What I Learned Seeing My Friend’s Paragliding Fail

My first paragliding experience was an invaluable one

It was a gentle afternoon in Kullu, Manali. The wind was okay, but the environment was breathtaking. We were up on the hill, preparing for the jump from the hilltop.

We were four in numbers. We took a few days off from our works and came to Manali for some adventures. Our final destination was Chandra Taal lake, 140 km away from Manali. As we have decided to stay two days in Kullu and Manali, we planned to do water rafting and paragliding.

We did the first one with great excitement. The ice-cold water of Beas River was love at first sight. The fierce waves, the ups-and-downs, the joy, and the risks — everything was up to the mark.

When the water rafting adventure was over, we felt so content and, at the same time, up for more. So, we agreed to take paragliding in the afternoon to finish the day in style. But little did we know that shit happens when we expect it the least.

How my friend’s first paragliding attempt failed miserably

We found a paragliding coach, negotiate, and then went up the hill by a jeep. As far as I remember, it was 3000 rupees per person. We were four, but one of our teammates decided not to take flight as he did many times before. Anyway, we were three up on the hill getting prepared for our first paragliding experience.

The view from up there was spectacular. Our coach gave us the proper gear for paragliding. As each of us would be accompanied by an expert paraglider, we had nothing to worry about. We just needed to keep our steps right while running downwards from the hill-slope to take the flight. It was that simple.

The healthiest one of us took the first flight. It was so lovely to watch, and we were eagerly waiting for our turn to spread our imaginary wings in the air. I was the last one in the queue. Before me, it was Jhon’s turn. He was preparing for his run. The paraglider checked all the equipment and waiting for the right wind.

I looked at Jhon and found him very busy with the GoPro-camera. He was checking if it was working well. He was fun throughout the whole tour and addicted to documenting everything with his camera. Going live on Facebook every time he visited anything was his trademark.

No doubt, we were somewhat irritated by that. Anyway, seeing him waiting for the right wind was a little stressful for me because the next one is me to go for the run.

The paraglider checked the wind one more time and told Jhon to do what he was told — running with the paraglider until they are in the sky.

Everything was ready, and they start the run down the hill-slope. Two assistants were also helping Jhon to make it a success. But what I had witnessed next was a shock to my eyes.

I saw Jhon stopped running abruptly, thinking that it’s enough. And, at that very moment, all of them stumbled and rolled down like football from the hill, and god bless, after a few rolling, they stopped on a valley-like tiny place. I thought I was watching a movie or something. I was terrified and shocked to the core. I felt helpless too because I couldn’t go down there to see what happened to them. Oh, it was terrifying. All of them could have died if the rolling didn’t stop there.

Later, when they all came up injured, I saw that my friend Jhon didn’t hurt much — just a few scratches and none of them broke any bones. It was a relief. But the funny thing was he didn’t realize the depth of the situation.

When he got up, he went live on FB immediately to tell people about his paragliding fail. I thought he went mad or something. I mean, how could a person do that?

When my turn came, I got my gear double-checked and requested my paraglider to tell me everything I should know to have a perfect run and not to mess it up like Jhon.

He told me not to worry and run with him until we are in the air. I did what he advised me to do, and it was really a fantastic experience to have a bird’s eye view. It was like floating in the air and seeing everything from up in the sky.

In his second attempt, Jhon did it right. Thank god! But I learned some invaluable lessons seeing his first deadly fail. I always keep that in mind when I get excited about anything. I hope it would help you too when you are in any adventurous situation, and your mind goes wild.

If you are too much excited, take a moment to breathe

My friend Jhon was too much excited that he couldn’t focus on the present moment. He was so excited that he was continuously giving a live commentary of his upcoming adventure on Facebook. That’s not what anyone should do.

I realized that when we are too excited about anything, the excitement clouds our thinking or judgment. So, I learned my lesson. No matter how excited I am, I must take a moment to breathe or pause and focus on the next thing. It really helps me to be grounded and keeps me sane.

When you take a deep breath, you allow your body to fully exchange the incoming oxygen with outgoing carbon dioxide, slow the heartbeat, and stabilize blood pressure. It helps you to calm down and maintain your excitement well.

Do the extra run

When I felt I was in the air during the paragliding, I kept moving my feet an extra few seconds only to make sure that I left the ground. From my friend’s paragliding fail, I learned that doing the extra makes all the difference.

If you work in an office, an extra effort can boost your career. If you are a student, an extra hour of study may get you to the top. A little extra can make all the difference. So, do the extra run and be sure of what you’re doing.

Remember the famous quote from Jimmy Johnson, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

Make sure you are well-equipped

While preparing for paragliding, I checked and double-checked that every piece of equipment is in its place and they are working well. I did that because I didn’t want to end up like Jhon and ruin the adventure.

Over time, I have seen that it’s necessary for every adventure in life. Be it a new job, a relationship, or a meeting. When you check and double-check what you are supposed to have, you can predict the outcome.

For example, if you want to start a business, you must have a good plan, fund, and other resources for a smooth start. If you remain indifferent about it and feel that everything will be okay in the process, no doubt, you will struggle from the beginning.

So, keep an eye on what you have and what you are supposed to possess for your next adventure. If you can make it a habit, you will know beforehand what you are going to get.

Take your eyes off-camera and enjoy the moment

Don’t do or go anywhere only to show other people that you are doing something amazing. Don’t crave social proof or validation from others.

Live in the moment. Enjoy your life off-camera.

Jhon’s addiction to show off put him in a difficult situation that could have been worse. In most cases, if you are sharing your travel live on social media, then you are missing the traveling itself.

Of course, you will take photos and capture the moments with your camera, but that cannot be the main focus of your traveling unless you are running a travel channel for a living.

Go off-camera and enjoy the world around you to make the best out of your adventure.

Try again if you fail in your first attempt

Failure is just one side of the coin. Don’t be discouraged if you fail on your first attempt. Keep a solid mindset, and try again. After the first failed attempt, Jhon gave it another try and made it wonderfully.

All you need is to have some courage to try again. Remember, you hardly get what you want in life on your first attempt. It takes a fighter’s mindset to make things right even in your day to day life.

So, be courageous to give another shot.

To Conclude

My first paragliding experience was indeed a wonderful one. I enjoyed the flight like a bird and, at the same time, learned some invaluable lessons from seeing my friend’s paragliding fail.

Life is indeed full of excitement, experiment, joy, and, at the same time, situations when things go the other way around.

But if you are ready to keep your mind wide open and learn from your and other’s mistakes, you will make the best out of this journey of life.

Thank you for reading.

If you want to read more of my writings, you may read the following one published in The Masterpiece.