In the evening we left for Bir-Billing where the actual journey to Himachal Pradesh Begins. While on the journey we developed strong relationships, danced to impromptu music, laughed at silly jokes, and enjoyed some pakoras and coffee from Tapris(shop). What else do you do to pass the travel time? Well, those Journeys felt like home. Where journeys feel like home. This is what I usually dream about. Travelling, discovering yourself, and learning from the journeys. Self-discovery is the best gift one could give to themselves. What do you think? Again after travelling for 8 Hours, we reached our destination i.e. Bir Billing Paragliding Site. I checked my mobile phone to see the time and it turned out to be 1:30 AM. I saw outside the window to check if I could see where I am but I saw complete darkness outside,not even a single street light. Then suddenly our guide told us to get outside as we reached our destination. We all then questioned him, where is our destination? We couldn’t see anything. Not even a single shelter, stay, hotel, resort, or anything. He then asked us to just step outside, it was a surprise. They gave us a hint by saying, “Don’t forget it’s an adventure trip!
The moment I stepped outside the bus, I started shivering. The temperature showed -1oC! It was shivery cold outside, what would you expect at an altitude of 8200 feet above sea level? But there was one thing that made me forget all the chilling vibes out there, can you guess it? Well.., as I mentioned above about the complete darkness,what do you think you would see in complete darkness outside at night? Of course, Stars! The stars filled the sky. And sure, I was astonished! I was taken aback by the sky;it was so enchanted that I forgot the cold for a moment. It’s hard to describe how magical it was. Never in my life have I witnessed so many stars and shooting stars. Nature never forgets to show its beauty even in the darkness. It knows how to shine even in the darkest hour. After gazing at the sky for a few minutes, we got to know that we are camping tonight.One of the trip guides stated, could you see the single lamp light down the hill? We have to trek down to that location for camping, he added. We got amused by the fact of hiking at night! Yet I was intrigued and delighted by that.
We immediately began our hike, leaving all of our belongings on the bus; I carried no bags whatsoever. That was the first-night hike I had ever taken in my life, and it was at Billing in bitterly cold weather. We had to hike for around 15-20 minutes to get to our camping spot named The Sky Village, Billing. The camping site had all the arrangements. At first, we had a hungry late dinner at 2 AM. (You might be thinking that I mean who does dinner at 2 AM? Well, you’re right, but when you’re on an adventure trip, everything is possible, all we need to do is let go of our comfort zones and create some lifelong experiences.)
After having our meals we had a bonfire night, where we got relief from the cold, sang songs, played a few games, stargaze, and did little chit-chat. Admiring that moment, that was the ideal night. Out of your comfort zone, you make the ever-lasting memories of your life. Which results in your best decisions
Next, after sunrise, we hardly slept for 2-3 Hours. But we were blessed with the beautiful view. Each tent faced a breathtaking panorama. The site was in a really serene location.
Sunrise. When I was a college student, five years ago, I had a dream about paragliding at the Bir Billing paragliding site,and on that day, I was ready to cross this adventure off my bucket list.We had our breakfast and prepared our minds for an amazing adventure
“That Bird-Eye view will give you broader perspectives on life.”
Neha Kaithwas
Before engaging in any adventure activity, we must fill out a declaration form known as the indemnity bond or liability waiver. While filling out this form I asked one of the instructors about how many people genuinely gave up this activity after reaching the spot? He said 60%. This information made me anxious at that time.We then reached the take-off site. It was a hike of 15 minutes from our campsite. Curiosity, excitement, and anxiety all raised that time after having a glimpse at a few people taking off from the mountains. During that time I met one guy who was learning paragliding, for a P1+P2 license. Had a really wonderful conversation with him which literally gave me confidence and changed my perspective to face my fears. Do you wanna know what he said? Let it be a matter of suspense; I’ll reveal it shortly.
The take-off point seems captivating. You’ll see paragliders gliding like birds above snow-capped summits and mountain ranges blanketed with greenery. Here, people from all around the world and country unite here to experience the thrill and to connect with nature. Finally, after a few hours of waiting, my turn came. This time I was super enthusiastic and confident than anxious. Here’s how it went…My paragliding instructor/pilot guided me with all the necessary precautions about safety and equipment.We geared up and practiced running. The instructor arranged the paraglider and called for the final take-off. In one hand I was holding a GoPro and he asked me to start running. I began to run down the sloped hill, but it wasn’t a smooth take-off. When I started running, the instructor realized one of the lines of the paraglider got tangled. So he had to turn back, untangle it within a second, and then we took off. Though my take-off was not smooth my flight was super calm. The moment we took the flight in the sky I screamed out of exhilaration. At first, the paraglider went down and then up with the flow of air till we got stable at the top flying.
Once we got stable, I looked down and felt like a bird flying. That bird’s eye showed me mountain ranges covered with green patches of trees and far away I could see the snowy mountains and a village that looked like a miniature toy world.I moved my feet to realize I’m really hanging up in the sky. I could feel the cool breeze, the relaxing sunlight, and the clear sky. At that moment I felt authentic tranquility, I forgot all the problems of my life and just felt the presence, felt alive. A “Parindon ki Nagri” is what Bir Billing paragliding actually is. My landing went without a hitch, and I will always cherish those 20 minutes I spent tandem paragliding in Bir Billing. If I get the opportunity, I’ll go back there again for a longer period of time and to learn it for sure. After landing at Bir, with hearts filled with joy and self-satisfaction we did Cafe Hopping. There are so many lovely cafes nearby that you can visit and enjoy the sunset or sunrise while glimpsing out at the Bir landing site. We had an amazing time at the Northern cafe. So, here I reveal what inspiration that guy gave me
“Never think twice, Just do it!And then overthink.
Take the risk then only you’ll know. ”And I guess taking risks is the only hack to live your life to the fullest.
