I don’t particularly like the G force feeling like on rollercoasters. I don’t have fear of heights, but more of a fear of the G force itself. I’ve never really liked it.
I wanted to do paragliding to see beautiful views and I’ve always wanted to fly. I’m wondering if I should skip out on paragliding if I don’t like roller coasters. Part of me wants to face my fears because it does look incredible!
Skip it ; the views from the lifts and the views from the mountain tops they go to in Switzerland are enough.
Skip it because it has a lot of g forces? Or because it's not worth it in general?
I have (what I think is) a better idea: Skip it...as part of your trip. Do it when you get back home. (I'm assuming home is somewhere in North America.)
Any activity that involves getting yourself off the ground and playing around in the sky costs more than a little money. Paragliding, skydiving, flying small airplanes, hot air ballooning, and (especially) learning how to do any of these things yourself...none of them are cheap, even if you're just riding along for a few minutes with someone qualified.
You can do any of these things at home, or you can do them while on your once-if-a-lifetime trip to [insert name of lovely place in Europe here]. For most people, it's the experience of being up in the air (perhaps jumping out of a plane, perhaps hanging from a balloon, whatever) that's going to thrill you, that's going to be the thing that feels different and special. Believe me, as you plummet from 10,000 feet up and fall to the ground like a proverbial rock strapped to some stranger's chest, the experience is not going to be terribly different if the ground that's rushing up to meet you is ground that's in Tuscany or Tuscaloosa....it's the thrill of doing it that will matter to you, not so much where you do it. Any time you are leaving the ground for a while, you're paying more than a little for the magic of defying gravity. But where you do that can make a big difference in how much it costs.
Few people realize that the USA/Canada is the least expensive place in the world for average folks to get off the ground and get in some sky time. There's a variety of historical, cultural and administrative reasons for this, but it's absolutely true: getting up in the air in Europe costs a lot more than in the USA/Canada. Do the exact same thing in Switzerland or Italy or pretty much anyplace else in the world and you will pay more....way more than at home. In fact, people from Europe and China and everywhere around the world come to the USA for flight training because (to them) it seems crazy cheap here (and relatively speaking, they're right).
There's also the "opportunity cost." For most of us, I think the usable time we have to spend in Europe (or other foreign destination) is our most constrained resource. You can go paragliding pretty much anywhere, any time. That day you spend paragliding in Switzerland (for example) is a day you could have spent doing something else that you can only do in Switzerland: blowing alpenhorns or running-with-the-cows or whatever you might choose.
If you've always wanted to fly (however you envision flying), you should do it. But I'd do it at home, where it's way less expensive, where you won't be burning a precious day of your European trip, and where you'll have a lot more choices/options for how/where to do it.
Hope that helps. Blue skies and tailwinds, have fun.
I’ll take the other side on this. I did it about 10 years ago out of Murren. For tandem paragliding the pilot can tailor the ride to some extent. I can’t take the tight corkscrew turns so my pilot used easy wider ones. The actual take off is pretty gentle. You start to walk run off a steep cliff. There’s a bit of a jerk as the sail inflates and the straps hold you back. The ground falls away and suddenly you’re airborne. There was no falling elevator feeling.
For me it was an incredible experience to see the Swiss alps from this perspective. We glided along the cliff face along Murren. A view that would be difficult without say doing the via ferrata. Catching a thermal every now and then lifted us a bit but it was a gentle descent. When landing you do get a feeling of speed. I think it’s the visual reference of seeing the ground getting closer and then as it’s rushing by underneath you.
If you have the interest, time and can afford it I would recommend it. Would I do it again? Perhaps. For me it’s about the views and secondarily the experience. I’ve only done the one paraglide. I have also done the hot air balloon ride in cappadocia Turkey. That was fun too.
You have a tough call to make here. Sometimes the "idea" of doing something turns out to be better than the actual experience. Other times, people are so happy that they took the risk. Ask yourself which will make you feel worse, not trying to paraglide or having an awful experience paragliding?
“ I wanted to do paragliding to see beautiful views and I’ve always wanted to fly.”
Then I think you should do it. The two lost Covid vacation years have taught us that there’s no guarantee you might get another chance in such a gorgeous location. If the cost is reasonable to you, then go for it!
Can you do paragliding near where you live to see if you like the experience and want to make it a part of your trip?
Check your medical ( or travel ) insurance to see if it has any exclusions for that sort of activity. If you have an awkward landing, you don't want a nasty surprise as well.
Not been paragliding but I would expect the g-force to be more like an airplane, than a roller coaster,
I agree with the people who suggest that you try paragliding before your trip. Then, you can enjoy the beautiful views more, and worry less about the mechanics of paragliding.
I accidentally saw that my trip insurance considers such activities Extreme Sports, and thus does not cover related injuries. I was going to do it in Murren last fall. Instead, I'M doing it from the LaJolla cliffs next month, here in San Diego.
Just do it and have a great adventure!
My son did it for the 1st time in Murren, and would describe it much the way Rocket did. You go tandem with a very experienced pilot. It was very mild, no G force whatsoever. It’s gliding. What really surprised my son was how silent it is… gentle and silent, just the way he imagines it is for a bird. It was not all that expensive. My son loved it so much he came home, took lessons, and is now a licensed paraglider.
The opportunity to paraglide in the Swiss Alps might be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. It was an incredible experience for my son.
Paragliding here, back home, doesn’t come close to the thrill of gliding surrounded by the Alps.
If I were ever to decide to paraglide, Switzerland is the place I would want to do it. They seem to take safety very seriously there.
Pat, was that a typo or are you really considering paragliding? 😊
Carrie, yes , a group of friends and I ( all 70 yrs old) will be doing the tandem paragliding experience over the Pacific Ocean the beginning of August!!!
Yay you Pat!!
Paragliding is actually a very safe sport. Much safer than riding in a car.
Do it! I used Paragliding Jungfrau and loved it. Everyone has photos of themselves from a mountain trail. I have a bunch of me gliding over the Lauterbrunnen valley.
I did paragliding for the first time in New Zealand. It was even more than I had expected. So peaceful and so beautiful looking down at the earth from a height and the feeling of graceful soaring was exhilarating. I am a roller coaster nut and love the G force of them so I can definitely say that the paragliding was nothing like the G force coming down a steep hill on a roller coaster or spinning and twisting through a loop de loop. There was none of that breathless pressure feeling at all. You basically do a little run and 'step' off the side of a mountain, cliff, etc but there is no drop, you just keep flying. And, like the other poster noted, you can discuss with the pilot how much or how little you want to circle around or just float down. It's a wonderful experience and very controlled so I would highly recommend it if you've always wondered what it felt like to be a bird soaring on an air thermal.
Not a roller coaster fan here, but I totally had the BEST TIME paragliding out of Mürren a few weeks ago. It was one of the highlights of my several-country trip. I concur with what Rocket, Susan, and Nancy wrote about the experience. No drops. No G-force. So, all things considered, thumbs up for going for it. The pilot will ask you towards the end of the flight if you'd like him/her to do some stunts. That's when you decline, but, you can tell him/her that before you start your ride, as well. Surprisingly, I went for it. Not too bad, but gentle swirls, instead of corkscrews, would be more my speed. :-D At one point, I briefly piloted the paraglider. Yes! The pilot will take videos and pictures during the flight and, of course, it's an extra fee for them, but well worth it. It brings me joy looking at/watching them. Your family and friends will get a kick seeing them, too.
It was my first time paragliding and, oh, what a first time it was! It was so peaceful (and epic, really) soaring through the sky in the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Alps! For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, since there are so many more countries to experience. And if I don't ever paraglide again, at least I did it in one of the most breathtaking and majestic places on Earth.
Blaire, this is your post (not mine), and I have never paraglided......
...but, after reading the above posts, I would be inclined to "give it a go" if I were going to Switzerland..........BUT (there is always a but, isn't there?) PROVIDED (as Pat above suggested) my combination of medical/trip insurance/emergency evacuation coverage did not preclude such activity. It would be one thing to be in one's home country and have a serious accident on an "extreme sport," but more complicated when one is an ocean away.
Let us know what you decide and how much you love it!
Regardless, have an incredible trip!
Quinn what operator did you use for your paragliding?
I’m going to do it guys!!!! Gonna book it.
Good choice!!
Rocket's explanation is spot on. I think my wife and I paraglided out of Murren with Airtime. She got to see the glacier calf but I missed it. The flight was a good 40-45 minutes.
I recommend wearing some eye protection. You will be moving forward at a pretty good speed and your eyes will water quite a bit if you don't wear glasses.
You should also consider the via ferrata as long as you are in Murren.
It's great to see that you've decided to go ahead with it. I did paragliding in Mürren a few years and thought it was fantastic, and one of the best memories of my trip that year. I don't recall G-forces being much of a problem, as the flights are very gentle, although changing direction sometimes has a slight force. I wasn't too concerned about "dropping like a stone" as the pilot also had a parachute.
One other important point to mention. Most travel medical insurance companies do not cover "risky" activities like sky diving or paragliding. However I vaguely recall that many paragliding companies are able to provide a policy that will provide medical coverage for the flight. Also, some (all?) of the companies will provide photos or videos of your flight, for an extra charge of course.
Have fun!
YAY, Blaire! I flew with Airtime. Twenty minutes of glorious flying. According to their website, you can double your flight time (depending on weather conditions), which sounds like what Jay did. I could've easily flown for longer than 20 minutes, because it was So. Much. Fun! But, this was a last minute decision to paraglide, and thankfully (!), there was a cancellation so they were able to fit me in that day, my last day in Mürren. As far as eyewear: I asked my pilot if I should take off my sunglasses (thinking he'd have a goggle for me). He asked me, "What is the most important thing about paragliding?" Me: blank look. Him: "Looking cool! Keep your shades on." 😎
You're going to have a blast, Blaire! 👊🏼
GUYS I DID IT. IT WAS AMAZING
who's a Happy Blaire then?
Blaire, I'm so glad you stepped out of your comfort zone. And I'm happy that you enjoyed it.
That’s so great blaire!!
YAY. I’m glad to hear that you had a great flight!
The discussion here made me do a cursory search. In high cost San Francisco a tandem flight will run $190 USD. For Murren it seems to run about 200 CHF. So not really that much of a price difference at current FX rates. There are probably lower costs areas to try it in the US but not SF.
Way to go, Blaire!
I’m so glad you did it! We went over Salzburg a few years ago. It was amazing. The views were spectacular.
I love roller coasters, so the pilot did some tight turns at the end. I was giggling like crazy, but I wouldn’t want too much of that. We went with our teenage kids, and the pilot took it easy with my youngest, who gets motion sickness. My son still holds it against me that I told the pilot about that!
It was one of my top 3 travel experiences ever. I told him that if I had done this 20 years ago I would have become a paragliding pilot instead of an accountant! I look forward to going again next summer, either in the Dolomites or Switzerland. I can’t imagine a better place for it.
......and you will have that special memory for life!!!
