So you’re already a big fan of summer holidays in the mountains and fancy taking the experience to the next level ! How about discovering the mountains from a different angle – from above! From skydiving to hot air ballooning, there are various different ways of enjoying the stunning mountain landscapes and famous snow-capped peaks which spread out below you like a tapestry of colours and unusual shapes - it’s simply up to you to decide how fast you want your heart to beat! Read on to find out more about taking to the air in the mountains this summer.
If you ever dreamed about flying as a child then paragliding is the air sport for you! Fly side by side with the birds above the snow-capped peaks and green valleys and see as far as the eye can see… The powerful uplifting thermals in the summer in the mountains make for some long, peaceful flights allowing you to really appreciate the exceptional views. The Alps are well-known for their unrivalled beauty offering some of the best paragliding spots in the world. You can, of course, learn to paraglide but you won’t be able to get up to such high altitudes in your first week of flying, so the perfect way to enjoy the spectacular views is to take a tandem flight. With your fully-trained instructor strapped to your back, you almost have the feeling you are flying alone – the only difference is you don’t have to concentrate because someone else is driving !! It is possible to paraglide almost everywhere in the Alps and Pyrenees and a tandem flight costs around €75 per flight – a really unforgettable experience not to be missed.
If paragliding doesn’t sound exciting enough for you and you’re looking for more of an adrenalin rush, why not try skydiving ! Most skydiving clubs organize tandem jumps where you meet your instructor at the airport and have a short but concise safety training session before taking a light aircraft to the dropzone ! Once strapped into your gear, with your instructor behind you, you can enjoy a short flight before jumping from the plane. After the initial shock of jumping, you quickly reach a speed of around 125 miles per hour (200kph), at which point you are free falling through the air ! Depending on the altitude of your jump, you could be lucky enough to enjoy nearly a minute of of free fall. Once you reach an altitude of around 5,000 feet (1,500m) your instructor opens your parachute and this is the moment to enjoy the scenery before preparing for landing on a meadow far below. Some clubs offer the chance to skydive from a helicopter which gives the sensation of jumping from a fixed platform – similar to base jumping – perfect for the serious thrill seekers among you ! You often have the opportunity to film your jump – don’t be surprised by your strange facial expressions – wind blowing at this speed does strange things to your skin !
Depending on whether you are afraid of heights, bungee jumping could be the ultimate adrenalin rush or the most terrifying experience of your life ! Although, of course, the starting point for a bungee jump is nowhere near as high as a skydive, the simple fact that you can see the ground VERY clearly makes this air sport unique and very thrilling ! In some ski resorts in the Alps, you can even skydive from a cable car… In the Swiss Alps, a cable car is stopped 135 meters above a lake… Watch this video to see what happens… Prices vary enormously so I’ll leave it to you to find a bungee jumping club that fits your budget.
If just reading about paragliding, skydiving and bungee jumping have made you come out in a cold sweat, don’t worry, there’s one way you can get way up above the top of the world without the risk of your hair turning white ! Hot air ballooning is a much more relaxing way of enjoying the wonderful views ! Generally, flights are organised early in the morning when the airstream and weather conditions are more stable. There are various ballooning clubs across the Alps with some that organise flights over the "Pays du Mont Blanc" offering unforgettable aerial views of the famous Mont Blanc mountain range. This is a wonderful air sport for a family trip as children as young as 8 can take part and there is no maximum age limit ! A trip can cost around 250€ for a 3 hour flight –making this an excellent and original gift for a special birthday.
Leave a comment or join us on Facebook and tell us about your air sport experiences… Happy flying !
So you’re already a big fan of summer holidays in the mountains and fancy taking the experience to the next level ! How about discovering the mountains from a different angle – from above! From skydiving to hot air ballooning, there are various different ways of enjoying the stunning mountain landscapes and famous snow-capped peaks which spread out below you like a tapestry of colours and unusual shapes - it’s simply up to you to decide how fast you want your heart to beat! Read on to find out more about taking to the air in the mountains this summer.
If you ever dreamed about flying as a child then paragliding is the air sport for you! Fly side by side with the birds above the snow-capped peaks and green valleys and see as far as the eye can see… The powerful uplifting thermals in the summer in the mountains make for some long, peaceful flights allowing you to really appreciate the exceptional views. The Alps are well-known for their unrivalled beauty offering some of the best paragliding spots in the world. You can, of course, learn to paraglide but you won’t be able to get up to such high altitudes in your first week of flying, so the perfect way to enjoy the spectacular views is to take a tandem flight. With your fully-trained instructor strapped to your back, you almost have the feeling you are flying alone – the only difference is you don’t have to concentrate because someone else is driving !! It is possible to paraglide almost everywhere in the Alps and Pyrenees and a tandem flight costs around €75 per flight – a really unforgettable experience not to be missed.
If paragliding doesn’t sound exciting enough for you and you’re looking for more of an adrenalin rush, why not try skydiving ! Most skydiving clubs organize tandem jumps where you meet your instructor at the airport and have a short but concise safety training session before taking a light aircraft to the dropzone ! Once strapped into your gear, with your instructor behind you, you can enjoy a short flight before jumping from the plane. After the initial shock of jumping, you quickly reach a speed of around 125 miles per hour (200kph), at which point you are free falling through the air ! Depending on the altitude of your jump, you could be lucky enough to enjoy nearly a minute of of free fall. Once you reach an altitude of around 5,000 feet (1,500m) your instructor opens your parachute and this is the moment to enjoy the scenery before preparing for landing on a meadow far below. Some clubs offer the chance to skydive from a helicopter which gives the sensation of jumping from a fixed platform – similar to base jumping – perfect for the serious thrill seekers among you ! You often have the opportunity to film your jump – don’t be surprised by your strange facial expressions – wind blowing at this speed does strange things to your skin !
Depending on whether you are afraid of heights, bungee jumping could be the ultimate adrenalin rush or the most terrifying experience of your life ! Although, of course, the starting point for a bungee jump is nowhere near as high as a skydive, the simple fact that you can see the ground VERY clearly makes this air sport unique and very thrilling ! In some ski resorts in the Alps, you can even skydive from a cable car… In the Swiss Alps, a cable car is stopped 135 meters above a lake… Watch this video to see what happens… Prices vary enormously so I’ll leave it to you to find a bungee jumping club that fits your budget.
If just reading about paragliding, skydiving and bungee jumping have made you come out in a cold sweat, don’t worry, there’s one way you can get way up above the top of the world without the risk of your hair turning white ! Hot air ballooning is a much more relaxing way of enjoying the wonderful views ! Generally, flights are organised early in the morning when the airstream and weather conditions are more stable. There are various ballooning clubs across the Alps with some that organise flights over the "Pays du Mont Blanc" offering unforgettable aerial views of the famous Mont Blanc mountain range. This is a wonderful air sport for a family trip as children as young as 8 can take part and there is no maximum age limit ! A trip can cost around 250€ for a 3 hour flight –making this an excellent and original gift for a special birthday.
Leave a comment or join us on Facebook and tell us about your air sport experiences… Happy flying !
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
