen: The best view of the Alps

I have had a lot of adventures in my life, but I never really took many risks. I like to be comfortable and safe during my travel plans. I plan my itineraries around these factors. This time however, I decided to do something I had never done in my life. The thought of it used to make me feel scared to death.

Paragliding! I know it does not sound like a big deal to many of you, but it was to me. I have always been scared of heights. I did not even like mountains when I was younger. It would be a beach vacation for me, every time.

On my recent trip to Switzerland, I was intrigued by the beauty of mountains and nature in general. I had a free day and I asked my friend what a good way could be to spend it. She suggested me to try Paragliding and sent me the link to a website.

My husband literally laughed at me for even considering this. But as soon as I visited the website, I was convinced I had to do this. You see, this was not just plain old thrilling paragliding. This was a chance to glide through the Alpine mountains, feel the sprays of water from the trickling waterfalls, brush through the tallest of trees in the mountains and have the whole world below my feet.

Location: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Time: July 2020

Company: Airtime

Pilot: Bruno

The night before the adventure, I could not sleep a blink. I even considered cancelling it a few times. I was excited and scared at the same time. When the morning came, I felt ready to strike out one more thing off my bucket list.

We made our way to this place called Stechelberg near Lauterbrunnen. This was the meeting point with my pilot. His name was Bruno and he had quite a sense of humour. We made our way up to the mountain peak with 2 ascending cable cars and a hike through a dirt road. All the way up, he told me funny jokes and all I could return was a nervous smirk.

We were going to descend from a nameless peak at a village called Mürren. It was a very difficult hike as there were no proper paths. When we reached the top, I was already very tired from keeping up with my very fit pilot. I took a few breaths and sat down to see one of the clearest views of the Alps while Bruno was busy preparing the chute.

After a few minutes, he called me to say we were ready to fly. I could not feel my legs anymore and by this point, all I wanted was to get it over with. As Bruno clipped the equipment and safety gears on me, all I could think about was to get back to my husband in the valley and have some freshly brewed beer.

' Run the fastest you have ever ran' were the next few words from Bruno as I struggled to run downhill. 1..2.. and off we were. Before I knew it, we were already flying. This part was really scary as Bruno tried to steer and balance the parachute into a stable position. For a moment, we flew facing up the clouds and the next moment we had a free fall through the valleys.

After a minute that seemed to last an eternity, I could finally breathe and realise where I actually was. We were flying amongst clouds and walls of Alpine mountains. I could see the mighty Jungfrau at a distance and also glimpses of the unmissable Schilthorn peak. It was all like a dream.

Bruno asked me to spread my arms like wings. I hesitated for a bit as I was clutching on to the safety gears for dear life. After a moment I gathered the courage to spread my arms, I felt as free as a bird. I had finally overcome my fear for the greater good.

After this, everything was a breeze. We glided through a few waterfalls, had a straight free fall with a flock of birds, almost touched the edge of a mountain. Bruno pointed out a miniature Wengen and Lauterbrunnen, both popular villages in the Jungfrau region. I slowly understood Bruno was a brilliant pilot and one I could trust. I asked him how it feels to be doing this for a living. He screamed 'This is the best job ever!'

Tip: For those of you who are scared to try this I can recommend Airtime with my eyes closed. They are the most efficient and trustworthy company to do your first Paragliding with. Except for the take off I did not feel scared the entire ride. I felt like I was sitting in an easy chair while someone was showing me some breath taking views.

After the 20 minutes of my allotted time was over, I almost did not want it to end. Bruno asked me if I wanted a roller coaster landing or a plain boring landing. I asked for the boring one because I think it was safe to say I had had enough of a roller coaster ride that day.

After landing, I went and hugged my husband, who had been patiently waiting for me at the landing zone. I had tears of joy and I thanked Bruno for hosting the most precious experience of my life.

I am proud of the fact I was able to conquer my fear and cannot wait to do it again. It definitely goes into my permanent bucket list.